Surendranagar district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Surendranagar is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in India. The district headquarters are located at Surendranagar. The district occupies an area of 10,489 km² and has a population of 1,515,148 of which 26.56% is urban (as of 2001).[1]
Along with the district headquarter: Surendranagar, other cities in the district include Dhrangadhra, Halvad, Wadhwan, Limbdi, Tarnetar, Lakhtar, [Muli], Sayla, and Thangadh.
The chief agricultural product of Surendranagar district is cotton. In fact Surendranagar district is one of the highest quality producers of cotton in world. First private cotton futures trading exchange was established in Surendranagar. Big number of SMEs & Industry is also present, and is involved in such things as ceramics, pharmaceuticals ,engineering plastics and salt production.
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[edit] Economy
Surendranagar is a hub of cotton and ginning actitives of India. One of the largest producer of quality "Shankar" cotton in world. In fact Surendranagar houses first Cotton Trading Exchange in India. Nearly 25% of India's salt supply comes from mining and in the area. There are miles of "Agar" (Salt pans) specially in Kharaghoda area.
SMEs in various segments like textile bearings, ceramics, sanatryware, pharmaceuticals,soda ash, bromine, chemicals and plastics have developed to a great extent. Surendranagar being a cotton hub of the country is also home to large number of ginning and pressing units.
A few big companies like Textile Bearings(KCI) Industies, Makson Pharmaceuticals, Luxite Industries, Mepro Pharmaceuticals, New Age Industries, LMS Foundry, Amba Mechanic Works, Meghdev Enterpries, Rimtex group of companies, Biodeal Laboratories Panama group, Ronak Cotton ind. are situated in the city or the Wadhwan GIDC area.
The city is also home to a big textile and clothing market, specially for saris. Big clothing showrooms are located in the city on Jawahar Road and withal Press Road. The city has a wholesale grain market called Mehta Market.
In the past, Surendranagar was used as a hill station by the outsiders as it has dry environment. This was mainly because this type of environment helps the people to cure some physical as well as mental tensions. In fact, Surendranagar's dry air is still believed to be the best place in Gujarat to cure T.B. patients.
[edit] Educational Institutes
There has been an exponential growth in the number of educational institutes in Surendranagar recently. These include:
Graduation and Post-Graduation:
- C.U. Shah Medical College
- C.U. Shah College of Engineering
- C.U. Shah Pharmacy College
- C.U. Shah College of Commerce, Computer and Management
- Government Polytechnic
- M.P.Shah Commerce College
- M.P. Vora College
- M. P. Shah Arts & Science College
Secondary and Higher Secondary:
- J. N. V. (Jawaharlal Naheru Vividhlakshi) High school
- Shri Sheth N.T.M. High School
- Shri C. P. Oza Sharda Mandir High School
- Shri D.N.T. High School
- Shri Savitaben Vadilal Muni. Prathmik Shala, Joravarnagar
- C.U. Shah School (English Medium)
- Dayamayi Mata School (English Medium)
- Sardar Patel Vidyalaya
- Sunflower School (English Medium)
- R.P.P. (Rambhaben Purshottamdas Patadia) School for Girls
- S.P.vidayalaya(Sardar Patel Vidyalaya) higher secondary science stream school(Gujarati medium) one of the top school in top 10
[edit] Places of Interest
[edit] Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is a 100 km² plus birds sanctuary located on ahmedabad-surendranagar border. Birds like flamingos fly to this sanctuary during four months of winter. Nalsarovar attracts hoards of people from all over during winter. Special boating arrangements are also made to get view of birds.
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, primarily comprising of a huge lake and ambient marshes. Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring coming from as long as Siberia and Russia it is the one of largest wetland bird sanctuary in India.
The lake measures 123 km², attracts over 210 species of birds in the winter, and harbors a variety of flora and fauna. Thousands of migratory waterfowl flock to this sanctuary just after the Indian monsoon season. The shallow area and ponds on the outer fringes of the lake attract the wading birds that feed in the shallow waters. Besides a few mammalian species including the endangered wild ass and the blackbuck, its migratory bird population includes Rosy Pelicans, Flamingoes, White Storks, Brahminy Ducks and Herons.
[edit] Wild Ass Sanctuary
World's only Onager(wild ass) century which has no relation with the human biological ass. It is located in Little rann of Kutch in Surendranagar district.
[edit] Chotila Hill
Chotila hill located at approx 60 km from Surendranagar city is a place for worship for Chamunda Mataji, a Hindu goddess. Thousands of pilgrims comes walking for as far as 300 km to this place.
Main business in Chotila is of pure ghee. Huge number of livestock being the reason for this business.
[edit] Tarnetar
Tarnetar is famous for its fair popularly known as the Trinetreshwar Mahadev Mela (Fair) held near the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple. Villagers from all over the region, dressed in their colorful traditional costumes and exquisite jewellery throng Tarnetar during this fair. About 100,000 people belonging to various tribes like Rabari, Kathi, Charans, Bharwads and Bhangis, and Koli come to the fair. The fair attracts a large number of tourists from India and abroad also.
The fair is also a kind of match-making event. Tradition holds that if a girl stops to talk to one of the men, it is a sign that she has found the man of her choice. Then the elders of both the girl's and boy's family meet and decide about their choices.
The Fair is also known for various dance and village-sports competitions. The competitions include the horse cart race, bullock cart race and camel race, along with cultural competitions such as rass (Gujarati dance) competition, doha (poem recitation) competition and umbrella decoration competition.
[edit] Zharia Mahadev
A natural waterfall near chotila and a place for picnic.
[edit] People
People of Surendranagar have been peace lover and co-operative. Notably, majority of the population is Jains and this city is also called as Baniya's city.City is main center for Sthanakvasi jains in India. Main residents of Surendranagar are Kshatriya and Bapoos,Jains and Patels. Various community in surendranagar live harmoniously. Surendranagar has traditionally been a peace loving city. There is huge influx of people from surrounding villages due to development of educational institutes in the city. People from other community like Bharvad, Rabari etc are also in good numbers. Interestingly, Surendranagar is one of the best place in terms of mutual understanding between different communities - which has made the place a peaceful and nice place to live in.The pigs and the open gutters are trademark pecularities of the heavily populated city of Sun'nagar.
Lately there is fast prosperity coming in due to bumper cotton production, good rains and rapid industrial development.
[edit] Legends
Myth of Bhogaavo The district headquarters of Surendranagar is located on the banks of a river named Bhogaavo. This river has the city of Wadhawan on its other bank. There is an interesting myth related to this river. It is said that in old times (not really ancient) a ruler of Junagadh district, named Rakhengar, saw the queen/princess (not sure) of Wadhwan and fell in love with her. To win her (literally) he attacked Wadhwan. But the queen/princess escaped from the city towards the river Bhogaavo. In the end she sacrificed her life by drowning in the Bhogaavo instead of becoming the queen of Junagadh, but before she died she cursed the river that it would never have water and that it would kill one person every year.
[edit] External links
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motor vehicles registered in surendranagar district have their regisatration number starting with GJ-13
