Bhuj - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Bhuj is a city and a municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

History

It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha

Maagha

Maagha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Maagh is the eleventh month of the year, beginning in January and ending in February....

5th (Approx. 25 January 1548). Currently it is the district headquarters of Kachchh District, the second largest district in India. Bhuj is home to one of the first Swaminarayan Sampraday

Swaminarayan Sampraday

Swaminarayan Sampraday , known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu sect established by Swaminarayan...

temples, built in 1822.

In January 2001, the city was struck by a major 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...

which caused a great deal of damage and loss of life.

Demographics

The total population of Bhuj was 136,429 in the year 2008, which consisted of 71,056 males and 65,373 females. The total number of houses was 27,999.

Geography

Bhuj has an average elevation of 110 metres (360 feet). On the eastern side of the town is a hill known as Bhujiyo Dungar, on which there is Bhujia Fort

Bhujia Fort

Bhujia Fort also spelled as Bhujiya Fort is the fort located in out skirts of Bhuj town of Kutch. The Fort is built on hill overlooking the town of Bhuj. Bhujia Fort offers a panoramic view from Bhuj city.-History:...

, that separates Bhuj city and Madhapar

Madhapar

Madhapar is a large village located in south western Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. Bhuj is the regional hub of the town where the nearest airport exists...

town. It has one big lake named Hamirsar

Hamirsar Lake

Hamirsar Lake is a large man made lake situated in heart of Bhuj town, the District headquarters of Kutch, Gujarat, India.It is a 450 year old lake named after Rao Hamir, the founder of Bhuj. The lake was built during the reign of Rao Khengarji I , the founder of Jadeja dynasty in Kutch, who named...

and several small lakes.

The old city was surrounded by the fort, which had five major gates and one small gate known as "chathi bari" (sixth window). Much of the fort wall has either fallen down or been demolished, due to the city's development and the earthquake of 2001.

Transportation

Bhuj is 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...

, Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

and other major cities of India by trains. It has a domestic airport

Bhuj Airport

Bhuj Airport is located in Bhuj in the Kutch District of the state of Gujarat, India.The airport was previously made up of two bunkers/buildings near the Bhuj Rudra Mata Air Force Base, with which it shares the runway. On one side of the passing road there was an Indian Airlines bunker, and on the...

from where daily flights operate to Mumbai

Mumbai

.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....

and 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,...

from Bhuj to Mumbai

Mumbai

. State Transport Buses are available from ST stand in the middle of the town to various places in Gujarat. Besides, many private tour operators also run frequent buses to major cities in and outside Gujarat.

Education

Alfred High School

Alfred High School, Bhuj

Alfred High School in Bhuj, Kutch is one of the oldest educational institution of Gujarat and first high school of Kutch. It was founded by Rao of Cutch, Pragmalji II in year 1870 at cost of Rs, 1,50000/-...

, the first High School of Kutch established in 1870 is also an architect heritage of town.
Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kachchh University is located in Bhuj. University has 28 colleges affiliated, seven of them are in Bhuj. University gives degrees in Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Education, Management, Pharmacy, Social Welfare , Medicine and Engineering.

Culture

Bhuj is a famous destination for shopping of handicraft work. Artists of nearby villages bring their art work for sale in Bhuj. Important landmarks for people wishing to study and know more about Kutchi embroidery are Shrujan, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), Kalaraksha and Women Artisans' Marketing Agency (WAMA, Bandhini).

Religion

The dominant religions of Kutch are a form of Vaishnav Hinduism, Jainism and Islam. Sikh Gurudwara is also situated in kachchh at Lakhpat. This gurudwara was originally a house where the first guru Shri Guru Nanak stayed during his journey. The Swaminarayan Sampraday has a huge following in this region. Their main temple in this district is Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj. Anjar city is the really famous also as Swaminarayan Mandir and Swaminarayanians.

Bhuj as Taluka

Following villages belong to this taluka: Meghpur

Meghpur

Meghpur also spelled as Meghpar is a village in Kutch, state of Gujarat in western India.-Geography:Meghpur is located 18 km south from Bhuj, the neighbouring villages are Naranpur and Godpur...

, Madhapar

Madhapar

Madhapar is a large village located in south western Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. Bhuj is the regional hub of the town where the nearest airport exists...

, Kukma

Kukma

Kukma or Kookma is a village near the Bhuj town, taluka in Kachchh District of Indian State of Gujarat. It is located at a distance of 16 kilometers from Bhuj, the headquarters of Kachchh District.-History:...

, Nagor

Nagor

Nagor or Nagher is a village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch at a distance of about 8 km from Bhuj town, the capital of Kachchh District of Gujarat in India.-History:...

, Dhaneti

Dhaneti

Dhaneti or Dhanetee is village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India. It is at a distance of about 26 km from Bhuj the Taluka and District Headquarter of Kutch...

, Hajapar

Hajapar

Hajapar is village in Bhuj Taluka of Kachchh District of Gujarat State of India. It is located at a distance of about 18 km from Bhuj. One nearby village is Reha.-History:...

, Reha

Reha

Reha is a village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch at a distance of about 15 km from Bhuj town, the capital of Kachchh District of Gujarat in India.-History:About the history of Reha it is one of the 19 villages founded by Kutch...

, Jambudi

Jambudi

Jambudi is a village near the Bhuj, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located at a distance of about 20 km from Bhuj Taluka and District Headquarter of Kutch.-History:...

, Sukhpar, Mirjapur, Mankuva, Baladia, Kodki and Khavda

Khavda

Khavda is a town in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located in the county of Bhuj in the district of Kutch.-Geography:Khavda is located at . It has an average elevation of 1 metres .-External links:*...

, Samtra, Desalpar, Surajpur

Surajpur

Surajpur is a City and a Nagar Palika Nigam in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh state in central India.It is the Administrative Head Quarter of the Surajpur District, located 256 km North from the state headquarter Raipur. National Highway 78 has its route through Surajpur. Surajpur was...

, Naranpur, Kera

Kera

Kera or KERA may refer to:* Kera language, a language spoken in Southwest Chad and North Cameroon* kera, means coconut palms in Malayalam language spoken in Kerala, India* kera, a word for monkey in the Malay language...

, Rampur

Rampur

The name Rampur, together with the variations Ramapur, Ramapura and Ramapuram, may refer to:-Bangladesh:* Rampur Boalia, a medieval region near the present city of Rajshahi, in northwestern Bangladesh west of bangladesjh-India:...

, Mandvi

Mandvi

Mandvi is a city and a Municipality in Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao of the Kachchh. The old city had a surrounding fort, and remains of the fort wall can still be seen to this day...

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserves of Kutch

From the city of Bhuj various ecologically

Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

rich and wildlife conservation

Wildlife conservation

Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...

areas of the Kutch / Kachchh district can be visited such as Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat, India, it was declared a sanctuary in February 1986....

, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary also popularly known as Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary or Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary notified as such in April 1981 and subsequently denotified in 1995 with reduced area, is a unique eco-system in the Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the state of Gujarat,...

, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary

Kutch Bustard Sanctuary

Kutch Bustard Sanctuary or Kachchh Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, also known as Lala–Parjan Sanctuary, is located near Jakhau village in Nalia taluka, Kutch district, Gujarat, India. This sanctuary is one of the two Great Indian Bustard sanctuaries in Gujarat; the other one is in Jamnagar...

, Banni Grasslands Reserve

Banni Grasslands Reserve

Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of...

and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve

Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve

The Chari-Dhand wetland conservation reserve is located on the edge of arid Banni grasslands and the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State in India. It is currently legally protected under the status as a Protected or Reserve Forest in India...

etc..

Bhuj as a film location

J. P. Dutta

Jyoti Prakash Dutta is an Indian Bollywood film producer and director. Mr. Dutta produces his films under the banner of JP Films. He is known for directing many patriotic war films and films in the action genre...

's 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...

film Refugee

Refugee (film)

Refugee is a Bollywood film directed by J. P. Dutta, released on 30 June 2000. The film marked the debut of Abhishek Bachchan, son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Kareena Kapoor, the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and part of the famous Kapoor family. Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty and...

and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam were shot on location in the Great Rann of Kutch and other locations in and around the Kutch district

Kutch District

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....

of Gujarat, India. This film was attributed to have been inspired by the famous story by Keki N. Daruwalla

Keki N. Daruwalla

Keki N. Daruwalla is a major Indian poet and short story writer in English language. He has written over 12 books and published his first novel "For Pepper and Christ" in 2009...

based around the Great Rann of Kutch titled "LOVE ACROSS THE SALT DESERT" which is also included as one of the short stories in the School Standard XII syllabus English text book of NCERT in India. The film crew

Film crew

Television crew positions are derived from those of film crew positions.A film crew is a group of people hired by a production company for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. Crew are distinguished from cast, the Actors who appear in front of the camera or provide voices for...

having traveled from Mumbai

Mumbai

was based at the city of Bhuj and majority of the film shooting took place in various locations around in the Kutch District

Kutch District

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....

of the Indian state of Gujarat including the Great Rann of Kutch (also on BSF controlled "snow white" Rann within), Villages and Border Security Force

Border Security Force

The Border Security Force is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. Its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime...

(BSF) Posts in Banni grasslands and the Rann, Tera fort village, Lakhpat

Lakhpat

Lakhpat fort town is a small town in Kachchh district of Gujarat, India within the fort walls of the 18th-century Lakhpat fort. The literal meaning of Lakhpat is the city of millionaire, however today it is sparsely populated Ghost town, a city of ruins of buildings and a magnificent fort...

fort village, Khera fort village, a village in southern Kutch, some ancient temples of Kutch and with parts and a song filmed on set in Mumbai's Kamalistan Studio.

Just after the film shooting of Refugee finished, the film crew of another Hindi film "Lagaan

Lagaan

Lagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...

" descended on Bhuj in Kutch and shot the entire film in the region, employing local people and villagers from miles around. A set of a full period Village was constructed for the film with typical Kutch style mud houses or huts with thatched straw roofs called bhoongas.

Books About Bhuj

The Bhuj Story - After the Quake (2005) is a short book written by Rishi Mohan Sanwal. The Book relates to the experiences of the author and his friends after the earthquake of 26th Jan 2001 in Kutch, Gujarat. The Book has been published by Government of India. Rishi Mohan Sanwal was born in Kotdwara, Uttarakhand. After completing his engineering degree from Indian Institute of technology, Bombay and management studies from Indian Institute of management (llM), Ahmedabad, he is currently working as a management consultant.

External links

Kachchh University

Kabir Mandir, Bhuj

http://www.2kabir.co.uk/html/bhuj.html

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Demographics

Geography

Transportation

Education

Culture

Religion

Bhuj as Taluka

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserves of Kutch

Bhuj as a film location

Books About Bhuj

See also

External links