chapter ii universe locale and the shgs to 24...
TRANSCRIPT
18
CHAPTER –II
UNIVERSE
LOCALE AND THE SHGS
The present study is conducted in the Dharampur Taluka of Valsad
district in Gujarat. The region of Gujarat is located at the west
coast of India between 20° - 01 to 24° - 07 north latitudes and
68°-04 to 74°-04 east longitudes. Its total area measures 1, 96,024
sq km comprising a total of 25 districts. The districts comprising
the mainland include central, south, and north Gujarat which
account for 86,033 sq. km of its area; the 7 districts of Saurshatra
account for 64,339 sq km area. The area of Kutch district accounts
for 45,652 sq. km while the state covers 5.98 per cent of the total
area of the country. The tropic of cancer passes closely through the
center of the state.
The maximum north south length of the state measures 320 km,
and east west width measures 80 to 240 km depending upon the
location of the place. The maximum east west length of the region
of Gujarat is called Saurshatra, i.e. 344 km east-west, and its north-
19
south length is 256 km, and its north-south width is 96 to 112 km.
As far as area is concerned, Kutch is the largest district in Gujarat
and second largest district in India.
As far as geographical location is concerned, the north of Gujarat
counts Marwad, Mewar, Shiroli (Rajasthan), and the hills of
Aravali region. In south is the district of Maharashtra, while to the
east are Baswada (Rajasthan), Khandes (Maharashtra), Alirajpur
and Jhabuia (M.P). To the west of state are mainly located the
Arabian Sea, Gulf of Khambat (Cambay) and Gulf of Kachccha
while to the North West of the state lies Pakistan. To its eastern
border are the Vindhya and Satpura Mountains and parts of
Western ghats. The state is surrounded and protected by the desert
and mountain ranges in the north by the hills and mountains as
well as by forests in south and east and by Arabian Sea in the west.
Earlier Gujarat was the part of Maharashtra, but it was separated in
1st May 1960 from Maharashtra. The Gujarat state lies in west
direction of India. Its capital is Gandhinagar, while its largest city
is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is the home of Gujarati speaking people of
India. The state comprises major sites of the Indus valley
civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an
important role in the economic history of India throughout history.
It is the home of major parts of Indian ancient and modern history,
20
leading into one of the main trade and commerce centres of India.
Lothal, one of the world’s first ports, is located in Gujarat. The
father of the nation who led the Indian Independence movement
against the British rule also belonged to Gujarat. Even today
Gujarat has one of the fastest growing economies in India. In
modern day Gujarat is derived from Gurjara i.e. a land protector
ruled by Gurjar or from Gujar-rashtra, the Gujjar Nation. The
origins of the Gujjar are uncertain. The Gujjar clan appeared in the
northern India about the time of Huns invasions of northern India.
Some Scholar such as B.A. Smith believed that they were foreign
immigrants, possibly a branch of White Huns. However, others
such as K.M. Munshi, stated them as an Indian. The name of tribe
was sanskritized to Gurjara.
Historically, the present day state of Gujarat has been one of the
main centers of the Indian valley civilization. It contains major
ancient metropolitan cities from the Indus valley such as Lothal,
Dholavira. The ancient city of Lothal is the site of India’s first port.
Dholavira and Goladhoran are the ancient cities of Lothal site of
India.
There is the clear historical evidence of the trade and commerce
ties with popular trade center of the world. Sumer in the Persian
Gulf during the period of 1000 to 750 B.C was a Hindu kingdom
21
including the era of Gupta period and Gurjara – Pratihara dynasty.
The first Muslim conqueror was Muhammad Ghazni whose
conquest of Somnath Temple and effectively ended the rule of
Solanki.
From 1297 to 1300, Allauddin Khilji, Sultan to Delhi, destroyed
Unhillwara and incorporated Gujarat into the Delhi sultanate.
Cambay and Bharuch were the most important trading ports. The
Sultan of Gujarat remained independent until 1576, when the
Mughal Emperor Akbar concluded and exceed it to the Mughal
Empire. The port of Surat becomes the prominent and main port of
India during Mughal Rule.
Freedom Fighter from Gujarat:
Leader like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Morarji
Desai, K.M. Munshi, Narhari Parikh, Mahadev Desai, Mohanlal
Pandya, Bholabhai Desai and Kumar Ravishankar Vyas—all
belonged to Gujarat. Also Gujarati speaking Muhammad Ali
Jinnah (Pakistan’s First Governor General). After Indian
Independence and partition of India in 1947, the new Indian
government grouped the former princely states of Gujarat into 3
large units. Saurshatra includes the former states on the Kathiawad
peninsula, Kutch, and Bombay state includes former British
22
districts of Bombay presidency together with most of Baroda state
and the other former princely states of Gujarat. In 1956, the
Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra and some
parts of Hyderabad State and Madhya Pradesh in Central India.
The new state has mostly Gujarati speaking North and Marathi
speaking south. But on 1 May 1960, it became the new state of
Gujarat with Ahmedabad as the capital; the capital was moved to
Gandhinagar in 1970.
Gujarat borders with Pakistan to North West and bounded by the
Arabian Sea to south west; the state of Rajasthan North East, M.P.
to the east. The union territories of Diu & Daman, Dadara and
Nagar Haveli lie to the south of Gujarat.
As per the India Forest Report, 2009, Gujarat has 7.46 per cent of
its total geographical area under forest cover. Gujarat has four
national parks and 21 sanctuaries; Gujarat is the only state in India
which has the home of Asiatic lions. The Gir forest National Park
is situated in the Junagarh District of Gujarat.
Economy: Gujarat has some of the largest business hubs in India.
The major agricultural products of the state include cotton,
groundnut (peanut), dates, sugarcane, milk and milk products.
Industrial products include Cement and petrol.
23
• 30per cent of India Industrial Output
• 10per cent of its mineral production
• 80per cent of salt production
• 20per cent of India’s Export
• 25per cent of textile production
• 40per cent of India’s Pharmaceutical products
• 67per cent of Petrochemical production
• Longest Shoreline – 1670 Kilometer
Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat State. The world’s largest
ship breaking yard is at Alang port in Bhavnagar. Reliance
petroleum limited is one of the companies of reliance industries
limited founded by Dhirubhai Ambani. Gujarat has the biggest oil
refinery at Jamnagar. It has gas based thermal electricity
generation plants. It has nuclear electricity generation plant. There
are 500 corporate conglomerates in Gujarat. The major cities of
Gujarat include Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, and Rajkot. Surat is
the fastest growing city, and Ahmedabad is the third fastest
growing city in India.
24
Gujarat produces about 90 per cent of India’s required amount of
soda and gives the country about 66 per cent of its national
requirement of salt. It is one of the India’s most prosperous states
having per capita GDP significantly above India’s average. Kalol,
Khambad and Ankleshwar are today known for their oil and gas
producing centers. There is Nano car manufacturing unit at Sanand
near Ahmedabad; AMW Trucks are manufactured near Bhuj.
Jellalpur is the largest town in Gujarat where several largest
industrial units are situated. Hazira is an industrial belt of Surat
which is also famous for Diamond and Textile industry. In 2003,
92 per cent of the world diamond were cut and polished in Surat.
Gujarat has established itself as a leader in industrial sector
including textile, engineering, jewellery, and chemicals. A post
liberalization period experienced the increase of domestic products
rising at an average rate of 14 per cent per annum in real term from
1994 to 2002. The producers have contributed significantly in this
addition. Gujarat is one of such states which encouraged private
sector investment in the region of Dahej. Dahej is going to become
big center of industry, and most of the investors are encouraged
with the schemes of ―Vibrant Gujarat‖ the blue print announced
between January 2007 to 15 January 2007. At the science city of
Ahmedabad, the state government signed 104 memoranda of
understanding for special economic zones worth a total of 2.5 lakh
25
crores. The fourth vibrant Gujarat global investor’s summit was
held at science city Ahmedabad in January 2009. There were 600
foreign delegates. There is a possibility of creation of 25 lakh jobs
in the state.
The Gujarat Government is a front runner in the development of
solar energy in the state. It has allowed 34 national and
international solar project developers in 2009 for 500 MW solar
powers. This is expected to bring an investment of 1200 crores and
generate employment for 5000 people. Gujarat is chief producer of
Tobacco, cotton, and groundnut in India. Other major food crops
produced are rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, tur, and grain.
Animal husbandry and dairy have played a vital role in the rural
economy of Gujarat. Gujarat is the largest producer in milk in
India. Amul milk is well-known across the country; it is biggest in
Asia. Gujarat produced million tons of milk, 385 million eggs, and
271 million kg of wool. The total population of the Gujarat state
was 5,06,71,017 as per 2001 census data. The density of
population is the 258 person per square km, a lower density
compared to other states of the country. About 89.1per cent
population of Gujarat are Hindu. The Muslim population accounts
for 9.1per cent, Jain 7.00per cent, and Sikh 0.1per cent. Gujarat has
an Indo Aryan language Gujarati evolved from Sanskrit. There are
26
about 46.1 million speakers of Gujarati worldwide, making it the
26th most spoken native language in the world. Gujarati script is
also has a few other variation in terms of certain consonants and
employs a slightly different set of symbols for numbers. Gujarati
has also been the language spoken by two most prominent leaders
of Asia Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian Nation, and the
founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinah.
The Majority of population speaks in Gujarati. People from Kutch
district speak in Kutch language. Religion wise 71 per cent speak
Gujarati while other 12 per cent speak in Urdu. Apart from this,
English, Sindhi, Punjab, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kanada, Oriya,
Malayalam, etc. are also spoken. After independence in 1947, the
Indian National Congress (INC) ruled the Bombay state which
included present day Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Congress
continued to govern Gujarat after the state was created in 1960. In
1960, Gujarat was created out of 17 district of former state of
Bombay. These districts were further sub divided later on. There
are 26 administrative districts in the state.
There are 26 administrative districts in the state. The Kutch district
is the largest in terms of area. But Dang is very small in terms of
population. Gujarat was a part of the Herappan civilization.
Gujarat is the home to Hindi saints of all castes. Sant Dhudhalinath
27
was Adivasis. Sant Bhojo Machabkha and Madhava were shudras;
Mahatma Gandhi and Lala Bhagat were vaishya; Sant Kilha was a
Kshatriya, and Lakulisa and Chakradha were Brahmins. Gujarat is
the birth place of lord Shiva avatar Lakulisa. He established the
Pasupatai Shiv tradition. The Bhakti movement was very popular
in Gujarat where devotees of both Islam and Hinduism offer
worship to God, trying to get rid of any separation based on faith in
God. Swami Chakradhara was another major figure of the Bhakti
movement born in Gujarat in 1994 A.D. and he is believed to be
the avatar of Vishnu. Chakradhana Maharaja established the
Manubhavavaishnavite sect which spread to Maharashtra as well.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS OF GUJARAT:
More than 1000 festivals are celebrated in Gujarat – The state is
known as the land of fairs and festivals. Some of these fairs are
festivals are as follows:
The Bhavnath Mahadev Mela (February) takes place at the
Bhavnath Mahadev Temple, situated at the foot of mount Girnar in
the city of Junagadh. The fair is held for five days in the month of
February every year during the Maha Shivratri. The Maha Puja of
Lord Shiva takes place at midnight in this temple on the 14th day
28
of the dark half of the month of Magh. When the puja starts, Naga
Bavas living nearby move towards the fair seated on elephants,
holding flags and blowing conch shells. It is firmly believed that
Lord Shiva himself visits the shrine on the occasion. The Bhavnath
Mahadev Temple is surrounded by many equally ancient and holy
places.
In the month of March, there is the Dang Darbar mela. The annual
fair is held every year in Ahwa, the most important town of Dang,
a few days before the Holi. The Dang is one of the most delightful
districts of Gujarat and is located high in the Satpura hills, the
original home of Adivasis of Gujarat. The name ―Darbar‖ dates
back to time of the British, when a darbar of Rajas and Naiks of
neighboring area used to assemble there. Today is called
Jamabandi Darbar, and the District Collector officiates on it.
Thousands of tribal people flock to Ahwa from all over the district,
dressed in bright colours, sounding the shehnai, and beating their
drums. Folk dances, dramas, and songs are the common features of
festivals.
The Chitra-Vichitra Mela (March) is one of the largest Tribal
(Adivasi) fairs. It is attended by around 60,000 to 70,000 tribal
people. It takes place every year in the village of Gunbhakari in
Sabarkantha district which is very near to the Rajasthan border. It
29
is held for a fortnight after Holi, the festival of colors. The site of
the fair is attractive as the temple overlooks the river Sabarmati,
Akul, and Vyakul. The fair attracts large number of Bhils (Tribals)
who came from the surrounding district. The Grasis and Bhil
tribals dress in their customary colorful costumes. The costume of
the men generally consists of blue shirt, dhoti, and a red or saffron
turban. Women use Ghaghara, which has a circumference of as
much as 20 yards (18m), and are covered from head to foot with
ornate and heavy silver jewelry. They use liquid kumkum
(vermilion) to color their cheeks and lip a brilliant red, while their
eyes are outlined with Kajal (Kohl). The women sing folk songs
and everyone dances.
Around 40 km from Bhuj, there is a Samadhi of the famous saint
Menkon Dada who saved the community with great love and
dedication and won their devotion. He was supposed to be the
incarnation of Laxmiji. The Dhrang Fair (April) is held on
Maghvad when a large number of Dada’s followers from different
parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan come to the Samadhi and participate
in religious rituals.
The Venkata Reddy Tarnetar fair is one of the most happening
events in Gujarat and is held at the Temple of Shiva or
Trinetreshwar (Three eyed God) popularly known as Tarnatar.
30
Popular belief associates the village with the swayamvar
(marriage) of Draupati after Arjun performed the mastyavedh, an
unparalled feat of archery villagers from the all over the state,
dressed in their brilliant traditional costumes and exquisite
jewellery, flock to Tarnatar. A varitable feast for the eyes is the
Rasada, a circle, dancing daily to the accompaniment of four
drums and Jodjapava (double Flute). It is in district surendranagar.
The Sanskriti kunj festival shows the different cultures of the state
of India. It is organized in the winter season in the capital city,
Gandhinagar. All the competition of India come during this fair
and show their states culture of dance. The Shamlaji Fair takes
place at the Shamlaji shrine, and the site is known for ancient and
glorious heritage. Thousands of Tribal people flock to the Shamlaji
fair. The Vauthano Mela takes place at the confluence of two rivers
near Ahmedabad, the site attracts people of all communities.
Animals, particularly donkey and camels, are sold in large
numbers during this fair. Other than those festivals observed
throughout India, there are festivities specific to Gujarat.
The Makar Sakranti and the Kite Flying festival (14 January) takes
place in mid-January and marks the time when the sun’s direct ray
reaches the tropic of Capricorn after the winter solstice. It is
celebrated with lots of folk music and dance as well as kite flying.
31
People of Gujarat gather on terraces to fly kites of various colors to
celebrate Makar Sakranti or uttarayan the welcome to sun after the
cold winter months. Food such as undhiya, sugarcane juice and
local sweets is typically to celebrate the day.
The Kutch Mahotsav (February-March) or The ―Kutch Festival‖ or
the Rann festival is celebrated at the time of the Shivratri in
February/March. The centre of the festival is Bhuj in Kutch. It has
craft, fairs and folk dances and music cultural shows, all organized
by the Gujarat Tourism. Tours are also conducted out to the ruins
of Dholavera, a city that was once a part of the Indus valley
civilization.
The Dandiya Raas is a very energetic colorful and playful dance
originating in the state of Gujarat. It roots lay from the days of lord
Krishna who played raas on the shores of Yamuna River on a
moonlight Night his beloved Gopi. Men and women dressed in
colorful clothes dances in two concentric circles one moving
clockwise and other moving counter clockwise. Men and women
carry two bamboo sticks called the dandiyas in their hands.
The song sung on the occasion is essentially an amorous one. Rass
is a very playful dance providing opportunity for acting and
exchanging messages through the eye contact. It is no wonder that
32
many romance bloom during navratri and hence the popularity of
the dance among the generation.
The Garba is a very graceful form of dance mainly performed by
females in a circular formation. It is in reverence of goddess
Ambaji. The basic of dance are singing and clapping rhythmically
while going around the goddess. Today many modifications are
prevalent to the basic pattern and even men are free to join in.
Women are dressed in exquisitely embroided, set in mirrors cholis,
ghagras and badhani Dupatta. The typical dress of male code of
men is kehediya, chudidar and a turban. Originally men perform
this dance as if they came from a battle as the victorious army
starts dancing in tune with couplets and amorous song sung by
charanswars or narrators who liked to go to the front to boost up
the spirit during the battle by singing song with violin.
The Padhar is performed by rural community living around
Nallake. In it, performers simulate the rhythmic movements of
rowing mariners and the undulating sea waves. The Bhil tribes,
who live close to burden tracts and the tribal of Dang district, have
live folk dances.
33
TEMPLES OF GUJARAT
In Gujarat, there have been several great religious figures. Sant
Dadu Sugal (1554–1603), a saint-poet and major Bhakti figure
from Ahmedabad treated equally both Raman and Allah as names
of God and become popular in Northern India – He wrote, ―The
illusion of Allah and Rama hath been dispelled by my mind; since
I see this in all‖. Gujarat is also the home of Mahatma Gandhi who
preached the unity between all religious and became a worldwide
figure for peaceful struggle against Tyranny.
Dwarakadheesh Temple in Dwaraka is one of the important
temples dedicated to Lord Krishna on the tip of the Arabian Sea. It
was the home of Krishna. The Rann of Kutchch covers a large part
of Gujarat. Palitana is known for mythological and historic
reasons. That place is famous for Jain temple. It is situated 51 km
south west of Bhavanagar district of Gujarat. There are 863
temples from the base to the peak of the Shatrunjaya hill where the
Palitana temples are located.
Modhera Sun Temple is one of the famous temple of Gujarat
which lies near to Somnath. There is a central pond. Surrounding it
stands 108 small temples for each of the Sun god’s 108 names.
Shankheshwar Jain Temple is mainly dedicated to the 23rd
34
Tirthunkar, Lord Parsvanath. It is believed that this idol was
revered by Lord Krishna himself, by the teaching of Neminath. It
is near Ahmedabad.
Girnar is the epitome of communal harmony of Jains and Hindus.
This high rising steep hill shrines belong to both religions. One is
dedicated to Neminath who has 22nd Teerthnakar of Jain. Ambaji
temple is dedicated to goddess Ambaji. It is situated on the Arusar
hill and can be approached by Abu road in Rajasthan, as well from
all other important places in Gujarat. A popular drama called
―Bhavi‖ is performed in the courtyard of the temple. The Dakor
temple town dedicated to Lord Krishna is situated 90 km from
Ahmadabad city. The temple of Ranchodaraijas, the idol of Lord
Krishna, which is believed to have been brought from Dwarkabu
Hamed Bodana.
Chotila is in Surendranagar district where there is a famous temple
of Goddess Chamunda situated. The Dwarakadish temple at
Dwarka was built in 16th century CE, while the original temple
was believed to have been built by Krishna's Grandson,
Vajranabha. The five storied temple is made up of limestone and
sand. A flag hoisted in the temple tower five times a day. There are
two gateways—Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and Moksha
Dwar, where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the
35
Sangam (confluence) of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. In
Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama
and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and
Satyabhama Devi. There is a special temple for Rukmini Devi on
the way to Bet Dwarka temple, which can be reached by boat. A
similar deity of Lord Dwarakanath is also kept in Bet Dwaraka.
The temple has many Shrines for Lakshmi Narayana, Trivikrama,
Jambavati Devi, Satyabhama Devi and Rukmini Devi. The Sidi
Sayed mosque in Ahmedabad is a famous and ancient mosque of
the city. The elegant mosque was built by Sidi Sayed, a slub of
sultan Ahmad Shah. The mosque is famous all over the country
because of its fantastic architecture and exquisite Jain works.
NATIONAL PARK AND WILDLIFE IN GUJARAT
As per the Forest Report 2009, Gujarat is having 2.46 per cent of
its total geographical area under forest. As per the districts, the
Dang is having the largest area under forest cover. Gujarat has a
national park and 21 sanctuaries. Gujarat is the only home of
Asiatic lions. Except Africa, Gujarat is the only habitat of lions.
The Gir Forest National Park in the south west of the state provides
natural habitat to lions. Besides lions, the other big cat that can be
36
found in the state is the leopard. Near about 80per cent of the total
forests of Gujarat are mainly situated in the districts of Surat,
Valsad, Dang, Bharuch, Narmada, Panchmahal, Dahod and
Vadodara and rest of the forest located in the north Gujarat and
Saurashtra and Kachchha.
MAIN RIVERS OF GUJARAT:
The Narmada is a major river of Gujarat. It originates from
Amarkantak which is located in the Thaikalmountain, a part of the
Vindhachal ranges in M.P. The total length of Narmada is 1,312
km. But in Gujarat it flow only 160 km. Its total catchment area
measures 98796 square km. The Tapi is known for its
mythological origin, this river, known as the daughter of Sun, is to
be traced in a mountain rivulet or a spring situated near Multai in
the Betul district of M.P. Its total length measures 720 km for the
first 250 km. The Kakrapara dam is constructed on this river and
its catchment area is 60,450 square km. The Mahi is also one of the
major rivers of Gujarat. It originates from Madhya Pradesh flow in
the Banswada district of Rajasthan; then it enters into Gujarat and
flows in the districts of Godhara. Dams constructed across it are at
37
Vanakbori in the Kheda district and the other at Kadanain the
panchmahal district.
The Sabarmati river originates from the area adjoining the
Dhebarlake situated in the Mewad district of Rajasthan. In Gujarat,
it flows in the districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Mehsana,
Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Anand. Its total length is
416 km. Adam has been constructed on this river near Dharoi in
the KheraluTaluka of the Mehsana district. The ancient name of
the river Banas is Parnasha. It originates from the
Siranwanmountain, situated in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. It
touches the foot of Abu Mountain, flow near Chandravati and
Deesa. It moves westwards and flows in the Rann of Kuchchha.
The Vishwamitri river rises from Pawadgadh, flow through
Vadodra and meet Mahi river. The main rivers of south Gujarat
flow across the Surat and Valsad district of south Gujarat. All of
them are perennial rivers.
The maximum length of the Par is 80 km. It separates the Talukas
of Paradi and Valsad. After covering a distance of 9.6 km south of
the river Auranga, it empties itself in the Arabian Sea. The Kolak
separates the Taluka of Daman and Pardi. The river flows through
the Valsad district. It covered 12.8 km area. The kalu fish are
found in rocky beds of the river. The river bed at the village Kotak
38
is 150m wide. The river Damanganga is located on the southern
border of Gujarat. In monsoon, it overflows. Its hinterland
comprises the Daman region and same parts of Dharampur Taluka.
The geographical limit of Daman starts from the mouth of the river
and covers 8 km from the sea.
VALSAD DISTRICT:
The name ―Valsad‖ derives from Vad-saal a Gujarati language
compound meaning ―hampered saal by banyan trees (Vad). Valsad
is basically located at 20°38’N and 72°56’E. It has average
elevation of 13 metres from the sea level. The city centre is about
10 km away from Arabian Sea. Valsad is a big district of South
Gujarat region.
Valsad has the population count of about 170000 according to the
latest census. As per 2001 census, Valsad had a population of
68,825. Males constitute 51 per cent of the total population and
females 49 per cent. Valsad district gives home to some of popular
names such as Vapi (the chemical hub of Gujarat) umbergaon and
sarigam (the industrial estate). The union territories of Daman and
Dadra of Nagar Haveli, which are tourist destinations, are located
Near Valsad. This city’s longitude and latitude are 72.98 and 20.54
respectively.
39
Mararji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India, and famous
Marathi playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkarihail from Valsad. Some
of the famous actors have their birth place in Valsad like Nirupan
Roy, Binda, Prachi Desai, Mahesh Deasi and producer Manmohan
Desai.
The Economy of Valsad certainly registers the Alphonso Mango
(known locally as Haafus), for which the city was once famous is
still important to local economy in the Valsad district. It has
numerous mango orchards, the only sources of income for many
villagers. Valsad district is a hub of Chikoo. The farmer of Valsad
mainly produces product of different vegetables. The Vasundra
Dairy industry is another source of economy.
DHARAMPUR:
Dharampur is a taluka town of the district of Valsad. It is just 35
km far away from Valsad city. Dharampur is situated on the banks
of the Swaravahini river and is surrounded by the beautiful
Sahyadri mountain range on the east, west and south sides. Due to
its locations the town enjoys a very pleasant climate throughout the
year. The name Dharampur is given by Dharamder in 1766 as a
40
capital of Ramnagar. Before, its name was Mandvengan,
Dharampur, Gujarat.
Dharampur is situated in South Gujarat and was a capital of the
former princely state of Dharampur. Originally, it was known as
Ramnagar. The present day Dharampur dates back to 1764 AD and
was founded by King Dharmdevji. The Sisodia Rajputs of Chittor
rules in the history of Dharampur after the fall of Delhi sultanate in
south Gujarat.
The Dharampur state was surrounded by the Muslim states of
Khandesh, Ahmadnagar and main Gujarat sultans. The Parsis
found political patronage under the Dharampur king. The
development of the city of Dharampur had two major phases of
development—the first in the 18th century when the Rana
undertook the construction of Raj Mahal, public building, step
walls and temples, and the second phase covered the 19th century
including the Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee celebrations. Many
vernacular schools and hospitals were constructed. The King Vijay
Devji constructed a museum and dedicated it to Lady Wilson. The
town has a beautiful entrance gate (Rajya Rohan Gate) constructed
in European style with life-size status of Greek style adorning the
top.
41
DEMOGRAPHICS:
As of 2001 India census Dharampur had a population of 19,932.
Males constitute 52per cent of the population and female 48per
cent. Dharampur has an average literacy rate of 59 per cent. Male
literacy is 73 per cent and female literacy is 60 per cent. In
Dharampur, 12 per cent of the population is under 6 years of Age.
It has Science Academy that has an ongoing exhibition of science
projects. Student from Gujarat would be benefited by visiting.
Dharampur is situated on the bank of the Swaragavahini mountain
range on east, west and south sides. Due to its location the town
enjoys a very pleasant climate all throughout the year.
LITERATURE:
Valsad has always been a city when it comes to literature. This is
the city which has described a heaven in Kumay Hasan Rizvi’s
devut novel Named fairy tales. This is supposed to be the home-
town of Vasukhi, the leading female character of fairy tale. As per
the book, the people of Valsad are really helpful and kind. This is
India’s first place that brought fairy tale and reality together into
love in the form of this book. City has got two technical colleges
namely Govt, Polytechnic (Estd, 1965) Govt Engineering College.
42
The Tithal beach is a tourist attraction in the coastal region of
Valsad overlooking the Arabian Sea. There are so many stalls and
shops selling various kinds like bajiya, dabelli, bhel chat, coconut
water and of souvenirs. One can also find places to eat both
indoors and outdoors with plenty of choice from a full meal to
traditionally prepared snacks. There are two famous temples
Swaminarayana and Shreesaibaba temple. Both the Government of
India and Gujarat Government have had contributions in
developing the area due to its popularity with the local and foreign
tourists alike.
The river Par counts its length is about 80 km. It separates the
Talukas of Paradi and Valsad. After covering a distance of 9.6 km
south of the river Auranga, it empties itself in the Arabian Sea. The
Kolak separates the Taluka of Daman and Pardi. It covers 12.8 km
area. The kalu fish are found in rocky beds of the river. The river
bed at the village Kotak is 150m wide. The Damanganga river is
located on the southern border of Gujarat. In monsoon, it
overflows. Its hinterland comprises the Daman region and some
parts of Dharampur taluka. The geographical limit of Daman starts
from the mouth of the river and covers 8 km from the sea the
catchment areas consist 2,318.08 sq km.
43
HILL STATIONS OF DHARAMPUR:
The Wilson Hill is the most beautiful hill station of Gujarat lies in
Dharampur Taluka of Valsad District. It is located in the Western
Ghats range having an elevation of around 870m (2700 feet) above
the sea level. It is located about 120 km away from Surat City, and
60 km from Valsad city. The name of Wilson Hill was named after
the memory of Lord Wilson, the then Governor of Mumbai
province.
The Wilson Hill is located in a heavy dense forest region. There is
a wildlife sanctuary called Pangarbari located at the Wilson Hill. It
is one of the few Hill stations in the world where we can find the
wonders of the sea. Due to its high elevation, Wilson Hill enjoys a
cooler and less humid climate than the surrounding area, which
makes it popular during the summer months.
Wilson Hills was named in the memory of Lord Wilson the
governor of Mumbai, by Vijay Devji the last king of Dharampur.
Lord Wilson and King Devji had planned to develop this place for
some reason. Announcement in their memory remain on the peak.
In 2003, Ashish Birendra Sharma, a youth of Vapi, come forward
and launched a company named Hotel Wilson Highland Pvt. Ltd.
and started developing this place on Hill resort.
44
The Wilson Hill is located about 130 km from Surat, 80 Km from
Navsari and 60 km from Valsad. Wilson Hills is connected to the
town of Dharampur, which lies at the base of the Hill. A metal
road connects Dharampur to Wilson Hill.
The nearest air port is Surat, located around 140 km away from
Wilson Hill. The nearest Railway station is Valsad, i.e. connected
Surat to Mumbai through broad gauge line. The Surat-Mumbai
National Highway (NH-8) passes through Udhana-Palsana and
Chikli. At Chikli stop, one is to take a left turn and move towards
Dharampur and one towards Wilson Hills and Barumal. Barumal is
the most religious and pilgrim centre of Jain. While taking the
Wilson Hills road, one can reach the Foot hills of Wilson Hills.
The social ecology of the villages of Dharampur cannot be taken
into isolation of the geographical conditions, natural resources, and
social structure and social action, cultural integration, etc. The
process of social mobility and social empowerment with special
reference to SHGs have remain been the focus of the research.