Bhavnagar District

Bhavnagar district is situated near the Gulf of Cambay in the Arabian Sea, a part of Saurashtra peninsula, in central part of the state of Gujarat. Nearness of this district with commercial districts of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Amreli has made the district an important industrial location. The total area of the district is 8,628 sq. km and as per 2001 census the population is 24, 69,630 with 205 persons per sq km. Major tourist attractions in the district are Velavadar National park-Blackbuck sanctuary, Takhteshwar Temple, Gaurishanker Lake, Jain Temples of Palitana and Talaja.

Geographical location of Bhavnagar district is 21.47 degree North (Latitude) and 71.15 degree East (Longitude). Average rainfall of the district is 605 mm and the major rivers flowing through this place are Shetrunji, Ranghola and Kaludhar.

Bhavnagar district has a university which offers courses in professional disciplines such as management, computer applications, etc apart from the conventional courses. Bhavnagar hosts a number of Engineering, Medical, Nursing, Ayurvedic, and physiotherapy Colleges and Industrial Training Institutes. Engineering colleges offering courses in chemical, civil, electrical, and electronic and communication, information technology, production and mechanical engineering are present in the district.

Bhavnagar University is known for providing courses and conducting research programmes in Science, Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Medicine, Management, Rural Studies and Law Faculties. It has twenty two departments, four constituent colleges and eighteen post graduate departments. There are sixty three colleges affiliated to this University. The university is one of the valued members of the commonwealth countries and is under the development programmes of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The university also conducts research activities in diverse fields like, Nano-Technology, Marine Ecology, Intellectual Property Rights & its Management and Entrepreneurship.

Economy of Bhavnagar District in the state of Gujarat could be attributed to the presence of a large number of industrial sectors such as salt and marine chemicals, diamond cutting and polishing units, plastics, ship building, and breaking industries. Bhavnagar stands second in diamond cutting and polishing industry after Surat in India, with over six thousand units operating from the district and employing more than three lakh people.

Bhavnagar is the largest producer of salt, with 34,500 tons of salt being produced per annum in the district. At Alang, Bhavnagar houses the largest ship breaking yard in the world. Bhavnagar district has about one hundred and fifty units manufacturing plastic monofilaments, and more than four hundred units manufacturing plastic twine, ropes, cloth, films, and multifilament yarn.

Agriculture also contributes a lot to the economy of the district. Some sections of the society depend upon agriculture for their source of revenue. Most important crops produced in the district are onion, guava, citrus, banana and chiku.

Bhavnagar District had the huge production of onion and guava in the State in the recent years. In the production of cotton, Bhavnagar district ranks second in the State after Rajkot. There are one hundred and twelve medium and large scale industries located in Bhavnagar district. Total production of cotton for the year 2006-07, in Bhavnagar was 12, 73,500 Bales, the second highest in the State after Rajkot.

Miscellaneous machinery and engineering sector showed augment in number of units while chemicals, plastic and food processing industries showed notable growth in investments during recent years. Recent surge in the expansion of food processing industries in the district has increased employment opportunities for the masses. Presence of Bhavnagar port has helped in catalysing the growth of industries, making it an imperative terminal for export and import of goods. Nearness with other major industrial hubs of the State, such as Ahmedabad, and Rajkot has helped the district in attracting investments. Small scale industry sectors are the supporting pillars of the economy which has provided numerous employment opportunities.

Tourism in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, is known for a variety of attractive destinations that allures tourists from far off places. In addition to mesmerizing scenic beauty, the place also forms a significant centre of historical and religious places. The district is also associated with Mahatma Gandhi and provides a glimpse of the life and deeds of this great freedom fighter. Bhavnagar district is also the home to a variety of flora and fauna.

Takhteshwar Temple
Takhteshwar temple is situated over a small hill and holds historical significance. It was built in 1893 by Maharaja Takhtasinhji and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple also provides a magnificent view of the city as well as the Gulf of Cambay.

Gaurishankar Lake
Gaurishankar Lake is an ideal place for picnic and bird watching. The bank of the lake is adorned with Bhav Vilas Palace and beautiful birds including cranes, pelicans, geese, ducks and many more. The lake was built with the aim of supplying water to the whole town.

Barton Museum and Gandhi Smriti
Barton Museum and Gandhi Smriti belongs to 1895 AD. The museum houses a vast collection of wood carvings, beadwork, farming tools, musical instruments, religious carvings, sculpture, stamps and numerous folk objects that are the representative of Saurashtra region. Photographs and articles related to Mahatma Gandhi have been also showcased in the memorial. It also has a library that comprises of books and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi.

Nilambagh Palace
It is a heritage hotel situated in Bhavnagar. In 1859 AD, a German architect designed this palace which served as the royal residence of the erstwhile Maharajas. Later the palace was converted into a heritage hotel. Nilambagh Palace exhibits a great combination of Indian architecture blended with modern outlook.

Gangajalia
It is a magnificent temple dedicated to Ganga Devi. White marble forms the structure of the temple which stands in the middle of a former tank. Sir John Griffith, principal or Sir J. J. School of Arts, Bombay was the architect of the temple.

Victoria Park
Victoria Park is famous for sheltering a diverse variety of wildlife. The marshy areas in the park also attract various birds and ducks.

Alang
Alang is famed as the largest ship breaking site of India where warships, container ships and super tankers are dismantled manually by about 20000 workers. It is located between Talaja and Bhavnagar, on a coast. Near the place fascinating collection of junks, pulled off from the ships, can be found in the shops.

Velavadar National Park
Velavadar National Park is situated 40 km from Bhavnagar. It is a sanctuary for black buck, wolf, pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, cranes etc. It was established in 1976, the place also proved shelter to numerous endangered species of plants. Exotic migratory birds also flock around this national park.

Trambak Falls
Trambak falls is a splendid waterfall situated near Bhavanagar. A small mountain covered with forest and exquisite natural beauty forms the backdrop of the waterfalls making the place alluring for a number of visitors.

Other Tourist Places in Bhavanagar District
Talaja is a scenic and peaceful town in the district. Shihor Darbargadh, the royal residence of the Gohil Rajputs between 1570 and 1723 is famous for paintings which depict the attire of the period, the weapons used, and the expressions on the warrior' faces. Other attractive tourist sites in Bhavnagar include Mahuva, Gopnath, Khodiyar Mandir, Ganga Deri, Pillgarden, Ghogha beach, Water Lock Gate, Piram Bet Island, Malnath Shiv Temple and Gangahaja.

How to reach Bhavnagar District
By Road:
National Highway 8E passes through the district connecting it to Junagadh (205 km) and Amreli (113 km). Bhavnagar district is also connected to Ahmedabad (170 km), Vadodara (280 km), Jamnagar (266 km), Surat (447 km), Rajkot (178 km), Ankleshwar (364 km), Vapi (514 km), Gandhinagar (228 km) and Mehsana (274 km).

By Rail:
Almost all the talukas of Bhavnagar are well connected to cities such as Amreli, Ahmedabad and Mumbai by rail.

By Air:
Bhavnagar is one of the first cities to have an airport in Gujarat. Air services are available between Bhavnagar and Mumbai. Nearest international airport is in Ahmedabad (200 km).

Bhavnagar Airport is a domestic airport which has the capacity of 100 passengers per hour for both arrival and departure. This airport was established as a private airport for VIP guests and later on was converted to domestic airport by the airport authority of India. Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has given Bhavnagar Airport the award for "Best Domestic Airport". The cargo bay of this airport can accommodate two Boeing 747 planes at a time. This airport provides flights mainly to Mumbai.

Nearest bus stand to Bhavnagar Airport is located at a distance of 8 km. This bus stand is connected via private taxis and state bus services to Bhavnagar Airport. Railway station of Bhavnagar is located at a distance of 9 km from the airport.

By Port:
Bhavnagar port is well connected with a broad gauge railway line. The port is 10 km away from Bhavnagar city which is well connected to Ahmedabad and Mumbai. There is a minor port at Ghogha and ship breaking yard at Alang. The nearest natural port of Pipavav is at a distance of 113 km.