Gujarat
By: Purvi Pandit
Interesting facts
• Area: 1,96,000 sq. kms. (6.10% of the total
area of India)
• Districts: 25
• Villages: 18114
• State Capital: Gandhinagar
• Cities with a population
of over 100,000: 11
• Principal language: Gujarati
• Literacy: 61%
• Major Languages: Gujarati, Hindi, Sindhi,
Marathi
• Crops: cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane, tobacco, rice,
millets, wheat
• Minerals: fluorite, lignite, limestone, bauxite,
gypsum, oil &natural gas
• Industries: textile, cement, chemicals, petroleum,
dairy products, sugar, oilseeds,
pharmaceuticals,salt, electronics,engineering
• Roads: surfaced- 63,322 kms, unsurfaced- 5656
kms.
• Railways: 5,500 kms
• Airports: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhavnagar,
Jamnagar, Keshod, Surat, Kandla, Porbandar,
Rajkot, Bhuj
• Climate: 27º C to 42º C in summer, 14º C to 29º C in
winter, monsoon is from June to Sept.
• Coastline: 1,600 kms.
• Universities: 10
Famous Monuments
• Hriday Kunj is one of the important historical sites
in Gujarat as it was here that Mahatma Gandhi
initiated his practical experiments with respect to
a nonviolent Satyagraha and freedom struggle for
the country.
• It was at this ashram that Gandhiji began his salt
Satyagraha.
• This ashram was named Hriday Kunj, as it was a
haven for the so-called untouchables who were
addressed as Harijans by the Mahatma.
• The word 'Hari' stands for God and 'Jan' stands for
People therefore the word Harijan meant 'the
people of God'.
• There is a vast prayer ground at this ashram that
has its own historical importance.
Hriday Kunj
• Sun Temple at Modhera
• Located:Modhera in Gujarat
• Constructed: during the rule of the Solanki ruler,
Bhimdev I. It is in ruins
• An example of the excellent architectural skill and
acumen of the craftsmen of ancient India.
• There are 12 images of the Sun God that have been
sculpted in the Iranian style and the temple has
been constructed in a way so that it faces the east
and as a result Sun rays during equinoxes fall
directly on the main seat of the temple deity.
• This huge temple complex comprises of a Sabha
Mandap, Prasad and a Kund. Though the image of
the presiding deity is missing. There is an
underground cell in the temple premises.
Sun Temple at Modhera
Saurashtra University
• Saurashtra University is considered to be one of the
largest universities of Gujarat.
• It was established on 23rd May 1967.
• It covers 7 major districts of Saurashtra region. It is
accredited with four stars.
• The university has 207 colleges affiliated to it and
has 28 PG Departments offering courses in Medical,
Law, Basic Science, Commerce, Management and
I.T, Humanities, Arts, Music, Religion and Indian
Culture. With advent of privatization many new
private colleges have started coming up to provide
variety of education in various streams of science,
commerce and arts.
The End