There are many costal highways in India, which connects to one city to other. Like Mumbai to Goa, Puri to Konark, Vishakhapatnam to Gopalpur etc. famous for road trips. But there are very few coastal highways that are enjoyable for road trips as well as they are rich in culture. One of the best, loveliest beach of Gujarat is Madhavpur Beach, named after it’s King Madhav Rao. The beach is located 60 km from Porbandar, 75-78 km from Somnath and Junagadh. Not only beach there are historical places to visit and the village is really rich in culture too. It is said that Shree Krishna and Devi Rukmini got married in this village. Every year the village arrange 4 days of celebration and do the rituals of Shree Krishna and Rukmini’s wedding.

A line or zone where the land meets the sea or some other large expanse of water is known as coastal Highway.  

In the mythology and the Hinduism it is believed that the Shree Krishna was the eight ‘Avatar’ of Lord Vishnu. This ‘Avatar’ of lord Vishnu as Shree Krishna is followed and Worshiped worldwide. There are many stories of Shree Krishna, like one of the story is Shree Krishna was Living in Vrindavan when he met Radha and fall in Love with her. It is said that he played flute for Radha , when he left Vrindavan and Radha he also left his Flute and never played it again. Shree Krishna at the very Young age killed his ‘mama’ (maternal Uncle) ‘Kansa’. Shree Krishna is worship for everything he did to protect ‘Dharma’ but people worship and love him as lover. The Love story of Radha and Krishna is famous not only in India but worldwide. But he never married Radha. In fact, his first wife was Devi Rukmini.

WHO WAS RUKMINI?

Rukmini was the daughter of king of vidarbha. When she was younger , Narayanji used to go to his father and talk about Shree Krishna’s bravery. At the very young age she fell in love with Shree Krishna , even if she never met him ! She decided to marry him. But his brother Rukmi, did not wanted her to marry Krishna. Rukmi promised to his friend Shuishupal that his sister Rukmini will marry him, without even asking for her wish ! Rukmini was devastated knowing that she would be married off to someone she doesn’t love. So Rukmmini decided to write her own fortune.

She wrote a letter to Shree Krishna confessing her love.  In that letter she also confessed her desire to get married to him. Rukminni’s brother was forcing her to marry shishupal and the date of marriage was fixed , so she gave address to Shree Krishna and told him to pick her up from her village’s ‘Bhavani temple’. She also threated to kill herself if She Krishna doesn’t come to her.

She wrote in her letter , 

यस्याङ्घ्रिपङ्कजरजस्नपनं महान्तो

वाञ्चन्त्युमापतिरिव्वत्मतमोपहत्यै

यर्ह्यम्बुजाक्ष न लभेय भवत्प्रादं

जह्यामसून् व्रतकृशान् शतजन्मभिः स्यात्॥

Which is roughly translated as,

“I am like Parvati waiting for my god like husband, if I am not fortunate enough to get protection from Great Krishna , I will kill myself and will be born again and again for the hundreds of time until you accept me as your wife.“

In the ancient time when women were barely given choice of their life partner, Rukmini bravely express her love to Shree Krishna. It was the first love Letter ever written in the history. We can also say that it was the first proposal of marriage!

WHAT DID SHREE KRISHNA DO ?

Shree Krishna was blown by the courage Rukmini had, even if they didn’t met each other, he was ready to pick her up , also he wanted to save her life by doing so ! So Shree Krishna went to said place with his ‘sarthi’ named Daruksharand to ‘kidnap’ Rukmini.

There are counter arguments that he didn’t kidnapped her as Rukmini herself expressed her wish to ran away with Shree Krishna.  


Both Shree Krishna and Rukmini was going to get married in Dwarika , with the blessings of every god of ‘Bramhalok’, but after knowing that Rukmini has ran with Krishna , her brother Rukmi was in so much anger that he ran behind them to catch and kill both of them. Krishna fought with him and won, when shree Krishna went to kill Rukmi , Rukmini asked for forgiveness on his behalf ! That’s why Shree Krishna did not kill Rukmi. 

WEDDING OF SHREE KRISHNA AND RUKMINI :

Shree Krishna and Rukmini got married in Madhavpur village. But Rukmini was worried about the rituals as she did not have her family with her. So the people of Madhavpur took the responsibility to do all the rituals and be Rukmini’s Family. Even today the locals celebrate their wedding rituals on ‘chaitra sud aekadashi’(as per hindu calendar) every year. Around this time in the temple, they organise a fair and perform wedding rituals of Shree Krishna and Rukmini. Locals of the village call Rukmini as their daughter. At Rukimini temple of Dwarika which is located 3 kms away from Dwarika temple people celebrate Krishna Rukmini’s wedding every year for years now.


WHY MADHAVPUR FOR THE WEDDING?

Rukmini wanted something unique for their wedding, something like no one did before. Also, Shree Krishna wanted to marry at a land where NO deed happened before. So Shree Krishna requested to Madavpur beach for land. Beach itself gave them land and thus, Shree Krishna and Rukmini got married in Madhavpur – Ghed.


OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY :

Rukmini was the first wife of lord Krishna. But why Rukmini married Shree Krishna?

We all know that the Shree Krishna is the eighth ‘Avatar’ of Lord Vishnu , but it is lesser known fact that devi Rukmini was ‘Avatar’ of Laxmi ji ,Lord vishnu’s wife. Many a times lord Vishnu took birth on the earth , to protect ‘Dharma’ so this time Laxmiji also wanted to accompany him and wanted to Experience the life on the earth. Laxmiji wanted to help Vishnu and wanted to be a part of his journey. So Laxmiji was born as Rukmini, while being married to lord Vishnu she Promised to be with him in her every life. So to fulfil her Promise Rukmini married to Shree Krishna. We all worship Shree Krishna as Lover with Radha only, but the love Shree Krishna and Rukmini shares as husband and wife is really inspiring and beyond this world ! The love of Lords , who took birth on earth and married each other AGAIN !


PLACES TO VISIT AT MADHAVPUR :

Besides Madhavpur coastel highway Beach , there are many other places to  visit in the village.

There is Rukmini temple where every year locals organise a fair.

The Fair : Fair is organised once a year at Rukmini temple for four days, where the local perform rituals of wedding.

Osho Ashram : Osho Ashram is the best place for Meditation. It is located near the Madavpur’s main ‘bazaar’. People visit the Ashram to find Peace within.




Madhavraiji temple : this Temple was built in 12 or 13th century in Rajputana style. The temple is cultury and religiously  rich in the history.




Even the small village like Madhavpur – Ghed has so much to offer and explore!

Places in Indian are really historical and heritage sites are so rich whether it’s history, religion or the beauty of the place. We have so many tourist places with so many back stories, that it would be delighted to know and explore!