Lunavada

History

Lunawada was established by the ancestors of Maharaja Vir Bhadra Singh as the state of Virpur, then it returned to the state of Lunawada. Before the town was established, the area was controlled by the princely state of Santrampur, ruled by Puwar Rajputs. The border of Santrampur state is near Koyli Vaav known as Mandvi Bazar. The last ruler of Lunawada was Maharaja Vir Bhadra Singh. The best known historical place near Lunawada is Kaleshwari where there are Pandav chori, foot prints of Bhima, ancient water kund (small bodies of water sometimes sanctified), several vaavs (large wells with accessible steps to the water level) and the Lord Shiva temple.

During the British Raj, Lunavada State was one of the princely states under the Rewa Kantha Agency of Bombay Presidency. Lunavada State was founded in 1434. It was a second class state in the Rewa Kantha Agency. One important ruler was Wakhat Singhhji (1867–1919) a Solanki Rajput Maharana of high lineage. The capital was Lunavada town, said to have been founded in 1434 CE. The 1901 census records that the population had a decrease of 28% in the previous decade, due to famine.

Col. HH Maharaja Sri Virbhadrasinhji Ranjitsinjhi 1929/1986, born 8 June 1910 in Lunawada, invested with full ruling powers on 2 October 1930, Member of the Chamber of Princes, married Maharajkumari Manher Kunwari [HH Maharani Kusum Kunwari of Lunawada], daughter of Capt. HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri Sir Amarsinhji Banesinhji (Gangubha) of Wankaner, and had issue. He died in 1986.

Tourism

Visitors can reach Lunawada via Godhra and Halol from the city of Vadodara. It is located 120  km from the city of Vadodara and 120  km from Ahmedabad.

Places that the visitor can see are: Luneshwar Temple, Ramji Mandir, Hanumaan ni Veri, Kakachiya Triveni Sangam, Panam Bridge, Panam River Check Dam, Fateh Baug, Fuvara Chawk, Indira Gandhi Stadium, Jahavar Garden, and Kalka Mata ni Tekari.

Visitors can also see places like the Panam Bridge in the evening. Another place to visit is the King's Palace of historically significance in the State of Gujarat. Near Lunawada there is a village named Limadiya where the palace is situated.

Temple

Lunawada is known for the temple of Luneshwar Mahadev. This ancient temple of Lord Shiva has a lot of religious importance as it is said that the Pandavas dwelled at this temple during their stay in the forest. The statue of Lord Shiva Lingam is of white stone found in the quarries of Madhya Pradesh. There is a Saint Kabir Ashram opposite to this Shiva temple. All the walls of this Ashram are engraved with the Dohas of Saint Kabir. Another ancient temple of Bhairavnath Mahadev is situated near the Luneshwar Mahadev temple. This temple has a statue of Bhairav and one of Lord Shiva.

The next attraction is the temple of Melia Mahadev, which is 2 miles away from Lunawada. The local people come here to pray to fulfill their wishes and desires. A temple named Mitha Ganesh ni deri situated in mandvi bazar (beside pipli fali) is held here.

People

The town contains people of every kind of religious persuasion, Hindus, Jains, Sindhis, Muslims and Dawoodi Bohras. It has Hospitals and clinics for surrounding Talukas. The town has facilities like a Gymnasium, a Town hall, theater, Javahar Garden, public schools, a Religious school, and restaurants.

Lunawada people have made achievements in fields of business, education, banking, literacy, and health. Lunawada has a large NRI population thriving in different foreign countries like Kuwait, UAE, Australia, Canada, Oman, and the US, Hong Kong