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. 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.
Vadodara, also known as Baroda, is a major city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, 141 km (88 mi) from the state capital of Gandhinagar. The railway line and National Highway 8, which connect Delhi with Mumbai, pass through Vadodara. The city is named for its abundance of banyan (vad) trees. Vadodara is also locally referred to as the Sanskari Nagari and Kala Nagari of India.
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after India's independence. It was later renamed after its benefactor Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda State.
Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh is a painter, poet and art critic from Gujarat, India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1983 and Padmabhushan in 2014 for his contribution in field of art.
Navnirman Andolan was a socio-political movement in 1974 in Gujarat by students and middle-class people against economic crisis and corruption in public life. It is the only successful agitation in the history of post-independence India that resulted in dissolution of an elected government of the state.
Dhruva Mistry is an Indian sculptor.
Jethwa is a clan of Rajputs and Koli castes of Gujarat.
Kalpathi Ganpathi "K.G." Subramanyan was an Indian artist. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2012.
Haku Vajubhai Shah was an Indian painter, Gandhian, cultural anthropologist and author on folk and tribal art and culture. His art belonged to the Baroda Group and his works are considered in the line of artists who brought themes of folk or tribal art to Indian art.
Baroda State was a state in present-day Gujarat, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Confederacy from its formation in 1721 until its accession to the newly formed Dominion of India in 1949. With the city of Baroda (Vadodara) as its capital, during the British Raj its relations with the British were managed by the Baroda Residency. The revenue of the state in 1901 was Rs. 13,661,000. Baroda formally acceded to the Dominion of India, on 1 May 1949, prior to which an interim government was formed in the state.
Mer, Maher or Mehar is a kshatriya jāti from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India. They are largely based in the Porbandar district, comprising the low-lying, wetland Ghēḍ and highland Barḍā areas, and they speak a dialect of the Gujarati language. The Mers of the Ghēḍ and Barḍā form two groups of the jāti and together they are the main cultivators in the Porbandar District. Historically, the men served the Porbandar State as a feudal militia, led by Mer leaders. In the 1881 Gazette of the Bombay Presidency, the Mers were recorded numbering at 23,850. The 1951 Indian Census recorded 50,000 Mers. As of 1980 there were estimated to be around 250,000 Mers.
Vadodara Marathon is a run for charity or for purpose organized now annually/bi-annually by an organization based in Vadodara. Accredited to the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS), the Vadodara Marathon is the recipient of the AIMS gold medal for 'smallest city, biggest Marathon'.
Sparsh is the annual cultural festival of the Sardar Vallabhai National Institute of Technology. It usually takes place in the second or third week of february, and is one of the largest of its kind in the western region. This festival consists of mega-attractions, informal events, managerial events and numerous other competitions. The festivities of the day are followed by "Sparsh Nights - the Inaugural Night, Singing Night, Dancing Night, EDM Night and Celebrity Night.
Vihang A. Naik or Vihang Ashokbhai Naik is a modern bilingual poet from Gujarat, India. He has authored many collections of poetry in English and Gujarati, besides translating poems from Gujarati into English. He died in the year 2021.
Shyamal-Saumil is an Indian classical music duo formed in 1980, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, composed of the Gujarati singers, Dr. Shyamal Munshi and Saumil Munshi. Shyamal-Saumil achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success in the 1980s and early 1990s, helping to popularize Gujarati classical music, known as "Sugam Sangeet" while experimenting, innovating, and branching out into other forms of media, like cinema and theatre. Shyamal-Saumil are known for their all inclusive music, having created a plethora of albums for children, teenagers and adults, also having delved into and having explored different cultures and religious folk music in their works.
LGBT Pride marches have been held in the Indian state of Gujarat in various cities since 2013. The first LGBT pride march was held in Surat on 6 October 2013. Since then, pride march in the state has been held in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
Sports retain a very valuable position in the culture of Gujarat. Some of the popular sports played in Gujarat are cricket, kho-kho, badminton, football, kabaddi and table tennis. The Sports Authority of Gujarat presides and supervises the sporting activities under the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department. There have been many successful and popular initiatives undertaken by the authority to encourage the sports culture in Gujarat, 'Khel Mahakumbh' being an example. Gujarat has various levels of sports competitions including events of both larger and smaller scales.
Ashit Desai is an Indian composer, vocalist, musician and music director. He composes scores for films, TV serials, dance productions and dramas. He is known as Gujarati Sugam Sangeet artist.
The Gujarat Literature Festival, also known as Gujarati Sahitya Mahotsav, is a literary festival which takes place annually in the Indian city Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The festival is held generally in December–January.
The Chimnabai Clock Tower, also known as the Raopura Tower, is a clock tower situated in the Raopura area of Vadodara, Gujarat, India. It was completed in 1896 and named in memory of Maharani Chimnabai I (1864–1885), the first wife of Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
