Bhavnagar - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Topography

Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar

Kathiawar

Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...

, located at 21.77°N 72.15°E. It has an average elevation of 24 metres (78 ft). It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat

Gulf of Khambhat

The Gulf of Khambhat is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. It is about 80 miles in length, and divides the Kathiawar peninsula to the west from the eastern part of Gujarat state on the east. The Narmada and Tapti rivers empty into the Gulf...

. Small non-perennial river named Kansara Nala passes through outer area of the city.

Climate

Bhavnagar has a semi-arid climate, with hot, dry summers from March to mid-June, the wet monsoon season from mid-June to October where the city receives around 550 mm of rain on average. The semiarid classification is due to the city's high evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies...

. The months from November to February are mild, the average temperature being around 20 °C, with low humidity. Due to proximity to the sea, the climate remains a bit humid throughout the year.

Geology

The region of 'Saurashtra is a vital geo-dynamic part of the West India
West India
West India or the Western region of India consists of the states of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It is highly industrialized, with a large urban population. Most of Western India was part of the Maratha Empire before...

of India, and falls in the seismic zone-III of the Zoning Map of Bureau of Indian Standards
Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986...

. The region as a whole and the area around Bhavnagar in particular has been tectonically unstable.

Between 9 August 2000 and 15 December 2000, there was a series of earthquakes in east Saurashtra which started in Bhavnagar. 132 earthquakes of 0.5M to 3.8M were recorded. There were five earthquakes greater than 3M, with maximum magnitude of 3.8. These events were confined to an area which covered southern part of the Bhavnagar city and Tarsamiya village on the outskirts of the town.

According to historical records, an earthquake of magnitude 7 occurred near Bhavnagar in February 1705. Earthquake swarm

Earthquake swarm

Earthquake swarms are events where a local area experiences sequences of many earthquakes striking in a relatively short period of time. The length of time used to define the swarm itself varies, but the United States Geological Survey points out that an event may be on the order of days, weeks, or...

activity also occurred in and around Paliyad (60 km north of Bhavnagar) during July–August 1938 for about two months, with four earthquakes of magnitude greater than or equal to 5 and maximum magnitude of 6.0.

Culture and Arts, Socialism and reforms

Home to socialism, reforms and cultural legacy, Bhavnagar is considered a city of education and culture, and is known as the cultural capital of Saurashtra.
People of Bhavnagar are considered to be easy-going, and art-loving. The artistes and literary luminaries of Bhavnagar have immensely contributed to the culture of the city. Gujarati

Gujarati language

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...

is the language of normal life, although Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

is commonly understood. Knowledge of English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

is limited to the more educated population of the city.

Bhavnagar has produced many reformists, thinkers, socialists, poets, writers, artists, educationists and freedom fighters. Just to name a few:

Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta also known as Narsi Mehta or Narsi Bhagat was a poet-saint of Gujarat, India, and a member of the Nagar Brahmins community, notable as a bhakta, an exponent of Hindu devotional religious poetry. He is especially revered in Gujarati literature, where he is acclaimed as its Adi Kavi...

- a poet-saint, an exponent of Hindu devotional religious poetry, author of the famous Bhajan 'Vaishnav Jan To
Vaishnav jan to
Vaishnava Jana To is one of the most popular Hindu Bhajan, written in 15th Century by poet Narsinh Mehta. It was written in Gujrati. The bhajan was included in Mahatma Gandhi’s daily prayer. The bhajan tells us about the life, ideals and mentality of a Vaishnav Jana...

', born in the village of Talaja in Bhavnagar district

Ganga sati - a medieval Gujarati saint and poet who wrote many bhajans on devotional themes, hailed from Samadhiyala village of Umrala Taluka of Bhavnagar district. The Holy Place of Ganga Sati & Panbai is situated on the riverbed of Kalubhar river.

Kavi Kant
Kavi kant
Kavi Kant is a poet associated with Gujarat and Gujarati literature.-Life:Kavi Kant was born Manishankar Rataji Bhatt in 1868 in Chavand village, part of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat....

- well known poet, served as the royal poet of Bhavnagar, born in Chavand village of Bhavnagar district

Nanabhai Bhatt - Founder of Lokbharti, Educationist, Creative Writer, Thinker

Gijubhai Badheka - Educationist and reformer

Jhaverchand Meghani - one of the greatest Gujarati poets and writers of Gujarati folk literature, worked as a teacher in Bhavnagar and produced most of his literary works while living in Bhavnagar

Kalaguru Ravishankar Raval
Ravishankar Raval
Kalaguru Ravishankar Raval was a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist and essayist from Gujarat, India,He worked for the magazine Vismi Sadi until it closed in 1921, and then founded the cultural magazine Kumar....

- a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist and essayist, born in Bhavnagar.

Manubhai Pancholi "Darshak": an educationalist,writer and politician, who wrote many books on History and on education and other subjects lived at "lok bharti" 44 km away from bhavnagar.His famous books are 'socretes','Jher to pidha chhe jani jani','Itihaas kathao- Greece,rom'.He got awards named as 'GYANPITH AWARD' for socretes,jamanalal bajaj award for services,murthidevi award,ranjeet ram suvarn chandrak etc.

Prahlad Parekh and Krishnalal Shridharani - Two notable poets.

Vinod Joshi is a well known modern Gujarati poet and critic.

Kismat Qureshi, Nazir Dekhaiya, Barkat Virani are writer of Gazals.

Prajaram Raval - poet, born in Bhavnagar, worked as principal of Ayurvedic college of Bhavnagar

Dula Kag
Dula Bhaya Kag
Dula Bhaya Kag was renowned poet, social reformer and freedom fighter. He was born in Majadar village near Mahuva in Gujarat. He hailed from Charan caste. The subject of his poems was mainly spiritual and devotional, he also wrote eulogical poems for Mahatama Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave. His poems are...

- renowned poet, social reformer and freedom fighter, born in Mahuva town of Bhavnagar district

Morari Bapu
Morari Bapu
Morari Bapu , who has been giving 9 day-long sermons in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—including in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling the world—since the...

- Saint, Teacher, Preacher

Mukundrai Muni : A well known history teacher lived at "lok bharati" and given a wonderful service to the institute.

Dr. I. K. Vijliwala : The most famous child specialist of bhavnagar and an author of a best seller Gujarati book "silence please!" had wrote many other famous books.

The famous Gujarati novel "Saraswatichandra
Saraswatichandra
Saraswatichandra is a black-and-white Hindi film released in 1968 . It starred Nutan and Manish among others and was directed by Govind Saraiya. It was also the last Bollywood movie to be made in black and white....

" by Govardhanram Tripathi
Govardhanram Tripathi
Govardhanram Tripathi was a novel writer of Gujarati literature.-Life:Govardhanram Tripathi was born in Nadiad, India on 20 October 1855 on the day of the Dasara festival....

was based on locations of Bhavnagar and Sihor. A few chaptars were written during his stay in Bhavnagar.

Somalal Shah painter did all his active work in Bhavnagar.

Kishor Parekh: Internationally acclaimed Photographer was born in Bhavnagar.

Bhavnagar has rich tradition of having Educationist like Gijubhai Badheka, Nanabahi Bhatt, Mulshankar M. Bhatt]

Dr Ramkrishna B Mehta- a well known physician (F.R.C.P) of Gujarat belonged to Bhavnagar, his father Dr. Balkrishna N Mehta served as a palace physician of Bhavnagar, and his brother Dr Vishnu B Mehta was also a very famous doctor of the region.

very famous classical music group named Abhinav Sangit Kala Mandal run by Shri Mahidharbhai B Dave During the period 1955 to 1970.

Entertainment

Bhavnagar has a couple of single screen theaters and a multiplex with 5 screen and more...

Top 3 is the largest multiplex in Saurashtra with 5 screens, food courts, game stations and a large sprawling Amusement Park besides it. A two screen theatre turned multiplex called Apsara Twins,with Big cinemas coming up in mid 2012.
The Yashwantrao Natya Gruh is a one of the biggest Play hall in Bhavnagar District.
Two Hyper Markets Reliance Super Mall and V-Mart.
A large under construction leisure cum entertainment spot called ISCON City (claimed to be the largest organised township of Gujarat) and Himalaya Mega Mall (which is claimed to be the largest of Saurashtra), R.k garden restaurant, Rangoli Resorts and Restaurants like Sankalp, Park View & many more (a complete fun destination at the outskirt of the city), are to name a few which adores beauty of Bhavnagar further.

Hospitality and food

Bhavnagar is also a home of many large hotels and restaurants.
Nilambagh Palace Hotel is the only 5 star heritage property in the city and is owned by the royal family. The royal family also has one boutique hotel and a beach resort making it a memorable tourist destination.

Generation Hotel has been launched in bhavnagar,it is the 1st Business hotel in the city with infrastructure made of a class with 24 hrs cafe and to give a treat to your taste bud it has furnished restaurant.There is a Three Star hotel Sun n' Shine located centrally near ST Bus Station,
Nilambaugh Palace Hotel a unique Royal Palace turned hotel along with a restaurant
and other hotels like R.K garden restaurant White Rose, Blue Hill, Jubilee, Appollo etc.

Bhavnagar is also known for its good bud taste with some of the big brands in restaurant chains like Sankalp (for South Indian food), Uncle Sam's & Domino's Pizza and chatkazz etc.,
Along with other local players like Red Rose Restaurant(An authentic venue for delicious food),Jalsa - The Lounge (continental), Rocks & Logs, Park View Restaurant, Baker's Basket, The Coffee Cafe etc.,

The upcoming ISCON Mega Mall project is an entertainment/shopping plaza at the opposite side of Victoria Park. It is known to be the largest organised shopping area of the Saurashtra Region.

City Planning and Architecture

The town planning schemes were designed and implemented under the guidance of progressive rulers of Bhavnagar. During the reign of Sir Takhtsinhji

Takhtsinhji

Maharaja Raol Takhtsinhji Jaswantsinhji , was Maharaja of Bhavnagar, a Rajput chief of the Gohel clan, and the ruler of a state in Kathiawar. He succeeded to the throne of Bhavnagar on the death of his father, Jaswantsinhji, in 1870.He attended the Delhi Durbar in 1877 and was granted a personal...

, the British State Engineer Proctor Sims supervised the construction of Barton Library, High Court

Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court is the High Court of the state of Gujarat. It was established on 1 May 1960 under the Bombay Re-organisation Act, 1960 after the state split from Bombay State.The seat of the court is Ahmedabad...

, Alfred High School

Alfred High School

The Alfred High School in Rajkot is one of the oldest institutions in India today.-History:This school was constructed during British rule in India by political agent Kernel Singh. This was the first English school in the saurashtra , which was originally called Rajkot English School was founded...

and Sir Takhtsinhji Hospital.

Takhteshwar Temple (1893) is located on a hill, on a high plinth, offering a commanding view of Bhavnagar. The high shikhara rising above the pillared rectangular mandapa makes it an important landmark.

Barton Library (1895) is a beautiful two storeyed building, appropriately designed for a road junction. It has two wings and a central tower, constructed in ashlar stone masonry, with Gothic

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

arch windows and a sloping roof with Mangalore tiles. It is one of the oldest libraries of Gujarat and also houses a museum.

Gangajalia (1893) is a temple dedicated to Ganga-devi, with a chhatri, pavilion and bridge all in white marble. It is located in the middle of a former tank. It was designed by Sir John Griffith, principal of Sir J J School of Arts, Bombay.

Nilambag Palace, now a heritage hotel, is a magnificent building set amidst a huge estate of 10 acres (40,468.6 m²). It was designed by a German architect, as a royal residence in 1859. It combines elements of Indian architecture with a modern outlook.

Town Hall (1932) was formerly a Darbar Hall, where the coronation of Sir Krishnakumarsinhji took place. It is an imposing structure in the colonial style, set in a well laid out garden.

Modern Bhavnagar comprises Takhteshvar Plots, Krishnanagar, Sardarnagar and surrounding area. During 1935-1937, Krishnanagar area was planned and developed by late Shri Virendrabhai C. Mehta, the official town planner for the State of Bhavnagar. In 1961, he extended his Krishanagar plan towards Sardarnagar while he planned Congress Adhiveshan. In 1975, he again got involved in planning of Bhavnagar and made a master plan of Bhavnagar.

Beautiful garden at junction of the roads is the salient feature of town planning. This kind of foresighted planning has gifted many gardens to the people & visitors of Bhavnagar. like Ghogha Circle, Mahila College Circle, Rupani Circle, Meghani Circle, Shivaji Circle, Sardarnagar Circle, Jewels Circle, Crescent Circle...

The city of Bhavnagar was one of the earliest to have an underground drainage in the whole of Gujarat.

Bhavnagar was among the first cities in Gujarat to have Water Filtration Plant. The filtration plant was the biggest one in entire Asia when it was set up by Krushnakumarsinhji.

Education

Bhavnagar is known for pioneering and laudable efforts in the fields of rural child as well as liberal women's education.

Nanbhai Bhatt, Gijubhai Badheka

Gijubhai Badheka

Born on 15th November, 1885 at Chittal in Saurashtra as Girijashankar Badheka to Bhagwanji and Sm. Kashiba of Vala , and known as Gijubhai Badheka, Gijubhai was a distinct reformist, educationist and an author....

, Manbhai Bhatt (Founder of Shishuvihar) and Harbhai Trivedi were the trinity who experimented and sowed new trends in rural and liberal child education. Nanbhai's Gram Dakshinamurti and Lokbharati have prepared three generations of brilliant workers and leaders engaged in reshaping village India. Gijubhai's Dakshinamurti became the cradle of new liberal children's education and charted a new direction in the field. Harbhai Trivedi pioneered a similarly new trend in secondary education and his Home School became a model for contemporary educators in Western India.

Liberal women's education was born in Bhavnagar through the efforts of another illustrious educator-social reformer Amrutlal Dani. What has become a vibrant cluster of women's schools and colleges today is due to his devoted and pioneer work.

Ayurved

Ayurveda

Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...

is the ancient life-science gifted by the past of Incredible India. Sheth J. P. Govt. Ayurved College is one of the colleges of the well-known Gujarat Ayurved University

Gujarat Ayurved University

Gujarat Ayurved University is located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. It is the first statutory university of its kind, both at national and international level, exclusively devoted to Ayurvedic studies and research.-History:...

, Jamnagar that offers BAMS (Ayurvedacharya) course (35 seats per year). The college is situated in Vadva area in front of Sardar Baug (Pill Garden). The College is named after Sheth Jivandas Prabhudas. Tapibai Ayurvedic Hospital being the district level Ayurvedic hospital is the part of this college.

Bhavnagar's Shamaldas Arts College is the oldest institution of higher education in the region. Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

studied here in 1884 AD. Bhavnagar University

Bhavnagar University

-Introduction:Bhavnagar University is located in Bhavnagar city in the western province of Gujarat, India. Bhavnagar city was established by Bhavsinhji 1st in 1723.Its a city where Rashtrpita Mahatma Gandhi once studied in its Sameldas Arts College in 1888...

is well known in the region having nearly 23,000 students, number of graduate colleges, 17 post graduate departments including MBA, MCA, MSc, engineering, and medical college.
There are two engineering colleges Shantilal Shah Engineering College and Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar

Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar

Government Engineering College Bhavnagar is a State-governed educational institution in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. Recognized by the All India Council of Technical Education , it offers multi-discipline undergraduate programmes in engineering...

. Both the colleges are affiliated with Gujarat Technological University

Gujarat Technological University

The Gujarat Technological University, more commonly referred to as GTU, is a statewide institution affiliating many esteemed engineering, pharmacy, and management colleges and varsities across the western Indian state of Gujarat...

.

Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul School, Sardar Nagar is the biggest educational campus in Bhavnagar with its branches in Nirbhay Society, Naimisharanya sidsar, Chitra, etc.

Besides one of the first and oldest English Medium School in Gujarat is Fatima Convent High School in Bhavnagar. Regarded still as the best school, this school run by Vedruna sisters has produced many great business leaders, politicians, doctors, engineers, etc.

Christ School, Bhavnagar is also another Catholic institution established in 1998.

Healthcare

Bhavnagar is having enough healthcare facilities. Wockhardt Hospitals

Wockhardt

Wockhardt Ltd. is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company has manufacturing plants in India, UK, Ireland, France and US, and subsidiaries in US, UK, Ireland and France. It is a global company with a more than half of its revenue coming from Europe. The...

& Sterling Hospitals

Sterling Hospitals

Sterling Hospitals, is one of the largest hospital chains in Gujarat, considered to be the leading one by the levels of independent certification, facilities and equipment, as well as size and capacities...

are multispeciality Hospitals providing many important healthcare services. Also there is a Sir T. Civil Hospital associated with Govt. Medical College. Tapibai Ayurvedic Hospital serves the people providing Ayurvedic Treatment. There are also some trust hospitals & large number of private clinics enhancing the medicare facility.

Economy and Industry Profile

Industrial development in Bhavnagar district could be attributed to the presence of a large number of diamond cutting and polishing units, salt and marine chemicals, plastics, ship building, and breaking industries.
Bhavnagar is an important center for the diamond cutting and polishing industry in Gujarat as well as India. Thousands of skilled diamond-polishing workers are employed in diamond-cutting and polishing firms,whose subsidiary offices involved in cities like Surat, Mumbai, and Antwerp. Bhavnagar stands second in diamond cutting & polishing industry after Surat in India, with 6,000 units operating from the district and employing more than 3 lakh people. Bhavnagar’s commercial importance is enhanced by its proximity with the Gulf of Cambay and the Arabian Sea

Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...

.Bhavnagar is the largest producer of salt, with 34,500 tons of salt being produced annually in the district. Alang ship breaking yard is the biggest in the world, recycling about 50% of the salvaged ships of the world. This has also helped developing supporting industries, such as Oxygen bottling plants, re-rolling mills and induction furnaces. Bhavnagar manufactures FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) boats and steel vessels at ship building facility of Alcock Ashdown (Gujarat) Ltd. The prominent industries located in Bhavnagar are Alcock Ashdown (Government of Gujarat Undertaking), Tamboli Castings Limited., Excel, SteelCast Bhavnagar, Investment & Precision Castings, Sound Build Care Pvt Ltd etc. Ruvapari Road and Nari Road are areas where most industries are clustered. Bhavnagar has about 150 units manufacturing plastic monofilaments, and more than 400 units manufacturing plastic cloth, twine, ropes, films, and multifilament yarn. Some sections of the society depends upon agriculture for their livelihood. The city is a prominent trading post for cotton products. There are 112 medium and large scale industries located in Bhavnagar district.

>>Small Scale Industries (SSI)
The district has 10,080 SSI units with employment of 49,587 involving a total investment of INR 28,955 lakhs (USD 70.62 million).
Around 4,460 SSI units are present in Bhavnagar taluka, witnessing investments to the tune of INR 9,956 lakhs (USD 24.28 million).
Maximum number of industries are engaged in repairing & servicing, textiles, chemicals, glass & ceramics, and wood products.

>> Faculty of Management(FOM)
The faculty has added a number of service in terms of consultancy and technical Seminars to the SSI sector in the city under the leadership of Dr A Kumar.

>>Industry Investment Trends
As per the Industrial Entrepreneur Memoranda (IEMs) filed, the total investment during 1988-97 was INR 2,693 Crore (USD 657 million), and during 1998-2007 investments worth INR 4,775 Crore (USD 1,164.6 million).
Around 87% of the investments during 1998-07 has been contributed by infrastructure projects, cement and gypsum, and chemicals sector, while 89% of the investments during 1988-97 was contributed by industries such as chemicals, cement and gypsum
Miscellaneous machinery and engineering sector showed increase in number of units while chemicals, plastic and
food processing industries showed remarkable growth in investments during 1998-2007.

>>Investment Trends: 1998-07
Infrastructure sector attracted the highest investment of INR 2,200 Crore (USD 536.5 million) contributing 46% to total investments generated during 1998-07.
The next highest investment was generated by cement and gypsum sector of INR 1,637 Crore (USD 399.26 million) growing by 39% and contributing 34% to the total investments.
Highest employment was generated by the chemical sector creating 3,997 jobs contributing 36% to the total jobs created
Food processing industries grew by over 250 times during 1998-07 with an investment of INR 79 Crore (USD 19 million).

>>Investments in Pipeline

A total of 11 MoUs were signed during Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summits (VGGIS) 2003, 2005 and 2007, in several sectors, such as, ports, power, agro & food processing, tourism and mineral-based industries.
The power sector witnessed investments of over INR 4000 crore (USD 975.60 million) during VGGIS 2003 and 2005 by Nirma Chemicals Limited and Gujarat Petro Chemical Limited respectively.
Port sector witnessed maximum number of MoUs during 2003 and 2005 in the district.
Gujarat State Petronet Corporation (GSPC), has signed an MoU during Vibrant Gujarat 2007, for the privatisation of Bhavnagar port.

>> Economy Drivers

Major investments were witnessed in infrastructure projects during 1998-07 which would further enhance the image of the district as a commercial region. Recent surge in the growth of food processing industries in the district has increased employment opportunities for the masses. Presence of Bhavnagar port has helped in catalyzing the growth of industries, making it an important terminal for export and import of goods. Proximity with other major industrial hubs of the State, such as Ahmedabad, and Rajkot has helped the district in attracting investments. Small scale industry sectors such as repairing & servicing, textiles, chemicals, glass & ceramics and wood products are the supporting pillars of the economy providing numerous employment opportunities.

Agriculture

Main Crops:

Groundnut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...

, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...

, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, and bajra
Pearl millet
Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. Grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times, it is generally accepted that pearl millet originated in Africa and was subsequently introduced into India. The center of diversity, and suggested area of domestication, for...

.
Guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s and pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...

s. Local red colored variety is especially well known.

chitrakala arts & net world

Commerce

Exports of cotton, ship machinery and dehydrated onions.
Diamond cutting, polishing, marketing, Diamond jewellery manufacturing.
Plasting ropes, yarns, twines Manufacturing.
Re-rolling mills due to ship-breaking yard at Alang.
Other large scale manufacturing industries like Fertilizer, Soda-Ash, Steel-Casting etc.

Demographics

India census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Bhavnagar had a population of 510,958. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.Estimated population in 2010 is approx. 1300000. Bhavnagar has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 77% and female literacy of 66%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Tourism

The city offers vibrant shades of traditional Gujarati culture to the traveler. Bhavnagar is also a suitable stopover for tourists who are venturing to the Jain temples at Palitana on the Shatrunjaya Hills, Sihor and the Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar

Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar

Blackbuck National Park at Velavadar is situated in the Bhavnagar District of Gujarat state, India.Established in 1976 in the Bhal region of Saurashtra, the park is located around 72 km from the district headquarter city of Bhavnagar...

- the home of the famous Indian Blackbuck

Blackbuck

Blackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Their range decreased sharply during the 20th century. Since 2003, the IUCN lists the species as near threatened....

. Blackbuck National Park of Velavadar is the only place where Blackbucks can be found. This National Park is home for many other species of animals and birds.

Transportation

Bhavnagar is well connected to other major cities of Gujarat such as Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surat and more by road, with bus services operated by state-owned transport corporation Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation

Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation is a state owned corporation for passenger transport providing bus services both within state of Gujarat, India and neighboring states. GSRTC came into existence on 1 May, 1960 on formation of Gujarat...

as well as private operators.

The city is also connected to Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

, Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, Surat

Surat

Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...

and Vadodara

Vadodara

Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...

and some major cities of Saurashtra by rail road.

It was one of the first cities in Gujarat to have an airport. It is connected to Mumbai

Mumbai

by air and railway. Daily flights are operated by Jet Airways

Jet Airways

Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...

and Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. Its head office is Kingfisher House in Vile Parle , Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red....

from Bhavnagar Airport

Bhavnagar Airport

Bhavnagar Airport is located near Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat, India.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:*...

.

Intracity bus service is operated by VTCOS. Private auto rickshaw

Auto rickshaw

An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...

, Bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

, Motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

is other mode of transport within the city and nearby villages.

Points of interest

Takhteshwar Temple Located at the centre of the city one of the highest point to view the whole city
Nilambag Palace The residence of the current Maharaja of Bhavnagar, HH Maharaol Vijayrajsinhji Virbhadrasinhji Gohil & his family; is now also a swanky palace hotel.
Mangalsinhji Mahal Palace This palace is the residence of the members of the Bhavnagar royal family(family of Maharajkumar Mangalsinhji Takhatsinhji of Bhavnagar).It is a historical property in the heart of Bhavnagar city and is designed on traditional Kathiawari architectural principles.It is now the formal residence of the descendants of Rajkumar Chandrajitsinhji Mangalsinhji of Bhavnagar.
Bhav Vilas Palace This palatial property was formerly the club-house for the royal family of the erstwhile princely state of Bhavnagar, now the residence of Maharajkumar Shivbhadrasinhji Krishnakumarsinhji
Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh
Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji was an Indian monarch and politician who ruled as the last Maharaja of Bhavnagar State from 1919 to 1948 and also served as the first Indian Governor of Madras from 1948 to 1952.-Early life:...

Gohil & his family. It is famous for its wildlife collection & lake-side views.
Seashore at Ghogha (About 22 km. from Bhavangar): Sea-side palace retreat of the Bhavnagar royal family, also now a hotel-guesthouse for travellers wth excellent sea-side views & cuisine
Victoria Park - It covers an area of about 500 acres(2 km²) with diverse flora and fauna. This park is a paradise for bird watchers and nature lovers.
Nava Bandar (New Port)
Barton Library
Darbargadh:Once the seat(Main Palace) of the Bhavnagar royal family, now rented out to the State Bank of India
State Bank of India
The State Bank of India is the largest Indian banking and financial services company with its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is state-owned. The bank traces its ancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest...

is also their head-quarters (formerly the State Bank of Saurashtra
State Bank of Saurashtra
State Bank of Saurashtra was a government-owned bank in India. It was one of the seven Associate Banks of the State Bank of India, with which it merged on 13 August 2008...
Ganga Deri (Ganga Jalia Talav) The whole marble construction monument, one of the master piece of old times gifted by the Maharaja, a miniature of Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
Gaurishankar Lake (Bor Talav) - named after a very able 19th century minister of the king, is a reservoir originally planned for water supply to the town. It is a popular picnic spot where one can watch a setting sun over lake and enjoy a stroll on the parapet wall of the lake.
Alang Ship Breaking Yard (About 50 km from Bhavangar on way of Talaja)
Gandhi Smriti - a memorial, with a library of Gandhian books and photographs about the life of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

. It also has a fine collection of art objects representing the culture of the Saurashtra region.
BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Aksharwadi, Bhavnagar.
CSMCRI (Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute
Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute
Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research . The Institute was opened by Jawahar Lal Nehru on 10 April 1956...

): The only constituent laboratory of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) in Gujarat. It has worked a lot in developing Bio-Diesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....

from Jatropha
Jatropha
Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees , from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words ἰατρός , meaning "physician," and τροφή , meaning "nutrition," hence the common name physic nut. Mature plants produce separate male and female...

.
Ghogha Beach (19 km away from Bhavnagar, a favorite outing spot around.)
Piram Bet (About 20 km away from Ghogha Beach, treasures fossils and old caves)
Malnath Shiv Temple and Trambak Water Fall (About 15 to 20 km from Bhavnagar, Trambak is very beauty full place, you can have tracking along Malnath to Trambak, which is about 5 km.)
Khodiyar
Khodiyar
Khodiyar Maa is the Hindu goddess who appeared in the story of Mamaniya Gadhvi in about AD 700.Mamaniya Gadhvi had a superb relationship with the then ruler - Maharaj Shilbhadra. The ruler's ministers envied this exceptional relationship and prepared a way to get rid of Mamaniya Gadhvi...

Temple.
Pillgarden. A beautiful garden in middle of the city. Also called Sardar Baug.

Twin sister cities

Bhavnagar is twinned with:

Kingdom of England Loughborough

Loughborough

Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

Ports

Bhavnagar had trade links with Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

, Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, Arabia and ports of Red sea since early 18th century. The original port (21°48′N 72°09′E) built by the state of Bhavnagar was very important part of the commerce. It also hosted a lighted beacon since 1860. This port was later modernized in 1930 under the supervision of J. Johnston, then Port Officer of Bhavnagar state. Wharfs, warehouses and transportation by rail systems were added. But heavy silting affected the old port, and a new port, 8 km south of the original port, was built and was operational in 1950s. This port also had a lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

, which was damaged in the 2001 earthquake

2001 Gujarat earthquake

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on January 26, 2001, India's 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time and lasted for over two minutes. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India...

.

Bhavnagar lockgate, built in 1963 & the first of its kind in India when built, is one of the oldest bundar in the state, and is very useful to keep ships a float during low tides in Seaport.