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Diu History
The weary weight of this unintelligible world can, for a while , be
lightened and the waking soul can hear the music of the spheres. It is
an island retreat gently rocked by the wind and the wave from the
Arabian Sea. It offers you undisturbed peace and an unusual holiday.
Diu is a beautiful place with it's splendid and to serve tourist with
all of the best services. It has a very great heritage and a rich
culture, formed by the mixture of local Gujarati culture and the
foreign Portuguese culture. The all over 6 beaches make the trip best
to offer all from water sports to bath or sunbath. |
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Calendar of Events
The Island of Diu has chaptered History, having been under the
possession of and ruled by many Kings and Dynasties; beginning with
the Pauranic period and the last being Portuguese from whom it was
liberated along with Goa and Daman on 19th December, 1961. The word
'ISLAND'. Pandavas during their fourteen years of exile are believed
to have passed a few days at a place known as Mani Nagar (DIU) which
was under the Yadavas led by Krishna Vasudeva during Mahabharata
period.
According to mythology, Diu was ruled by the great king Jallandhar who
was a daitya (Demon) and was killed by Lord Vishnu with his Sudarshan
Chakra (disc). The temple of Jallandhar still exists in Diu. Gazetteer
of Goa, Daman and Diu says that Diu was known as Jallandhar Ksshetra
during Satyug and is famouos for its Jallandhar temple. As daitya
(Demon) Jallandhar harassed the Gods, Lord Vishnu left Sudarshan
Chakra after killing Jallandhar is known as Chakra tirtha which is
situated in Diu.
The Gazetteer further states that Diu was ruled by the Mauryans during
322-320 BC and was the main trade center on the Saurashtra Coast. The
State of Saurashtra including Diu was ruled by the Kshatrapas from the
1st century AD to 415 AD, by the Guptas from 415 AD to 467 AD, by the
Maitrakas from 470 AD to 788 AD, by Chavda dynasty of Gujarat and
Saurashtra from 789 AD to 941 Ad who kept their capital at Diu; by the
Chalukyas who succeeded to the power in AD 941 and the Chavdas ruled
over the Somnath Patan and Diu under the Chalukya as Local Chieftains.
In AD 1020 Sultan Mahmud Ghazni, his native place to Diu and rocked
them. On the return of Mahmud to Ghazni, his native place Chavadas of
Diu seem to have increased their power but in AD 1064 the Chalukyas
came back again in power and Diu was successively under the sway of
Chavda and Vaghela Rajputs, who built a fort here. They were dislodged
by Allauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi in AD 1297. A Vaja Raja Brahmadas
tried to capture it but the attack was repulsed and the Raja had to
take shelter in Diu. Muzaffar Khan, the then Governor of Gujarat and
it was attacked several times by the Portuguese because of its
strategic importance right from 1518 to 1535. When the Moghul emperor
Humayun attacked the Shah, the latter entered into a treaty on
05/10/1535 with the Portuguese. Governor Nuno De Cunha constructed a
fort in Diu and raised his arsenal. Diu was finally seized by the
Governor Joao de Castro on 10th November, 1546. Simbor, a village of
Diu about 42kms away, was conquered in 1722.
Goa, Daman and Diu were the Portuguese possessions in India which 19th
December, 1961 during Operation Vijay and in the following year i.e.
1962 they were constituted into a separate Union Territory
administered by a Lieut. Governor and a popular Ministry. After Goa
became a State, a Union Territory was formed on 30th May, 1987
consisting of two separate District of Daman and Diu.
Diu a former Portuguese enclave, and now a Union Territory, is steeped
in history. It was a seaport and naval base of considerable strategic
importance from the 14th to 16th Centuries. It was also a vital trade
link with the rest of India for traders overseas. Diu was under the
sway of Chanda and Vaghela dynasties till the 14th Century. The Muslim
rulers ruled over the island town till 1380 AD. Then came the mighty
wave of invasion of the foreign rule that lasted well nigh upto 450
years.
General Information:
Area: 38.8 Sq. Kms.,
Climate: Cool and Dry,
Rainfall: 70 cm
Tourist Season: September to July
Clothing recommended: Cotton in
summer, Light Woolen in winter
Languages Spoken: Gujarati,
English, Hindi, Portuguese
STD Code: 02875 |
