Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત / Jay Jay Garavi Gujarat

A poem of 1873 in praise of the land of the Gujarati people. Today it is sung as the state song of Gujarat in India.

Words
Narmadashankar Dave (Narmad)
Culture
Gujarati people
Language
Gujarati
Place
Gujarat, India
Date
1873
Type
Anthem
The words
Public domain (words by Narmadashankar Dave (Narmad), published 1873)

The story

"Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat" is a poem written in 1873 by the Gujarati poet Narmadashankar Dave, known as Narmad, who is considered the first modern Gujarati writer. He wrote it as the foreword to his first Gujarati dictionary, the Narmakosh. In it he gave voice to pride in the region by drawing the bounds of the land where the Gujarati-speaking people lived: Ambaji in the north, Pavagadh in the east, Kunteshwar Mahadev near Vapi in the south, and Somnath and Dwarka in the west. The region he outlined now forms the modern state of Gujarat in western India.

The poem is used as a state anthem at ceremonies of the Government of Gujarat. In 2011 the government released a recording of it sung by a number of Gujarati singers.

What it says

A poem of pride in Gujarat: it salutes the land of the Gujarati people, names the holy places at its four corners, and ends in hope that the dark clouds over Gujarat are lifting and a new dawn is near. Its mood is proud and hopeful.

The words

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત!Jaya jaya garavī gujarāta!Victory to proud Gujarat!

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત,Jaya jaya garavī gujarāta,Victory to proud Gujarat,

દીપે અરુણું પરભાત,dīpē aruṇuṁ parabhāta,Where shines glorious dawn,

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત !jaya jaya garavī gujarāta!Victory to proud Gujarat!

ધ્વજ પ્રકાશશે ઝળળ કસુંબી,Dhvaja prakāśaśē jhaḷaḷa kasumbī,Thy scarlet flag marked with love

પ્રેમ શૌર્ય અંકિત;prēma śaurya aṅkita;and valour will shine;

તું ભણવ ભણવ નિજ સંતજિ સઉને,tuṁ bhaṇava bhaṇava nija santaji sa'unē,Teach thy children everyday,

પ્રેમ ભક્તિની રીતprēma bhaktinī rītathe way of love and devotion.

ઊંચી તુજ સુંદર જાત,ūn̄cī tuja sundara jāta,Your kind is high and beautiful,

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત.jaya jaya garavī gujarāta.Victory to proud Gujarat.

ઉત્તરમાં અંબા માત,Uttaramāṁ ambā māta,In north, Goddess Amba is situated,

પૂરવમાં કાળી માત,pūravamāṁ kāḷī māta,In east, Goddess Kali is situated,

છે દક્ષિણ દિશમાં કરંત રક્ષા, કુંતેશ્વર મહાદેવ;chē dakṣiṇa diśamāṁ karanta rakṣā, kuntēśvara mahādēva;In south, Kunteshwer Mahadev protects (Gujarat).

ને સોમનાથ ને દ્ધારકેશ એ,nē sōmanātha nē d'dhārakēśa ē,Somnath and the lord of Dwarka

પશ્વિમ કેરા દેવછે સહાયમાં સાક્ષાત,paśvima kērā dēvachē sahāyamāṁ sākṣāta,are the gods in the west and ready to protect.

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત.jaya jaya garavī gujarāta.Victory to proud Gujarat.

નદી તાપી નર્મદા જોય,Nadī tāpī narmadā jōya,Have seen rivers Narmada, Tapi,

મહી ને બીજી પણ જોય.mahī nē bījī paṇa jōya.Mahi and others.

વળી જોય સુભટના જુદ્ધ રમણને,Vaḷī jōya subhaṭanā jud'dha ramaṇanē,And seen wars of valiant warriors,

રત્નાકર સાગર;ratnākara sāgara;and the Arabian Sea with enormous resources.

પર્વત ઉપરથી વીર પૂર્વજો,parvata uparathī vīra pūrvajō,From the top of the hills,

દે આશિષ જયકર સંપે સોયે સઉ જાત,dē āśiṣa jayakara sampē sōyē sa'u jāta,Our gallant ancestors are blessing for victory. Unite all castes.

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત.jaya jaya garavī gujarāta.Victory to proud Gujarat.

તે અણહિલવાડના રંગ,Tē aṇahilavāḍanā raṅga,That past glory of ancient capital Anhilwad

તે સિદ્ધરાજ જયસિંગ.tē sid'dhrarāja jayasiṅga.and king Siddharaj Jaisinh.

તે રંગ થકી પણ અધિક સરસ રંગ,Tē raṅga thakī paṇa adhika sarasa raṅga,Will be surpassed in near future,

થશે સત્વરે માત!thaśē satvarē māta!O Mother!

શુભ શકુન દીસે મધ્યાહ્ન શોભશે,Śubha śakuna dīsē madhyāhna śōbhaśē,The night has over and the omen are good,

વીતી ગઈ છે રાત.vītī ga'ī chē rāta.the noon will beseem.

જન ઘૂમે નર્મદા સાથ,Jana ghūmē narmadā sātha,People dance with Narmada.

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત.jaya jaya garavī gujarāta.Victory to proud Gujarat.

Original: Narmad, as quoted in the Gujarati Wikipedia. Text from Wikipedia; public domain.

Romanized: romanization quoted in the Gujarati Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Text from Wikipedia; public domain.

English: English translation quoted in the Gujarati Wikipedia (translator not named; CC BY-SA). Text from Wikipedia; public domain.

Listen

On YouTube, from the channel Vibrant Gujarat. Pressing play loads YouTube’s player. Watch on YouTube

What it inspired

  • Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat (Government of Gujarat recording) 2011recorded by various Gujarati singers

People, places and events

Narmadashankar DaveAmbajiPavagadhKunteshwar MahadevVapiSomnathDwarka

Sources

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat. In Songs in History. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/jai-jai-garavi-gujarat
MLA
“Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat.” Songs in History, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/jai-jai-garavi-gujarat. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat.” Songs in History. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/jai-jai-garavi-gujarat.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat’, Songs in History. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/jai-jai-garavi-gujarat (Accessed: ).

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