Gujarat

Gujarat(/ˌɡʊdʒəˈrɑːt/GUUJ-ə-RAHT;ISO:Gujarāt,Gujarati:[ˈɡudʒəɾat̪]) is astatealong thewestern coastofIndia. Its coastline of about 1,600 km (990 mi) is the longest in the country, most of which lies on theKathiawarpeninsula. Gujarat is thefifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some 196,024 km(75,685 sq mi); and theninth-most populous state, with a population of 60.4 million in 2011. It is bordered byRajasthanto the northeast,Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diuto the south,Maharashtrato the southeast,Madhya Pradeshto the east, and theArabian Seaand thePakistaniprovince ofSindhto the west. Gujarat's capital city isGandhinagar, while its largest city isAhmedabad.TheGujaratisare indigenous to the state and their language,Gujarati, is the state's official language.
The stateencompasses 23 sitesof the ancientIndus Valley civilisation(more than any other state). The most important sites areLothal(the world's first dry dock),Dholavira(the fifth largest site), andGola Dhoro(where 5 uncommon seals were found). Lothal is believed to have been one of the world's firstseaports.Gujarat'scoastal cities, chieflyBharuchandKhambhat,served as ports and trading centres in theMauryaandGuptaempires and during the succession of royalSakadynasties in theWestern Satrapsera.Along withBihar,MizoramandNagaland, Gujarat is one of four Indian states toprohibit the sale of alcohol.TheGir Forest National Parkin Gujarat is home to the only wild population of theAsiatic lionin the world.
Theeconomy of Gujaratis thefifth-largest in India, with agross state domestic product (GSDP)of₹16.55 trillion(equivalent to₹19 trillion or US$210 billion in 2023) and has the country's10th-highest GSDP per capitaof₹215,000(US$2,500).Gujarat has thehighest exports of all states, accounting for around one-third of national exports.It ranks21st among Indian states and union territories in human development index.Gujarat is regarded as one of the most industrialised states and has a lowunemployment rate,but the state ranks poorly on some social indicators and is at times affected byreligious violence.
Gujarat is derived from theGurjaras, who ruled Gujarat in the 8th and 9th centuries CE.Parts of modernRajasthanand Gujarat were known asGurjaratorGurjarabhumifor centuries before theMughalperiod.
Gujarat was one of the main central areas of the Indus Valley civilisation, which was spread across modern-day northern India and Pakistan.It contains ancient metropolitan cities from theIndus Valleysuch asLothal,DholaviraandGola Dhoro.The ancient city of Lothal was where India's first port was established.The ancient city of Dholavira is one of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the Indus Valley civilisation. The most recent discovery wasGola Dhoro. Altogether, about fifty Indus Valley settlement ruins have been discovered in Gujarat.
The ancient history of Gujarat was enriched by the commercial activities of its inhabitants. There is clear historical evidence of trade and commerce ties withEgypt,BahrainandSumerin thePersian Gulfduring the time period of 1000 to 750 BCE.There was a succession of various polities such as theMauryan dynasty,Satavahana dynasty,Gupta Empire,Gurjara-PratiharaEmpire, as well as regional ones such as theWestern Satraps, theKingdom of Valabhi, theKingdom of Gujarat, theSultanate of Gujaratand finally theKingdom of Baroda.
The early history of Gujarat includes the imperial grandeur ofChandragupta Mauryawho conquered a number of earlier states in what is now Gujarat. Pushyagupta, aVaishya, was appointed the governor ofSaurashtraby the Mauryan regime. He ruled Girinagar (modern-dayJunagadh) (322 BCE to 294 BCE) and built a dam on the Sudarshan lake. EmperorAshoka the Great, the grandson ofChandragupta Maurya, not only ordered his edicts engraved in the rock at Junagadh, but also asked Governor Tusherpha to cut canals from the lake where an earlier Indian governor had built a dam. Between the decline of Mauryan power and Saurashtra coming under the sway of theSampratiMauryas ofUjjain, there was anIndo-Greekdefeat in Gujarat ofDemetrius. In 16th century manuscripts, there is an apocryphal story of a merchant of KingGondophareslanding in Gujarat withApostle Thomas. The incident of the cup-bearer torn apart by a lion might indicate that the port city described is in Gujarat.
For nearly 300 years from the start of the 1st century CE,Sakarulers played a prominent part in Gujarat's history. The weather-beaten rock atJunagadhgives a glimpse of the rulerRudradaman I(100 CE) of the Saka satraps known asWestern Satraps, or Kshatraps. MahakshatrapRudradaman Ifounded theKardamakadynasty which ruled fromAnupaon the banks of theNarmadaup to theAparantaregion bordering Punjab. In Gujarat, several battles were fought between the Indian dynasties such as theSatavahana dynastyand the Western Satraps. The greatest and the mightiest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty wasGautamiputra Satakarniwho defeated the Western Satraps and conquered some parts of Gujarat in the 2nd century CE.
The Kshatrapa dynasty was replaced by theGupta Empirewith the conquest of Gujarat byChandragupta Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya's successorSkandaguptaleft an inscription (450 CE) on a rock at Junagadh which gives details of the governor's repairs to the embankment surrounding Sudarshan lake after it was damaged by floods. TheAnartaandSaurashtraregions were both parts of the Gupta empire. Towards the middle of the 5th century, the Gupta empire went into decline. Senapati Bhatarka, the general of the Guptas, took advantage of the situation and in 470 set up theKingdom of Valabhi. He shifted his capital from Giringer toValabhi, nearBhavnagar, on Saurashtra's east coast. TheMaitrakasof Vallabhi became very powerful with their rule prevailing over large parts of Gujarat and adjoiningMalwa. A university was set up by the Maitrakas, which came to be known far and wide for its scholastic pursuits and was compared with the notedNalanda University. It was during the rule of Dhruvasena Maitrak that Chinese philosopher-travelerXuanzang/I Tsingvisited in 640 along theSilk Road.
Gujarat was known to theancient Greeksand was familiar with other Western centres of civilisation through the end of the EuropeanMiddle Ages. The oldest written record of Gujarat's 2,000-year maritime history is documented in a Greek book titledThe Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century.
In the early 8th century, theArabsof theUmayyad Caliphateestablished an empire in the name of the rising religion ofIslam, which stretched fromSpainin the west toAfghanistanand modern-dayPakistanin the east. Al-Junaid, the successor ofQasim, finally subdued the Hindu resistance withinSindhand established a secure base. The Arab rulers tried to expand their empire southeast, which culminated in theCaliphate campaigns in Indiafought in 730; they were defeated and expelled west of theIndusriver, probably by a coalition of the Indian rulersNagabhata Iof theGurjara-Pratiharadynasty,Vikramaditya IIof theChalukyadynasty andBappa Rawalof theGuhila dynasty. After this victory, the Arab invaders were driven out of Gujarat. GeneralPulakeshin, a Chalukya prince ofLata, received the titleAvanijanashraya(refuge of the people of the earth) and honorific of "Repeller of the unrepellable" by the Chalukya emperorVikramaditya IIfor his victory at the battle atNavsari, where the Arab troops suffered a crushing defeat.
In the late 8th century, the Kannauj Triangle period started. The three major Indian dynasties – the northwestern Indian Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, the southern IndianRashtrakuta dynastyand the eastern IndianPala Empire– dominated India from the 8th to 10th centuries. During this period the northern part of Gujarat was ruled by the northern Indian Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty and the southern part of Gujarat was ruled by the southern IndianRashtrakuta dynasty.However, the earliest epigraphical records of the Gurjars ofBroachattest that the royal bloodline of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty ofDadda I, II and III(650–750) ruled south Gujarat.Southern Gujarat was ruled by the IndianRashtrakuta dynastyuntil it was captured by the Indian rulerTailapa IIof theWestern Chalukya Empire.
ZoroastriansfromGreater Iranmigrated to the western borders of India (Gujarat andSindh) during the 8th or 10th century,to avoidpersecutionby Muslim invaders who were in the process of conquering Iran. The descendants of those Zoroastrian refugees came to be known as theParsi.
Subsequently,Lāṭain southern Gujarat was ruled by theRashtrakuta dynastyuntil it was captured by theWestern ChalukyarulerTailapa II.
The Chaulukya dynastyruled theKingdom of Gujaratfrom 960 to 1243. Gujarat was a major center of Indian Ocean trade, and their capital atAnhilwara(Patan) was one of the largest cities in India, with a population estimated at 100,000 in the year 1000. After 1243, the Solankis lost control of Gujarat to their feudatories, of whom theVaghelachiefs ofDholkacame to rule theKingdom of Gujarat. In 1292, the Vaghelas became tributaries of theYadavadynasty ofDevagiriin theDeccan. Karandev of theVaghela dynastywas the last Hindu ruler of Gujarat. He was defeated and overthrown by the superior forces ofAlauddin Khaljifrom Delhi in 1297. With his defeat, Gujarat became part of theDelhi Sultanate, and the Rajput hold over Gujarat would never be restored.
Fragments of printed cotton from Gujarat have been discovered in Egypt, providing evidence for medieval trade in the western Indian Ocean.These fragments represent the Indian cotton traded in Egypt during theFatimid,AyyubidandMamlukperiods, from the tenth to sixteenth centuries. Similar cotton was also traded as far east as Indonesia.
After theGhorishad assumed a position of Muslim supremacy over North India,Qutbuddin Aibakattempted to conquer Gujarat and annexe it to his empire in 1197, but failed in his ambitions.An independent Muslim community continued to flourish in Gujarat for the next hundred years, championed by Arab merchants settling along the western coast. From 1297 to 1300,Alauddin Khalji, the Turko-AfghanSultan of Delhi, destroyed the Hindu metropolis ofAnhilwaraand incorporated Gujarat into theDelhi Sultanate. AfterTimursackedDelhiat the end of the 14th century, weakening the Sultanate, Gujarat's MuslimKhatrigovernor Zafar Khan Muzaffar (Muzaffar Shah I) asserted his independence, and his son, SultanAhmed Shah(ruled 1411–1442), establishedAhmedabadas the capital.Khambhateclipsed Bharuch as Gujarat's most important trade port. Gujarat's relations withEgypt, which was then the premier Arab power in the Middle East, remained friendly over the next century and theEgyptianscholar,Badruddin-ad-Damamimi, spent several years in Gujarat in the shade of the Sultan before proceeding to theBahmani Sultanateon the Deccan Plateau.
Shah e Alam, a famous Sufi saint of theChishtiorder who was the descendant of MakhdoomJahaniyan JahangashtfromBukhara, soon arrived in a group that included Arab theologianIbn Suwaid, severalSayyidSufi members of theAydarus familyofTariminYemen,Iberian court interpreterAli al-AndalusifromGranada,and the Arab juristBahraqfromHadramautwho was appointed a tutor of the prince.Among the illustrious names who arrived during the reign ofMahmud Begadawas the philosopherHaibatullah Shah MirfromShiraz, and the scholar intellectualAbu Fazl GhazarunifromPersiawho tutored and adoptedAbu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, author of theAkbarnama.Later, a close alliance between theOttomanTurksand Gujarati sultans to effectively safeguardJeddahand theRed Seatrade from Portugueseimperialism, encouraged the existence of powerfulRumielites within the kingdom who took the post ofviziersin Gujarat keen to maintain ties with theOttoman state.
Humayunalso briefly occupied the province in 1536, but fled due to the threatBahadur Shah, the Gujarat king, imposed.TheSultanate of Gujaratremained independent until 1572, when the Mughal emperorAkbarconquered it and annexed it to theMughal Empire.
TheSuratport (the only Indian port facing west) then became the principal port of India during Mughal rule, gaining widespread international repute. The city of Surat, famous for its exports of silk anddiamonds, had reached a par with contemporaryVeniceandBeijing, great mercantile cities of Europe and Asia,and earned the distinguished title,Bab al-Makkah(Gate of Mecca).
Drawn by the religious renaissance taking place under Akbar,Mohammed Ghausmoved to Gujarat and established spiritual centers for theShattariSufi order from Iran, founding theEk Toda Mosqueand producing such devotees asWajihuddin Alviof Ahmedabad whose many successors moved toBijapurduring the height of theAdil Shahi dynasty.At the same time, Zoroastrian high priestAzar Kayvanwho was a native ofFars, immigrated to Gujarat founding the Zoroastrian school ofilluminationistswhich attracted key Shi'ite Muslim admirers of theSafavidphilosophical revival fromIsfahan.
Early 14th-centuryMaghrebiadventurer,Ibn Batuta, who famously visited India with his entourage, recalls in his memoirs about Cambay, one of the great emporia of the Indian Ocean that indeed:
Many of these "foreign merchants" were transient visitors, men ofSouth ArabianandPersian Gulfports, who migrated in and out of Cambay with the rhythm of the monsoons. But others were men with Arab or Persian patronyms whose families had settled in the town generations, even centuries earlier, intermarrying with Gujarati women, and assimilating everyday customs of the Hindu hinterland.
TheAge of Discoveryheralded the dawn of pioneer Portuguese and Spanish long-distance travel in search of alternativetrade routesto "the East Indies", moved by the trade ofgold,silverandspices. In 1497, Portuguese explorerVasco da Gamais said to have discovered theEurope-to-Indiasea route which changed the course of history, thanks toKutchisailor Kanji Malam, who showed him the route from the East African coasts ofMozambiquesailing onwards toCalicutoff theMalabar coastin India.Later, the Gujarat Sultanate allied with theOttomansandEgyptian Mamluksnaval fleets led by governor-generalsMalik AyyazandAmir Husain Al-Kurdi, vanquished the Portuguese in the 1508Battle of Chaulresulting in the first Portuguese defeat at sea in theIndian Ocean.
To 16th-century European observers, Gujarat was a fabulously wealthy country. The customs revenue of Gujarat alone in the early 1570s was nearly three times the total revenue of the wholePortuguese empirein Asia in 1586–87, when it was at its height.Indeed, when the British arrived on the coast of Gujarat, houses inSuratalready had windows ofVenetian glassimported fromConstantinoplethrough theOttoman empire.In 1514, the Portuguese explorerDuarte Barbosadescribed the cosmopolitan atmosphere ofRanderknown otherwise asCity of Mosquesin Surat province, which gained the fame and reputation of illustrious Islamic scholars, Sufi-saints, merchants and intellectuals from all over the world:
The conquest of the Kingdom of Gujarat marked a significant event of Akbar's reign. Being the major trade gateway and departure harbour of pilgrim ships to Mecca, it gave the Mughal Empire free access to the Arabian sea and control over the rich commerce that passed through its ports. The territory and income of the empire were vastly increased.
For the best part of two centuries, the independentKhatriSultanate of Gujaratwas the cynosure of its neighbours on account of its wealth and prosperity, which had long made the Gujarati merchant a familiar figure in the ports of the Indian Ocean.Gujaratis, including Hindus and Muslims as well as the enterprisingParsiclass ofZoroastrians, had been specialising in the organisation of overseas trade for many centuries, and had moved into various branches of commerce such ascommodity trade,brokerage,money-changing,money-lendingandbanking.
By the 17th century,ChavuseandBaghdadi Jewshad assimilated into the social world of the Surat province, later on their descendants would give rise to theSassoonsof Bombay and theEzrasof Calcutta, and other influential Indian-Jewish figures who went on to play a philanthropical role in the commercial development of 19th-century British Crown Colony ofShanghai.Spearheaded byKhoja,Bohra,Bhatiyashahbandarsand Moorishnakhudaswho dominated sea navigation and shipping, Gujarat's transactions with the outside world had created the legacy of an international transoceanic empire which had a vast commercial network of permanent agents stationed at all the great port cities across theIndian Ocean. These networks extended to thePhilippinesin the east,East Africain the west, and via maritime and the inland caravan route toRussiain the north.
Tomé Pires, a Portuguese official atMalacca, wrote of conditions during the reigns of Mahmud I and Mozaffar II:
He also described Gujarat's active trade withGoa, theDeccan Plateauand theMalabar. His contemporary,Duarte Barbosa, describing Gujarat's maritime trade, recorded the import of horses from the Middle East and elephants from Malabar, and lists exports which included muslins, chintzes and silks, carnelian, ginger and other spices, aromatics, opium, indigo and other substances for dyeing, cereals and legumes.Persiawas the destination for many of these commodities, and they were partly paid for inhorsesandpearlstaken fromHormuz.The latter item, in particular, led SultanSikandar LodiofDelhi, according to Ali-Muhammad Khan, author of the Mirat-i-Ahmadi, to complain that the
Hence, the sultans of Gujarat possessed ample means to sustain lavish patronage of religion and the arts, to build madrasas and ḵānaqāhs, and to provide douceurs for the literati, mainly poets and historians, whose presence and praise enhanced the fame of the dynasty.
Even at the time ofTomé Pires' travel to theEast Indiesin the early 16th century, Gujarati merchants had earned an international reputation for their commercial acumen and this encouraged the visit of merchants fromCairo,Armenia,Abyssinia,Khorasan,Shiraz,TurkestanandGuilansfrom Aden and Hormuz.Pires noted in hisSuma Orientale:
Gujarat was one of the twelve originalsubahs(imperial top-level provinces) established byMughal Emperor(Badshah)Akbar, with a seat at Ahmedabad, bordering onThatta(Sindh),Ajmer,Malwaand later Ahmadnagar subahs.
Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal Emperor, was born inDahod, Gujarat. He was the third son and sixth child ofShah JahanandMumtaz Mahal.At the time of his birth, his father, Shah Jahan, was then the Subahdar (governor) of Gujarat, and his grandfather,Jehangir, was the Mughal Emperor. Before he became emperor, Aurangzeb was made Subahdar of Gujarat subah as part of his training and was stationed at Ahmedabad.
Aurangzeb had great love for his place of birth. In 1704, he wrote a letter to his eldest son,Muhammad Azam Shah, asking him to be kind and considerate to the people of Dahod as it was his birthplace. Muhammad Azam was then the Subedar (governor) of Gujarat.
In his letter, Aurangzeb wrote:
When the cracks had started to develop in the edifice of theMughal Empirein the mid-17th century, theMarathaswere consolidating their power in the west,Chatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, attacked Surat in southern Gujarat twice first in 1664 and again in 1672.These attacks marked the entry of the Marathas into Gujarat. However, before the Maratha had made inroads into Gujarat, the Europeans had made their presence felt, led by the Portuguese, and followed by the Dutch and the English.
ThePeshwashad established sovereignty over parts of Gujarat and collected taxes and tributes through their representatives.Damaji Rao GaekwadandKadamBande divided the Peshwa territory between them,with Damaji establishing the sway ofGaekwadover Gujarat and makingBaroda(present dayVadodarain southern Gujarat) his capital. The ensuing internecine war among the Marathas was fully exploited by the British, who interfered in the affairs of both Gaekwads and the Peshwas.
InSaurashtra, as elsewhere, the Marathas were met with resistance.The decline of theMughal Empirehelped form larger peripheral states in Saurashtra, includingJunagadh,Jamnagar,Bhavnagarand a few others, which largely resisted the Maratha incursions.
In the 1600s, the Dutch, French, English andPortugueseall established bases along the western coast of the region. Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, and after theBattle of Diu, acquired several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, includingDaman and Diuas well asDadra and Nagar Haveli. These enclaves were administered byPortuguese Indiaunder a single union territory for over 450 years, only to be later incorporated into theRepublic of Indiaon 19 December 1961 by military conquest.
TheBritish East India Companyestablished afactoryinSuratin 1614 following the commercial treaty made with Mughal Emperor Nuruddin SalimJahangir, which formed their first base in India, but it was eclipsed byBombayafter the English received it from Portugal in 1668 as part of the marriage treaty ofCharles II of EnglandandCatherine of Braganza, daughter ofKing John IV of Portugal. The state was an early point of contact with the west, and the first British commercialoutpostin India was in Gujarat.
17th-century French explorerFrançois Pyrard de Laval, who is remembered for his 10-year sojourn in South Asia, bears witness in his account that the Gujaratis were always prepared to learn workmanship from the Portuguese, and in turn imparted skills to the Portuguese:
Later in the 17th century, Gujarat came under control of the HinduMaratha Empirethat arose, defeating the Muslim Mughals who had dominated the politics of India. Most notably, from 1705 to 1716,SenapatiKhanderao Dabhadeled the Maratha Empire forces in Baroda.Pilaji Gaekwad, first ruler ofGaekwad dynasty, established the control over Baroda and other parts of Gujarat.
TheBritish East India Companywrested control of much of Gujarat from the Marathas during theSecond Anglo-Maratha Warin 1802–1803. Many local rulers, notably the Maratha Gaekwad Maharajas of Baroda (Vadodara), made a separate peace with the British and acknowledged British sovereignty in return for retaining local self-rule.
An epidemic in 1812 killed half the population of Gujarat.
Gujarat was placed under the political authority of theBombay Presidency, with the exception ofBaroda State, which had a direct relationship with theGovernor-General of India. From 1818 to 1947, most of present-day Gujarat, includingKathiawar, Kutch and northern and eastern Gujarat were divided into hundreds ofprincely states, but several districts in central and southern Gujarat, namelyAhmedabad, Broach (Bharuch), Kaira (Kheda),PanchmahalandSurat, were governed directly by British officials. In 1819,Sahajanand Swamiestablished the World's FirstSwaminarayan MandirinKalupur,Ahmedabad.
Initially there was confusion over whether Junagadh would join India or Pakistan. This was resolved in 1947 with aplebiscitefor full union with India following the next year.
AfterIndian independenceand thepartition of Indiain 1947, the new Indian government grouped the former princely states of Gujarat into three larger units;Saurashtra, which included the former princely states on theKathiawadpeninsula,Kutch, andBombay state, which included the former British districts of Bombay Presidency together with most ofBaroda Stateand the other former princely states of eastern Gujarat. Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra (Kathiawar) and parts ofHyderabad stateandMadhya Pradeshin central India. The new state had a mostly Gujarati-speaking north and a Marathi-speaking south. Agitation by Gujarati nationalists, theMahagujarat Movement, and Marathi nationalists, theSamyukta Maharashtra, for their own states led to the split ofBombay stateon linguistic lines; on 1 May 1960, it became the new states of Gujarat andMaharashtra. In1969 riots, at least 660 died and properties worth millions were destroyed.
The first capital of Gujarat wasAhmedabad. The capital of Gujarat was moved toGandhinagarin 1970.Nav NirmanAndolanwas a socio-political movement of 1974. It was a students' andmiddle classpeople's movement against economic crisis and corruption in public life. This was the first and last successful agitation after the Independence of India that ousted an elected government.
Gujarat has emerged as an important industrial hub in India. In Western IndiaSuratwas among the strongest industrial clusters in the 1970s. Between 1971 and 1981diamond cuttingwas established as industry in Surat. At the same time the production ofartificial silkand a substantialpetrochemical industrybecame a fixture in Surat.
TheMorvi dam failure, in 1979, resulted in the death of thousands of people and large economic loss.In the 1980s, areservation policywas introduced in the country, which led to anti-reservation protests in 1981 and 1985. The protests witnessed violent clashes between people belonging to variouscastes.
The2001 Gujarat earthquakewas located about 9 km south-southwest of the village ofChobariin theBhachautaluka ofKutchDistrict. This magnitude 7.7 shock killed around 20,000 people (including at least 18 in South-eastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.
In February 2002, theGodhra train burningled to statewideriots, resulting in the deaths of 1044 people – 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus, and hundreds missing still unaccounted for.Akshardham Temple was attackedby two terrorists in September 2002, killing 32 people and injuring more than 80 others.National Security Guardsintervened to end the siege killing both terrorists.On 26 July 2008 aseries of seventeen bomb blastsrocked Ahmedabad, killing and injuring several people.
Gujarat borders theTharparkar,BadinandThattadistricts ofPakistan'sSindhprovince to the northwest, is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the southwest, the state ofRajasthanto the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and by Maharashtra, theUnion TerritoryofDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diuto the south. Historically, the north was known asAnarta, the Kathiawar peninsula, "Saurastra", and the south as "Lata".Gujarat was also known as Pratichya and Varuna.The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. The capital, Gandhinagar is aplanned city. Gujarat has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,030 km) with the longest coastline (24% of Indian sea coast) 1,600 km (990 mi), dotted with 41 ports: one major, 11 intermediate and 29 minor.
TheNarmadais the largest river in Gujarat followed by theTapi. TheSabarmatihas the longest course through the state.
The Sardar Sarovar Project is built on Narmada, one of the major rivers ofpeninsular Indiawhere it is one of only three major rivers that run from east to west – the others being the Tapi and theMahi. It is about 1,312 km (815 mi) long. Several riverfront embankments have been built on the Sabarmati River.
The eastern borders have fringes of low mountains of India, theAravalli,Sahyadri (Western Ghats),VindhyaandSaputara. Apart from this the Gir hills, Barda, Jessore andChotilatogether make up a large minority of Gujarat.Girnaris the tallest peak andSaputarais the only hill-station (hilltop resort) in the state.
Rann (રણ) is Gujarati for desert. The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert in theThar Desertbiogeographic region between the Pakistani province ofSindhand the rest of the state of Gujarat; it commences 8 km (5.0 mi) from the village of Kharaghoda, Surendranagar District.
In the early 1980s, palaeontologists founddinosaur egghatcheries andfossilsof at least 13 species inBalasinor.The most important find was that of a carnivorousabelisauriddinosaur namedRajasurus narmadensiswhich lived in theLate Cretaceousperiod.A notable discovery in the village of Dholi Dungri was that ofSanajeh indicus, a primitivemadtsoiidsnake that likely preyed onsauropoddinosaur hatchlings and embryos.
According to theIndia State of Forest Report 2011, Gujarat has 9.7% of its total geographical area under forest cover.Among the districts,The Dangshas the largest area under forest cover. Gujarat has four national parks and 21 sanctuaries. It is the only home of Asiatic lions and, outsideAfrica, is the only present natural habitat of lions.Gir Forest National Parkin the southwest part of the state covers part of the lions' habitat. Apart from lions,Indian leopardsare also found in the state. They are spread across the large plains of Saurashtra and the mountains of South Gujarat. Other National Parks includeVansda National Park,Blackbuck National Park, VelavadarandNarara Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutchh, Jamnagar. Wildlife sanctuaries includeWild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary,Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary,Porbandar Bird Sanctuary,Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary,Kutch Bustard Sanctuary,Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary,Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Anjal,Balaram-Ambaji,Barda,Jambughoda,Khavda, Paniya,Purna, Rampura,Ratan Mahal, and Surpaneshwar.
In February 2019, aBengal tigerclaimed to be fromRatapaniin Madhya Pradesh was spotted in the area ofLunavadainMahisagar district, in the eastern part of the state,before being found dead later that month, likely from starvation.
The population of Gujarat was 60,439,692 (31,491,260 males and 28,948,432 females) according to the 2011 census data.The population density is 308 persons per square kilometre (800 persons/sq mi), lower than other Indian states. As per the census of 2011, the state has a sex ratio of 918 females for every 1000 males, one of the lowest (ranked 24) among the 29 states in India.
While Gujarati speakers constitute a majority of Gujarat's population, the metropolitan areas of Ahmedabad,VadodaraandSuratare cosmopolitan, with numerous other ethnic and language groups.Marwariscompose large minorities of economic migrants; smaller communities of people from the other states of India have also migrated to Gujarat for employment.Luso-Indians,Anglo-Indians,JewsandParsisalso live in the areas.Sindhipresence is traditionally important here following thePartition of Indiain 1947.TheKoliforms the largest caste-cluster, comprising 24% of the total population of the state.
According to 2011 census, the religious makeup in Gujarat was 88.57%Hindu, 9.67%Muslim, 0.96%Jain, 0.52%Christian, 0.10%Sikh, 0.05%Buddhistand 0.03% others. Around 0.1%did not state any religion.Hinduism is the majority religion, and is over 93% in rural areas.Muslimsare the biggest minority in the state accounting for 9.7% of the population. Gujarat has the third-largest population ofJainsin India, followingMaharashtraandRajasthan, almost all of whom live in urban areas like Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat.
Gujaratiis the official language of the state. It is spoken natively by 86% of the state's population, or 52 million people (as of 2011). Hindi is the second-largest language, spoken by over 6% of the population. Marathi is also spoken in urban areas.
People from the Kutch region of Gujarat also speak in theKutchimother tongue, and to a great extent understandSindhias well.Memoniis the mother tongue of Kathiawar and Sindhi Memons, most whom are Muslims.
Almost 88% of theGujarati Muslimsspeak Gujarati as their mother tongue, while the other 12% speakUrdu. A sizeable proportion of Gujarati Muslims are bilingual in the two languages; Islamic academic institutions (Darul Uloom) place a high prestige on learningUrduandArabic, with students' memorising the Quran andahadith, and emphasising the oral and literary importance of mastering these languages as a compulsory rite of religion.
In rural areas among the tribals, various Bhil dialects are spoken by around 1.37% of the population. In the northeast,Bhiliis spoken, in the central part is spokenBhili,BhilaliandVasava, while in the southeast is spokenDangi,VarliChodriandDhodiawhich are related to Marathi.
Apart from this, English,Bengali,Kannada,Malayalam,Marwari,Odia,Punjabi,Tamil,Teluguand others are spoken by a considerable number of economic migrants from other states of India seeking employment.
The languages taught in schools under thethree-language formulaare:
First language: Gujarati/Hindi/English
Second language: Gujarati/English
Third language: Hindi
"Structurally Gujarat is divided intodistricts(Zila), Prant (subdivisions),Taluka(blocks) & villages. The state is divided into 33 districts, 122 prants, 248 talukas.There are 08municipal corporations, 156municipalitiesand 14,273Panchayats, for administrative purposes.'
Gujarat has 33 districts and 250 talukas.
Gujarat is governed by aLegislative Assemblyof 182 members. Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected on the basis of adult suffrage from one of 182 constituencies, of which 13 are reserved forscheduled castesand 27 forscheduled tribes. The term of office for a member of the Legislative Assembly is five years. The Legislative Assembly elects a speaker who presides over the meetings of the legislature. A governor is appointed by thePresident of India, and is to address the state legislature after every general election and the commencement of each year's first session of the Legislative Assembly. The leader of the majority party or coalition in the legislature (Chief Minister) or his or her designee acts as the Leader of the Legislative Assembly. The administration of the state is led by the Chief Minister.
After theindependence of Indiain 1947, theIndian National Congress(INC) ruled theBombay State(which included present-day Gujarat and Maharashtra). Congress continued to govern Gujarat after the state's creation in 1960.
During and after India'sState of Emergency of 1975–1977, public support for the INC eroded, but it continued to hold government until 1995 with the brief rule of nine months byJanata Morcha. In the 1995 Assembly elections, the Congress lost to theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) led byKeshubhai Patelwho became the Chief Minister. His government lasted only two years. The fall of that government was provoked by a split in the BJP led byShankersinh Vaghela. BJP again won election in 1998 with clear majority. In 2001, following the loss of two assembly seats in by-elections, Keshubhai Patel resigned and yielded power toNarendra Modi. BJP retained a majority in the 2002 election, and Narendra Modi remained as Chief Minister. On 1 June 2007, Narendra Modi became the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat.BJP retained the power in subsequent elections in 2007 and 2012 and Narendra Modi continued as the chief minister. After Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India in 2014,Anandiben Patelbecame the first female chief minister of the state.Vijay Rupanitook over as chief minister and Nitin Patel as deputy chief minister on 7 August 2016 afterAnandiben Patelresigned earlier on 3 August.Bhupendrabhai Patelbecame chief minister in September 2021 after the resignation of Vijay Rupani.
The incumbent chief secretary of Gujarat is Raj Kumarand director general of police (DGP) is Vikas Sahay.
During the British Raj, Gujarati businesses played a major role in enriching the economies ofKarachiandMumbai.Major agricultural produce of the state includes cotton,groundnuts(peanuts),dates,sugar cane, milk and milk products. Industrial products include cement andpetrol.Gujarat is ranked number one in thepharmaceutical industry in India, with a 33% share in drug manufacturing and 28% share in drug exports. The state has 130 USFDA certified drug manufacturing facilities. Ahmedabad and Vadodara are considered as pharmaceutical hubs, as there are many big and small pharmaceutical companies established in these cities.
Gujarat has the longest coastline in India (1600 km), and its ports (both private and public sector) handle around 40% of India's ocean cargo, withMundra Portlocated inGulf of Kutchbeing the largest port of India by cargo handled (144 million tons) due to its favourable location on the westernmost part of India and closeness to global shipping lanes. Gujarat also contributes around 20% share in India's industrial production and merchandise exports. According to a 2009 report oneconomic freedomby theCato Institute, Gujarat is the most free state in India (the second one beingTamil Nadu).Reliance Industriesoperates the oil refinery atJamnagar, which is the world's largest grass-roots refinery at a single location. The world's largest shipbreaking yard is in Gujarat near Bhavnagar atAlang. India's only Liquid Chemical Port Terminal atDahej, developed by Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal Co Ltd. Gujarat has two of the three liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the country (Dahej and Hazira). Two more LNG terminals are proposed, atPipavavandMundra.
Gujarat has 85% village connectivity with all‐weather roads.Nearly 100% of Gujarat's 18,000 villages have been connected to the electrical grid for 24-hour power to households and eight hours of power to farms, through theJyotigram Yojana.As of 2015, Gujarat ranksfirst nationwidein gas-based thermal electricity generation with a national market share of over 8%, and second nationwide in nuclear electricity generation with national market share of over 1%.
The state registered 12.8% agricultural growth in the last five years against the national average of 2%.
Gujarat records highest decadal agricultural growth rate of 10.97%. Over 20% of theS&P CNX 500conglomerates have corporate offices in Gujarat.As per RBI report, in year 2006–07, 26% of total bank finance in India was in Gujarat.
According to a 2012 survey report of the Chandigarh Labour Bureau, Gujarat had the lowest unemployment rate of 1% against the national average of 3.8%.
Legatum Institute's Global Prosperity Index 2012 recognised Gujarat as one of the two highest-scoring among all states of India on matters of social capital.The state ranks 15th alongside Germany in a list of 142 nations worldwide: higher than several developed nations.
The tallest tower in Gujarat, GIFT One was inaugurated on 10 January 2013. One other tower called GIFT Two has been finished and more towers are planned.
Gujarat's major cities include Ahmedabad,Surat,Vadodara,Rajkot,JamnagarandBhavnagar. In 2010,Forbes'list of the world's fastest growing cities included Ahmedabad at number 3 afterChengduandChongqingfrom China.The state is rich incalcite,gypsum,manganese,lignite,bauxite,limestone,agate,feldspar, andquartz sand, and successful mining of these minerals is done in their specified areas. Jamnagar is the hub for manufacturingbrassparts. Gujarat produces about 98% of India's required amount of soda ash, and gives the country about 78% of the national requirement of salt. It is one of India's most prosperous states, having a per-capita GDP significantly above India's average.Kalol, Khambhat, andAnkleshwarare today known for their oil and natural gas production. Dhuvaran has a thermal power station, which uses coal, oil, and gas. Also, on the Gulf of Khambhat, 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Bhavnagar, is the Alang Ship Recycling Yard (the world's largest).MG Motor Indiamanufactures its cars at Halol nearVadodara,Tata Motorsmanufactures theTata Nanofrom Sanand near Ahmedabad, and AMW trucks are made nearBhuj.Surat, a city by theGulf of Khambhat, is a hub of the global diamond trade. In 2003, 92% of the world's diamonds were cut and polished in Surat.The diamond industry employs 500,000 people in Gujarat.
At an investor's summit entitled "Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit", arranged between 11 and 13 January 2015, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, the state government signed 21000 Memoranda of Understanding for Special Economic Zones worth a total of₹2.5 million crores (short scale).However, most of the investment was from domestic industry.In the fourth Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit held at Science City, Ahmedabad, in January 2009, there were 600 foreign delegates. In all, 8668 MOUs worth₹12500 billion were signed, estimated to create 2.5 million new job opportunities in the state.In 2011, Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit MOUs worth₹21 trillion (US$463 billion) were signed.
Gujarat is a state with surplus electricity.TheKakrapar Atomic Power Stationis a nuclear power station run by NPCIL that lies in the proximity of the city of Surat. According to the official sources, against demand of 40,793 million units during the nine months since April 2010, Gujarat produced 43,848 million units. Gujarat sold surplus power to 12 states: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
As of May 2024, the peak power requirement of state is 25,088 MW.As of March 2024, total installed power generation capacity is 52,945.13 MW. Of this 23,643.41 MW belongs to thermal power generation capacity while 27,461.72 MW (51.87%) belongs to renewable energy generation capacity including 1990 MWHydropower. The rest 1840 MW is nuclear power generation capacity.The renewable energy installed capacity includes 11,823 MW wind power and 14,182 MW solar power totalling 26,005 MW, as of June 2024.Total rooftop solar power installation capacity of state is 3455.90 MW, as of April 2024.
The total geographical area of Gujarat is 19,602,400 hectares, of which crops take up 10,630,700 hectares.The three main sources of growth in Gujarat's agriculture are from cotton production, the rapid growth of high-value foods such as livestock, fruits and vegetables, and from wheat production, which saw an annual average growth rate of 28% between 2000 and 2008 (According to theInternational Food Policy Research Institute).Other major produce includes bajra, groundnut, cotton, rice, maize, wheat, mustard, sesame, pigeon pea, green gram, sugarcane, mango, banana, sapota, lime, guava, tomato, potato, onion, cumin, garlic, isabgul and fennel. Whilst, in recent times, Gujarat has seen a high average annual growth of 9% in the agricultural sector, the rest of India has an annual growth rate of around 3%. This success was lauded by former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam.
The strengths of Gujarat's agricultural success have been attributed to diversified crops and cropping patters; climatic diversity (8 climatic zones for agriculture); the existence of 4 agricultural universities in the state, which promote research in agricultural efficiency and sustainability;co-operatives; adoption of hi-tech agriculture such as tissue culture, green houses and shed-net houses; agriculture export zones; strong marketing infrastructure, which includes cold storage, processing units, logistic hubs and consultancy facilities.
Gujarat is the main producer of tobacco, cotton, and groundnuts in India. Other major food crops produced are rice, wheat,jowar, bajra, maize,tur, andgram. The state has an agricultural economy; the total crop area amounts to more than one-half of the total land area.
Animal husbandry and dairying have played vital roles in the rural economy of Gujarat. Dairy farming, primarily concerned with milk production, functions on a co-operative basis and has more than a million members. Gujarat is the largest producer of milk in India. TheAmulmilk co-operative federation is well known all over India, and it is Asia's biggest dairy.Among the livestock raised are, buffaloes and other cattle, sheep, and goats. As per the results of livestock census 1997, there were 20.97 million head of livestock in Gujarat State. In the estimates of the survey of major livestock products, during the year 2002–03, Gujarat produced 6.09 million tonnes of milk, 385 million eggs and 2.71 million kg of wool. Gujarat also contributes inputs to the textiles, oil, and soap industries.
The adoption of cooperatives in Gujarat is widely attributed to much of the success in the agricultural sector, particularly sugar and dairycooperatives. Cooperative farming has been a component of India's strategy for agricultural development since 1951. Whilethe success of these was mixed throughout the country, their positive impact on the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat have been the most significant. In 1995 alone, the two states had more registered co-operatives than any other region in the country. Out of these, the agricultural cooperatives have received much attention. Many have focused on subsidies and credit to farmers and rather than collective gathering, they have focused on facilitating collective processing and marketing of produce. However, whilethey have led to increased productivity, their effect on equity in the region has been questioned, because membership in agricultural co-operatives has tended to favour landowners whilelimiting the entry of landless agricultural labourers.An example of co-operative success in Gujarat can be illustrated through dairy co-operatives, with the particular example ofAmul(Anand Milk Union Limited).
Amul was formed as a dairy cooperative in 1946,in the city of Anand, Gujarat. The cooperative, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.
(GCMMF), is jointly owned by around 2.6 million milk producers in Gujarat. Amul has been seen as one of the best examples of cooperative achievement and success in a developing economy and the Amul pattern of growth has been taken as a model for rural development, particularly in the agricultural sector of developing economies. The company stirred the White Revolution of India (also known asOperation Flood), the world's biggest dairy development program, and made the milk-deficient nation of India the largest milk producer in the world, in 2010.The "Amul Model" aims to stop the exploitation by middlemen and encourage freedom of movement since the farmers are in control of procurement, processing and packaging of the milk and milk products.The company is worth 2.5 billion US dollars (as of 2012).
70% of Gujarat's area is classified as semi-arid to arid climatically, thus the demand on water from various economic activities puts a strain on the supply.Of the total gross irrigated area, 16–17% is irrigated by government-owned canals and 83–84% by privately owned tube wells and other wells extracting groundwater, which is the predominant source of irrigation and water supply to the agricultural areas. As a result, Gujarat has faced problems withgroundwater depletion, especially after demand for water increased in the 1960s. As access to electricity in rural areas increased, submersible electric pumps became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the Gujarat Electricity Board switched to flat tariff rates linked to the horsepower of pumps, which increased tubewell irrigation again and decreased the use of electric pumps. By the 1990s, groundwater abstraction rates exceeded groundwater recharge rate in many districts, while only 37.5% of all districts has "safe" recharge rates. Groundwater maintenance and preventing unnecessary loss of the available water supplies is now an issue faced by the state.The Sardar Sarovar Project, a debated dam project in the Narmada valley consisting of a network of canals, has significantly increased irrigation in the region. However, its impact on communities who were displaced is still a contested issue. In 2012 Gujarat began an experiment to reduce water loss due to evaporation in canals and to increase sustainability in the area, by constructing solar panels over the canals. In a one megawatt (MW) solar power project set up at Chandrasan, Gujarat uses solar panels fixed over a 750-metre stretch of an irrigation canal. Unlike many solar power projects, this one does not take up large amounts of land since the panels are constructed over the canals, and not on additional land. This results in lower upfront costs since land does not need to be acquired, cleared or modified to set up the panels. The Chandrasan project is projected to save 9 million litres of water per year.
The Government of Gujarat, to improvesoil managementand introduce farmers to new technology, started on a project which involved giving every farmer aSoil Health Card. This acts like a ration card, providing permanent identification for the status of cultivated land, as well as farmers' names, account numbers, survey numbers,soil fertilitystatus and general fertiliser dose. Samples of land from each village are taken and analysed by theGujarat Narmada Valley Fertiliser Corporation, State Fertiliser Corporation andIndian Farmers Fertilisers Co-operative. 1,200,000soil testdata from the villages was collected as of 2008, from farmer's field villages have gone into a database. Assistance and advice for this project was given by local agricultural universities and crop and soil-specific data was added to the database. This allows the soil test data to be interpreted and recommendations or adjustments made in terms of fertiliser requirements, which are also added to the database.
Gujarat is home for theGujarati people. Gujarat was also the home ofMahatma Gandhi, a worldwide figure known for his non-violent struggle against British rule, andVallabhbhai Patel, a founding father of the Republic of India. Gujarat is known for itsFolk dances of Gujarat.
The history ofGujarati literaturemay be traced back to 1000 CE. Well-known laureates of Gujarati literature includeHemchandracharya,Narsinh Mehta,Mirabai,Akho,Premanand Bhatt,Shamal Bhatt,Dayaram,Dalpatram,Narmad,Govardhanram Tripathi,Mahatma Gandhi,K. M. Munshi,Umashankar Joshi,Suresh Joshi,Swaminarayan,Pannalal PatelandRajendra Shah.
Kavi Kant,Zaverchand MeghaniandKalapiare famous Gujarati poets.
Gujarat Vidhya Sabha,Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, andGujarati Sahitya Parishadare Ahmedabad based literary institutions promoting the spread of Gujarati literature.Saraswatichandrais a landmark novel byGovardhanram Tripathi. Writers like Aanand Shankar Dhruv, Ashvini Bhatt,Balwantray Thakore, Bhaven Kachhi,Bhagwatikumar Sharma,Chandrakant Bakshi,Gunvant Shah, Harindra Dave, Harkisan Mehta, Jay Vasavada, Jyotindra Dave, Kanti Bhatt, Kavi Nanalal, Khabardar,Sundaram, Makarand Dave, Ramesh Parekh, Suresh Dalal, Tarak Mehta, Vinod Bhatt, Dhruv Bhatt and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.
A notable contribution to Gujarati literature came from theSwaminarayanparamhanso, likeBrahmanand Swami, Premanand, with prose likeVachanamrutand poetry in the form ofbhajans.
Shrimad Rajchandra Vachnamrut and ShriAtma SiddhiShastra, written in 19th century by Jain philosopher and poetShrimad Rajchandra(Mahatma Gandhi's guru) are very well known.
Gujarati theatre owes a lot toBhavai. Bhavai is afolkmusical performance of stage plays.Ketan MehtaandSanjay Leela Bhansaliexplored artistic use of bhavai in films such asBhavni Bhavai,Oh Darling! Yeh Hai IndiaandHum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature.
Mumbai theatre veteran,Alyque Padamsee, best known in the English-speaking world for playingMuhammad Ali Jinnahin SirRichard Attenborough'sGandhi, was from a traditional Gujarati-Kutchi family from Kathiawar.
Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian. The typical Gujaratithaliconsists ofrotliorbhakharior thepala or rotlo,dalorkadhi,khichdi, Bhat andshak.Athanu (Indian pickle)andchhundoare used ascondiments. The four major regions of Gujarat all bring their own styles to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time. In theSaurashtra region,chhash(buttermilk) is believed to be a must-have in their daily food.
TheGujarati film industrydates back to 1932, when the first Gujarati film,Narsinh Mehta, was released.After flourishing through the 1960s to 1980s, the industry saw a decline. The industry is revived in recent times. The film industry has produced more than one thousand films since its inception.The Government of Gujarat announced a 100% entertainmenttax exemptionfor Gujarati films in 2005and a policy of incentives in 2016.
Gujarati folk music, known asSugam Sangeet, is a hereditary profession of theBarotcommunity.GadhviandCharancommunities have contributed heavily in modern times. The omnipresent instruments in Gujarati folk music include wind instruments, such asturi,bungal, andpava,string instruments, such as theravan hattho,ektaro, andjantarand percussion instruments, such as themanjiraandzanzpot drum.
The folk traditions of Gujarat includebhavaiandraas-garba.Bhavaiis a folk theatre; it is partly entertainment and partly ritual, and is dedicated toAmba. Theraas-garbais a folk dance done as a celebration ofNavratriby Gujarati people. Thefolk costumeof this dance ischaniya cholifor women andkediafor men. Different styles and steps ofgarbaincludedodhiyu, simple five, simple seven,popatiyu,trikoniya(hand movement which forms an imagery triangle),lehree,tran taali, butterfly,hudo, two claps and many more.Sheri garbais one of the oldest form of garba where all the women wear red patola sari and sing along while dancing. It is a very graceful form of garba.
Makar Sankrantiis a festival where people of Gujarat fly kites. In Gujarat, from December through toMakar Sankranti, people start enjoying kite flying.Undhiyu, a special dish made of various vegetables, is a must-have of Gujarati people onMakar Sankranti. Surat is especially well known for the strong string which is made by applying glass powder on the row thread to provide it a cutting edge.
Apart from Navratri and Uttarayana,Diwali,Holi,Janmashtami,Mahavir Janma Kalyanak,Eid,Tazia,Paryushan,Bhavnath fair, and others are also celebrated.
Due to close proximity to the Arabian Sea, Gujarat has developed a mercantile ethos which maintained a cultural tradition ofseafaring, long-distance trade, and overseas contacts with the outside world since ancient times, and the diffusion of culture through Gujaratidiasporawas a logical outcome of such a tradition. During the pre-modern period, various European sources have observed that these merchants formed diaspora communities outside of Gujarat, and in many parts of the world, such as thePersian Gulf, Middle East,Horn of Africa, Hong Kong,Indonesia, andPhilippines.long before the internal rise of theMarathadynasty, and theBritish Rajcolonial occupation.
Early 1st-century Western historians such asStraboandDio Cassiusare testament to Gujarati people's role in the spread of Buddhism in the Mediterranean, when it was recorded that thesramanamonkZarmanochegas(Ζαρμανοχηγὰς) ofBarygazametNicholas of DamascusinAntiochwhile Augustus ruled the Roman Empire, and shortly thereafter proceeded toAthenswhere died bysetting himself on fireto demonstrate his faith.A tomb to thesramana, was still visible in the time ofPlutarch,which bore the mention "ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ" ("Thesramanamaster from Barygaza in India").
The progenitor of theSinhala languageis believed to have beenPrince Vijaya, son of King Simhabahu, who ruled Simhapura (modern-day Sihor near Bhavnagar).Prince Vijaya was banished by his father for his lawlessness and set forth with a band of adventurers. This tradition was followed by other Gujaratis. For example, in theAjantafrescoes, a Gujarati prince is shown enteringSri Lanka.
Many Indians migrated toIndonesiaand thePhilippines, most of them Gujaratis. King Aji Saka, who is said to have come to Java in Indonesia in year 1 of the Saka calendar, is believed by some to have been a king of Gujarat.The first Indian settlements in thePhilippinesand Java Island of Indonesia are believed to have been established with the coming of Prince Dhruvavijaya of Gujarat, with 5000 traders.Some stories propose a Brahmin named Tritresta was the first to bring Gujarati migrants with him to Java, so some scholars equate him with Aji Saka.A Gujarati ship has been depicted in a sculpture at Borabudur,Java.
Gujarat's natural environment includes theGreat Rann of Kutchand the hills ofSaputara, and it is the sole home of pure Asiatic lions in the world.During the reigns of the sultans, Hindu craftsmanship blended withIslamic architecture, giving rise to theIndo-Saracenicstyle. Many structures in the state are built in this fashion. It is also the birthplace ofMahatma GandhiandSardar Vallabhbhai Patel, figures ofIndia's Independencemovement.Amitabh Bachchanis currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism.
Gujarat has a variety of museums on different genres that are run by the state's Department of Museums located at the principal state museum,Baroda Museum & Picture GalleryinVadodara,which is also the location of theMaharaja Fateh Singh Museum. TheKirti Mandir, Porbandar,Sabarmati Ashram, andKaba Gandhi No Deloare museums related to Mahatma Gandhi, the former being the place of his birth and the latter two where he lived in his lifetime. Kaba Gandhi No Delo inRajkotexhibits part of a rare collection of photographs relating to the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Sabarmati Ashram is the place where Gandhi initiated theDandi March. On 12 March 1930 he vowed that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence.
The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum is housed withinLakshmi Vilas Palace, the residence of the erstwhileMaharajas, located inVadodara.
TheCalico Museum of Textilesis managed by the Sarabhai Foundation and is one of the most popular tourist spots in Ahmedabad.
The Lakhota Museum at Jamnagar is a palace transformed into museum, which was residence of the Jadeja Rajputs. The collection of the museum includes artefacts spanning from 9th to 18th centuries, pottery from medieval villages nearby and the skeleton of a whale.
Other well-known museums in the state include theKutch MuseuminBhuj, which is the oldest museum in Gujarat founded in 1877, theWatson Museumof human history and culture inRajkot,Gujarat Science CityandSardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorialin Ahmedabad. In October 2018, the world's tallest statue commemorating the independence leader Sardar Patel was unveiled. At 182 metres tall theStatue of Unityis the newest tourist attraction with over 30,000 visitors every day.
Religious sites play a major part in the tourism of Gujarat.Somnathis the first of the twelveJyotirlingas, and is mentioned in theRigveda. TheDwarakadheesh Temple,Radha Damodar Temple, JunagadhandDakorare holy pilgrimage sites with temples dedicated toLord Krishna. TheSun Temple, Modherais a ticketed monument, handled by theArchaeological Survey of India.Other religious sites in state includeAmbaji,Dakor,Shamlaji,Chotila,Becharaji,Mahudi,Shankheshwaretc. ThePalitana templesofJainismon MountShatrunjaya,Palitanaare considered the holiest of allpilgrimage placesby theSvetambaraandDigambaraJain community.Palitana is the world's only mountain with more than 900 temples.TheSidi Saiyyed MosqueandJama Masjidare holy mosques for Gujarati Muslims.
A five-day festival is held duringMaha Shivaratriat the fort ofGirnar, Junagadh, known as the Bhavanth Mahadev Fair (Gujarati: ભવનાથ નો મેળો). The Kutch Festival or Rann Festival (Gujarati: કચ્છ or રણ ઉત્સવ) is a festival celebrated at Kutch duringMahashivratri. TheModhra Dance Festivalis a festival for classical dance, arranged by theGovernment of Gujarat's Cultural Department, to promote tourism in state and to keep traditions and culture alive.
The Ambaji Fair is held in the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (around August–September) at Ambaji, during a time which is particularly suitable for farmers, when the busy monsoon season is about to end. The Bhadrapad fair is held at Ambaji which is in the Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The walk from the bus station to the temple is less than one kilometre, under a roofed walkway. Direct buses are available from many places, including Mount Abu (45 km away), Palanpur (65 km away), Ahmedabad and Idar. The Bhadrapad fair is held in the centre of the Ambaji village just outside the temple premises. The village is visited by the largest number of sanghas (pilgrim groups) during the fair. Many of them go there on foot, which is particularly enriching as it happens immediately after the monsoon, when the landscape is rich with greenery, streams are full of sparkling water and the air is fresh. About 1.5 million devotees are known to attend this fair each year from all over the world. Not only Hindus, but some devout Jains and Parsis also attend the functions, while some Muslims attend the fair for trade.
TheTarnetarFair is held during the first week ofBhadrapad, (September–October according toGregorian calendar), and mostly serves as a place to find a suitable bride for tribal people from Gujarat. The region is believed to be the place whereArjunatook up the difficult task of piercing the eye of a fish, rotating at the end of a pole, by looking at its reflection in the pond water, to marryDraupadi.Other fairs in Gujarat include Dang Durbar, Shamlaji Fair, Chitra Vichitra Fair, Dhrang Fair and Vautha Fair.
The Government of Gujarat hasbanned alcoholsince 1960.Gujarat government collected theBest State Awardfor 'Citizen Security' by IBN7 Diamond States on 24 December 2012.
There are three international airports (Ahmedabad,Surat,Vadodara), nine domestic airports (Bhavnagar,Bhuj,Jamnagar,Kandla,Porbandar,Rajkot,Amreli,Keshod), two private airports (Mundra,Mithapur) and three military bases (Bhuj,Jamnagar,Naliya) in Gujarat. Two more airports (Ankleshwar,Rajkot) are under construction. There are three disused airports situated atDeesa,MandviandMehsana; the last serving as a flying school. Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) has been established by the Government of Gujarat to foster development of aviation infrastructure in the state.
These airports are operated and owned by either theAirports Authority of India,Indian Air Force, Government of Gujarat or private companies.
Gujarat comes under theWestern Railway Zoneof theIndian Railways.Ahmedabad Railway Stationis the most important, centrally located and biggest railway station in Gujarat which connects to all important cities of Gujarat and India.Vadodara Railway Stationis the busiest railway station junction in Gujarat and the fifth busiest railway station in India.Surat railway stationis another busy railway station. Other important railway stations arePalanpur Junction,Bhavnagar Terminus,Rajkot Railway Station,Sabarmati Junction, Nadiad Junction, Valsad Railway Station, Bharuch Junction, Gandhidham Junction, Anand Junction, Godhra Railway Station, etc. Indian Railways is planning a dedicated rail freight route Delhi–Mumbai passing through the state.
The 39.259 km (24.394 mi) long tracks of the first phase ofMEGA, ametro rail systemfor Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is under construction. It is expected to complete by 2024. The construction started on 14 March 2015.
Gujarat State has the longest sea coast of 1214 km in India.Kandla Portis one of the largest ports serving Western India. Other important ports in Gujarat are thePort of Navlakhi,Port of Magdalla,Port Pipavav,Bedi Port, Port ofPorbandar, Port ofVeravaland the privately ownedMundra Port. The state also hasRo-Ro ferry service.
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation(GSRTC) is the primary body responsible for providing the bus services within the state of Gujarat and also with the neighbouring states. It is a public transport corporation providing bus services and public transit within Gujarat and to the other states in India. Apart from this, there are a number of services provided by GSRTC.
Apart from this, the GSRTC provides special bus services for festivals, industrial zones, schools, colleges and pilgrim places also buses are given on contract basis to the public for certain special occasions.
Auto rickshawsare common mode of transport in Gujarat. The Government of Gujarat is promoting bicycles to reduce pollution by the way of initiative taken by free cycle rides for commuters..
TheGujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board(GSHSEB) are in charge of the schools run by the Government of Gujarat. However, most of the private schools in Gujarat are affiliated to theCentral Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) andCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations(CISCE) board. Gujarat has 13 state universities and four agricultural universities.
Institutes for Engineering and Research in the area includeIIT Gandhinagar,Indian Institute of Information Technology Vadodara (IIITV),Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research and Management (IITRAM),Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology(DA-IICT) also in Gandhinagar,Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology(SVNIT) andP P Savani Universityin Surat,Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University(PDPU) in Gandhinagar,Nirma Universityin Ahmedabad, M.S. University in Vadodara, Marwadi Education Foundation's Group of Institutions (MEFGI) in Rajkot andBirla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalaya(BVM) in Vallabh Vidyanagar (a suburb in Anand district).
Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad(MICA) is an institute for mass communication.
In addition,Institute of Rural Management Anand(IRMA) is one of the leading sectoral institution in rural management. IRMA is a unique institution in the sense that it provides professional education to train managers for rural management. It is the only one of its kind in all Asia.
TheNational Institute of Design and development(NID) in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology University, popularly known as (CEPT) is one of the best planning and architectural school not in India, but across the world; providing various technical and professional courses.
In the emerging area of legal education, a premier institutionGujarat National Law Universitywas founded in the capital city Gandhinagar which started imparting education in 2004 and is ranked in top institutions in the country.
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering(LDCE) is also one of the top engineering college of the state.
TheMaharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, is a premier university of Gujarat. It is one of the oldest universities of Gujarat and provides education inFaculty of Fine Arts, Engineering, Arts, Journalism, Education, Law, Social Work, Medicine, Science and Performing Arts. Originally known as the Baroda College of Science (established 1881), it became a university in 1949 after the independence of the country and later renamed after its benefactor Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda State.
Gujarat University,Kadi Sarva Vishwavidyalaya,Sardar Patel University,Ahmedabad University,Saurashtra University,Veer Narmad South Gujarat University,Dharmsinh Desai UniversityandHemchandracharya North Gujarat Universityare also among reputed universities, affiliating many reputed colleges.
TheSpace Applications Centre(SAC) is an institution for space research and satellite communication in Ahmedabad, India, under the aegis of theIndian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).Vikram Sarabhai, a renowned scientist, industrialist, and visionary Gujarati, played an important role in it. He also foundedPhysical Research Laboratory, a research institute encompasses Astrophysics, Solar System, and cosmic radiation. He also envisionedIndian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, one of the internationally reputed management research institute that is located in Gujarat's commercial capital Ahmedabad and is the top ranked management institutes in the country.
Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institutehas been established underCouncil of Scientific and Industrial ResearchGovernment of India at Bhavnagar. It was inaugurated by Late PanditJawaharlal Nehru, thefirstPrime Minister of Indiaon 10 April 1954, with a view to carry out research on marine salt, and salt from inland lakes and sub-soil brine. It is working onreverse osmosis, electro membrane process, salt and marine chemicals, analytical science, marine biotechnology, and other related fields. TheGujarat National Law Universitysituated at Gandhinagar is the 5th Best Law School currently in India.
Gujarat Science City,is a government initiative to draw more students towards education in science, which hosts India's firstIMAX3D theatre, an energy park, a hall of science, anamphitheatre, and dancingmusical fountainsamong others. Institute of Management under Nirma University is constantly ranked among the top MBA colleges in India.International Institute of Management and Technical Studiesaffiliated with Gujarat Knowledge Society,European Association for Distance Learning, Association of Indian Management Schools andAhmedabad Textile Industry's Research Associationhas performed globally for itshigher educationcertification courses for working professionals. IIMT STUDIES also launched GET SET GO programme in 2013 in affiliation withGujarat Technological Universityand Gujarat Knowledge Society,Department of Technical Education-Government of Gujarat.B.K. School of Business Managementis ranked sixth in financial management.K. S. School of Business Managementis also an MBA college inGujarat Universityproviding a five-year integrated MBA course. Shanti Business School in Ahmedabad is a business school offering a post-graduate diploma in management through a corporate citizenship initiative.
The Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) was established by the Science and Technology Department, Government of Gujarat, in 2003 and is registered as a society. ISR campus is at Raisan, Gandhinagar, on the banks of Sabarmati river. Aims and objectives include assigning optimum seismic factors for buildings in different regions and long-term assessment of potential. The ISR is the only institute in India fully dedicated to seismological research and is planned to be developed into a premier international institute in few years time.