Rukmavati Shipbuilding Yard

Along the banks of the Rukmavati River, Mandvi's shipbuilding yard keeps alive a four-century-old craft. Skilled artisans from the Kharva community hand-build massive wooden dhows using sal or babool wood, some large enough to carry thousands of tonnes of cargo. These vessels once linked Mandvi to trading partners across East Africa and the Persian Gulf, and the yard remains a rare working window into a maritime tradition that predates modern shipbuilding by centuries. Visitors can watch craftsmen at work most days.