Morbi wants the jewel in its crown, the hanging bridge, rebuilt

Five days after the 'Julto Pul' the suspension bridge of Morbi collapsed killing 135 people, the rescuers have left the scene. 

Residents of Morbi town, however, have continued to flock to the banks of the Machchu river over which the remaining portion of the bridge dangles.

In a town known for wall clocks and ceramic tiles, the colonial-era suspension bridge was the biggest "non-religious" attraction for outsiders and locals. Many visiting the religious sites would automatically be persuaded by their children to make a quick trip to the swinging bridge.

Surrounded by temples, a palace and a dargah all in a radius of one kilometre the 233 metre-long and 1.25 metre-wide Julto Pul was inaugurated in 1879 and connected the two parts of the town, Morbi-1 and Morbi-2.

Before the maintenance and operations of the bridge was handed over to a private firm, Oreva, in 2008, locals would occasionally even be seen riding their motorcycle across it.

The Morbi police are yet to determine the bridge's latest capacity, but investigators have found that around 400 tickets were issued to visitors in the two hours before the fatal collapse.

The bridge was handed over by the royal family to the Morbi municipality in the 1960s. But over the years, the bridge's popularity and significance in Morbi never diminished.