Okha, India

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Okha
Okha Port
town
India Gujarat location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Okha
Location in Gujarat, India
Coordinates: 22°28′0″N69°4′0″E / 22.46667°N 69.06667°E / 22.46667; 69.06667
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Gujarat
District Devbhoomi Dwarka district
Area
  Total5 km2 (2 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
  Total62,052
  Density12,000/km2 (32,000/sq mi)
Languages
  Official Gujarati, Hindi
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration GJ-37 (Devbhoomi Dwarka RTO)
Map of Okha in Gujarat, India Bet Dwarka Okha Gujarat Map.jpg
Map of Okha in Gujarat, India

Okha is a coastal town in Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat state in India. Dwarka is situated 30 km south, and Bet Dwarka island is situated 2.9 km across a small creek from Okha port. Okha port are a major Hindu pilgrimage sites due to a temple dedicated to Krishna.

Contents

History

The town is mentioned in ancient Indian epic literature. It is associated with the story of the marriage of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna and Usha (called Okha in Gujarati), the daughter of Banasur. 18th century Gujarati Akhyana entitled Okhaharan by Premanand Bhatt recounts the same story.

Okha under Baroda state, Amreli division, 1909 Baroda state 1909.jpg
Okha under Baroda state, Amreli division, 1909

Okha, along with Dwarka and Bet Dwarka, was under Gaekwad of the Baroda State. During Indian rebellion of 1857, the Vaghers captured the region in 1858. Later by joint offensive of British, Gaekwad and other princely states troops ousted the rebels and recaptured the region in 1859. [1] [2]

Geography

Okha is situated on a narrow strip of land that projects into the sea. It is surrounded by sea on three sides and has a sandy beach on the Arabian Sea coast. It has a sea port on the lee side. But Dwarka lies on the other side of a small creek from Okha port.

Okha Port, Gujarat Okha41.JPG
Okha Port, Gujarat

Climate

Climate data for Okha, India (1981–2010, extremes 1963–2012)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)30.4
(86.7)
33.3
(91.9)
34.1
(93.4)
36.6
(97.9)
37.5
(99.5)
39.8
(103.6)
35.4
(95.7)
34.0
(93.2)
34.1
(93.4)
35.7
(96.3)
33.8
(92.8)
31.1
(88.0)
39.8
(103.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)24.7
(76.5)
25.7
(78.3)
28.0
(82.4)
30.5
(86.9)
32.4
(90.3)
33.1
(91.6)
31.5
(88.7)
30.3
(86.5)
30.8
(87.4)
30.8
(87.4)
29.5
(85.1)
26.5
(79.7)
29.5
(85.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)18.9
(66.0)
19.8
(67.6)
22.2
(72.0)
24.5
(76.1)
26.8
(80.2)
27.9
(82.2)
26.9
(80.4)
25.9
(78.6)
25.6
(78.1)
25.1
(77.2)
23.7
(74.7)
20.7
(69.3)
24.0
(75.2)
Record low °C (°F)10.0
(50.0)
10.9
(51.6)
15.9
(60.6)
20.8
(69.4)
23.3
(73.9)
20.4
(68.7)
20.9
(69.6)
22.4
(72.3)
21.7
(71.1)
20.2
(68.4)
18.2
(64.8)
14.1
(57.4)
10.0
(50.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)1.1
(0.04)
0.8
(0.03)
0.2
(0.01)
0.0
(0.0)
2.3
(0.09)
52.5
(2.07)
194.2
(7.65)
117.1
(4.61)
42.2
(1.66)
5.1
(0.20)
1.9
(0.07)
0.2
(0.01)
417.6
(16.44)
Average rainy days0.20.30.10.00.32.16.34.71.70.40.40.116.5
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST)60657274747579817774646071
Mean monthly sunshine hours 288.3276.9285.2300.0294.5207.0105.4133.3234.0294.5288.0266.62,973.7
Mean daily sunshine hours 9.39.89.210.09.56.93.44.37.89.59.68.68.2
Source: India Meteorological Department [3] [4] [5]

Economy

Okha Okha Dwarka.jpg
Okha

Okha is a busy and historical port in Gujarat strategically located. Historically it was the first port on west coast of India that a ship travelling along the coast from Arabia encountered. Indian Navy, Indian Coastguard, Indian Customs and Gujarat marine police have their operational command centre in Okha. [6] Okha port imports mainly lignite from the Indonesia for the thermal power stations of Gujarat and for soda ash plant of Tata Chemicals. Okha has an automobile-assembly plant. [6] Fishing and salt processing are also industries. [6] Some of the major companies in Okha is Tata Chemicals at Mithapur, about 10 km away towards Dwarka city.

Okha is connected by railway at Okha railway station, and by bus, to major cities of Gujarat and the rest of India. The population of the city was estimated at 18,885 in 2001.

Schools

There are four main schools in Okha.

Tourism

Okha, Dwarka Okha Sea.jpg
Okha, Dwarka

Bet Dwarka, an island in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Dwarka. Considered the original residence of Krishna, Bet Dwarka was the old port during the ancient times of Krishna before the Okha port was developed in Dwarka. The temple built here is credited to the religious Guru Vallabhacharya of the "Pushtimarg Sampradaya". Rice is the traditional offering here to the deity as it is believed that Sudama offered rice to his childhood friend Krishna. There are also smaller shrines on Bet Dwarka which are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman and Devi.[42] According to a legend, Vishnu killed the demon Shankhasura on this island. There are temples of Vishnu in the incarnation of matsya, or fish. Other shrines here are of Rukmini, Trivikrama, Devaki, Radha, Lakshmi, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Lakshmi Narayan, and many other gods.[39]. Hanuman Dandi temple is another notable temple located in Bet Dwarka, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) away from Dhwarkadhish Temple, Bet Dwarka. The temple is deified with many images of Hanuman and his son Makardhwaja. The legend associated with the birth of a son to Hanuman, who is considered celibate, is that the sweat of Hanuman was consumed by a crocodile which then gave birth to a son named Makardhwaja.[42] The Jethwa Rajput clan of Kshatriyas claim their descent from Makardhwaja.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gujarat</span> State in western India

Gujarat is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about 1,600 km (990 mi) is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some 196,024 km2 (75,685 sq mi); and the ninth-most populous state, with a population of 60.4 million in 2011. It is bordered by Rajasthan to the northeast, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the south, Maharashtra to the southeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and the Arabian Sea and the Pakistani province of Sindh to the west. Gujarat's capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. The Gujaratis are indigenous to the state and their language, Gujarati, is the state's official language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porbandar</span> City in Gujarat, India

Porbandar is a city and the headquarters of Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama. It was the former capital of the Porbandar princely state. Porbandar and Chhaya are the twin cities of each other and both cities are jointly governed by Porbandar–Chhaya Municipal Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarka</span> Town in Gujarat, India

Dwarka is a town and municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch facing the Arabian Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhavnagar</span> City in Gujarat, India

Bhavnagar is a city and the headquarters of Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil. It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Indian Union in February 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amreli</span> City in Gujarat, India

Amreli is a city and a municipality in Amreli district in Indian state of Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodinar</span> Town in Gujarat, India

Kodinar is a town and municipality in Gir Somnath district, in the Indian state of Gujarat, 37 kilometres (23 mi) west of Una. Kodinar is close to the Gir Forest National Park. The main transport connections for Kodinar are Diu Airport, Veraval Junction railway station, and Veraval Port.

Mithapur is a census town in Devbhumi Dwarka district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It's lies about 20 km from Dwarka city, the district headquarter.

Okha port is a census town in Devbhumi Dwarka in the Indian state of Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nageshvara Jyotirlinga</span> Hindu temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas

Nageshvara is one of the legendary temples mentioned in the Shiva Purana and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is located in Dwarka, Gujarat, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarkadhish Temple</span> Temple dedicated to Krishna in Gujarat, India

The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelled Dwarakadheesh, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish (Dvārakādhīśa), or 'King of Dwarka'. The temple is located at Dwarka city of Gujarat, India, which is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit. The main shrine of the five-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. Archaeological findings suggest the original temple was built in 200 BCE at the earliest. The temple was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th–16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Char Dham</span> Four major Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

The Char Dham, also rendered the Chatur Dhama is a set of four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India, consisting of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri are shrines of Vishnu, whereas Rameswaram is a shrine of Shiva.

Dwarka, Dwaraka or Dvaraka may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapta Puri</span> Seven sacred pilgrimage sites in Hinduism

The Sapta Puri are a group of seven Hindu tirtha, or holy pilgrimage sites, located in India. Pilgrimage to these sites is said to bless the pilgrim with moksha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagher</span>

Wagher, Vagher or Waghir is a jāti from the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat in India. Some Waghers are Hindu and others are Muslim. They speak Kutchi as a mother tongue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makaradhwaja</span> Son of Hindu god Hanuman

Makaradhwaja is the son of Hindu god Hanuman who is born out of his sweat. Makaradhwaja has appearance in various regional versions of the Ramayana. There are many unmatching accounts of his birth, however all of them mentions him being born to a Makara after Hanuman took a dip into the ocean and his sweat drop fell into the mouth of the Makara, impregnating her. Makara begets Makaradhwaja who was later raised by the Ahiravana, a demon king who ruled Patala and a brother of Ravana. When Makaradhwaja grew up, Ahiravana, seeing Makaradhwaja's strength and virility, gave him job of guarding the gates of his kingdom.

Shri Keshavraiji Temple is located on an island Bet Dwarka, in Gujarat, India. It is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Krishna which was built by the Pushkarna (Pushtikar) Brahmin community. It is situated near holy lake "Shankh Sarovar" which is 1km from Beyt Jetty and Dwarkadhish Temple. Bet Dwarka is famous for its temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and is of great importance in the ancient Hindu tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bet Dwarka</span> Island in Gujarat, India

Bet Dwarka or Shankhodhar is an inhabited island at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch, situated 2 km (1 mi) off the coast of the town of Okha, Gujarat, India, and 25 km (16 mi) north of the city of Dwarka. Northeast to southwest, the island measures 8 km (5 mi) long and averaging 2 km (1 mi) wide. The island's name "Shankhodhar" derives from the fact that the island is a large source of conch shells.

Mavjinjava is a small village near Bagasara in the Amreli district of the Saurashtra region in the state of Gujarat, India. There is a population of around 3,754 people in Mavjinjava. More than 3000 people live outside of Manjinjava in places like Surat, Ahmedabad & Mumbai.

INS Dwarka is a Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Indian Navy and is located at Okha, Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanuman Dandi temple</span> Hindu temple in Gujarat, India

The Hanuman Dandi Temple is a Hindu temple located on Beyt Dwarka, an island off the coast of Gujarat, India, dedicated to the deity Hanuman and his son Makardhwaj. Situated approximately 5 kilometers from the Dwarkadhish Temple in Bet Dwarka, this temple is unique as it features idols of Hanuman and Makardhwaj, showcasing a rare depiction of Hanuman, who is traditionally considered a celibate, with his progeny.

References

  1. Ramanlal Kakalbhai Dharaiya (1970). Gujarat in 1857. Gujarat University. p. 120.
  2. "Gujarat During The Great Revolt: The Rebellion In Okhmandal". People's Democracy. 7 October 2007. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. "Station: Okha Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. pp. 569–570. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M58. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  5. "Table 3 Monthly mean duration of Sun Shine (hours) at different locations in India" (PDF). Daily Normals of Global & Diffuse Radiation (1971–2000). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Okha, India, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 2009.