About Khambat ( Khambhat / Cambay )

Khambhat (Gujarati ; Hindi ) pronunciation (helpinfo), formerly known as Cambay, is a city and a municipality in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was formerly an important trading center, although its harbour has gradually silted up, and the maritime trade has moved elsewhere. Khambhat lies on an alluvial plain at the north end of the Gulf of Khambhat, which is noted for the extreme rise and fall of its tides, which can vary as much as thirty feet in the vicinity of Khambhat. Some scholars suggest that the name Khambhat/Khambat -the Kambaya/Kanbya of the Arabic writers is connected with the Kambojas, and it is stated to be an apabhraa form of the Sanskrit Kamboja. Some people believe that the town of Khambhat may be the Camanes of Ptolemy. Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod believes that the name comes from the Sanskrit Khambavati or 'City of the Pillar'. One of the most accepted belief is, 'Khambhat' is made up of 2 words 'Khambh' and 'Aayat', Khambh...