Mandvi is a beach town with municipality in the Kachchh district (Kutch) in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao (king) of the Cutch State. The old city was enclosed in the Mandvi Fort wall and remains of the fort wall can still be seen. The port was built in 1580 and the city has a 400-year-old ship building industry which is still functional and dhows, a type of wooden ship, are still made. Jivandas Damodar Tulsidas and the firm of Damodar Tulsidas were prominent members of the Kutchi Bhatia merchant community that anchored Zanzibar's economy during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their legacy reflects the extensive influence of Indian merchant capital in the Western Indian Ocean. Historical Significance and Business Role O...