Mandvi is a beach town with municipality in the Kachchh district (Kutch) in the Indian state of Gujarat.

[citation needed] The city Mandvi was named after Sage Mandavya (Mahabharata story), who lived here.

When Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered Europe-to-India sea route in 1497, he had a Gujarati by his side to show him the way.

A Kutchi sailor, Kanji Malam, navigated the commander to Calicut from Malindi on east African coast.

[4] The establishment of the town dates back to the late 16th century (1581 AD) and is attributed to the first Jadeja ruler of Kutch, Rao Khengarji I.

In the 18th century, the Mandvi merchants collectively owned a fleet of 400 vessels trading with East Africa, Malabar coast and the Persian Gulf.

In the early 19th century, it was a major port of entry for the inland trade with Malwa, Marwar and Sindh.

Mandvi was originally a fortified town having a fort wall of about 8 m high and 1.2 m wide stone masonry.

In the heyday of maritime trade, before the arrival of steamboats, Mandvi was a rich and prosperous town, earning four times more revenue from export than import.

It was a profit-making center of the Kutch state, surpassing the capital city of Bhuj in terms of wealth.

Dr. Manubhai Pandhi, a local social leader, recorded shipbuilding art and collected old documents which is treasured now in Prince of Wales Museum (www.bombaymuseum.org) in Mumbai.

[citation needed] Mandvi houses a population of about 51,000 people, mainly Brahmin, Charan(Gadhavi), Brahmkshatriya, Bhanushali, Bhatalas, Kharvas, Lohanas, Maheshwari, Dawoodi Bohra, Muslims and Jains, Kandoi, Patidar, Mistris.