Rajkot is a city in Gujarat state, India. It was once the capital of the princely state of Rajkot, and is now the headquarters of Rajkot District. It is located in the middle of the peninsula of Kathiawar, some 70 kilometers from the Gulf of Kachchh. The town is bisected by the Aji River. Its most notable institution is Rajkumar College, which was founded in 1870 for the education of the sons of local chiefs and princes, and was modeled by its founder, Col. R. H. Keatinge, on Eton College. Mahatma Gandhi was educated in Rajkot at the Alfred High School (founded in 1875). Once the capital of the princely state of Saurashtra, Rajkot was founded by Vibhoji, the younger son of Ajoji. It is the town where Mahatma Gandhi spent the early years of his life. The city, also a former British government headquarters, has a number of impressive colonial buildings and educational institutions. It is famous for silver, textiles and a National weaving institute which promotes traditional weaves. The pleasant town is an important industrial area and a religious centre of the Arya Samaj. |