Junagadh City District Independence Day November 9 1947 Events Festival News Gujarat India

Junagadh City District Independence day November 9, 1947(Junagadh Aazad Din-Divas)

Junagadh celebrates its independence day by running a marathon.

While the rest of country celebrates its Independence Day on August 15, erstwhile princely state of Junagadh City District has a special day to commemorate the occasion for its own. Like every year, this year too, denizens celebrated Junagadh Independence Day with pomp and glory on November 9.

A special Run for Junagadh' marathon was organized this year to commemorate the Independence Day. Hundreds along with Junagadh City mayor Satish Captain, prominent citizens and school students ran with gusto on Monday.

Apart from Captain, Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC) commissioner R M Sharma and deputy mayor Girish Kotecha also ran alongside the students of several schools. The event began with a puja ceremony at Vijay Stambh (victory mast) erected in the memory of Junagadh's independence on November 9, 1947.

Other programme included Swatchhata Abhiyaan (cleanliness drive) Rally', in which cadets from National Cadets Corps (NCC) and students of Sardar Patel Education Trust took part.

In the evening, JMC organized a grand fireworks programme at Bahauddin College. The event also marked felicitation of freedom fighters associated with Aarzi Hukumat' (temporary government). After Nawab Mohammad Mahabat Khanji III, king of Junagadh, chose to accede the state to on September 15, 1947, a group of Junagadh citizens formed Aarzi Hukumat under the leadership of Samaldas Gandhi to spearhead the freedom struggle.

Then Government of India called for a plebiscite, citing 80 per cent population being Hindu as the reason against Nawab's decision to accession. As part of the offensive launched against Nawab, the government suspended supplies of fuel and coal to Junagadh, snapped air and postal links, deployed army around the city and brought Mangrol Town and Babariawad, parts of Junagadh state, under its control.

Finally, succumbing to the military onslaught, Nawab along with his family fled to. The then Junagadh Court, in the wake of Nawab's fleeing, formally invited the Indian government to take control of the state's administration on November 9, 1947.