Veraval was founded in 13th or 14th century by Rao Veravalji Vadher, a Rajput. Present name is believed to be derived from its old name "Velakul" meaning Port City. Veraval was once a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. It was a part of the Kingdom of Junagadh till 1947 when Junagadh was merged with India. The city still bears some remnants of the old Nawabi heritage, the Nawabi summer palace being among them. There are ruins of the old Nawabi fort and Nawabi Gates in and around the place. The old walls of the port are now ruined, but the impressive Junagadh gate and the Patan gate are still seen, but are in a very bad state.
The Nawabi Palace with Gothic features which is one of the main attractions. It is popularly known as Somnath College (the palace was converted into a college after it was abandoned by the Nawab). At present it is the building of a Sanskrit university. The town is often known as the gateway to the magnificent Somnath Temple and the pilgrimage centres of Prabhas Patan and Bhalkha. Veraval is also the nearest town to the Gir National Park (42km away).
Before the rise of Surat, Veraval was the major seaport for pilgrims to Mecca. Its importance now is as a fishing port, one of the largest in India. Seafaring dhows and wooden fishing boats are still built by the fishermen without the use of any modern technology. Traditional skills are passed down from father to son.[citation needed]
On 30 March 2021, Veraval–Pabhas Patan joint municipality passed a resolution to change its name to Somnath Municipality. The final decision will be taken by Home Ministry of India.[2][3][4]
As of the 2011 India census,[7] Veraval had a population of 153,696. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Veraval has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 53%. In Veraval, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Climate
Veraval has a borderline hot semi-arid (KöppenBSh)/tropical savanna (Aw) climate with very warm to hot temperatures throughout the year. Almost all rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon season from June to September.
Climate data for Veraval (1981–2010, extremes 1901–2012)
Veraval has a predominant Gujarati population. Amongst Gujaratis, Karadiya Rajput, Kumbhar Samaj (Prajapati), Jains (Oswal), the Soni (Jewellers, mainly from the clans of Dhakan, Patt, Sagar, etc.), Kharwa, Ahir (Yadav), brahma samaj and the KolisPatni Jamat, Rajwadi bhois, Hadi, Lohanas, Maleks, Memons, and Raykas. There is also a sizable population Sindhis. Gujarati and Hindi are the most common languages in the town. Migratory people from other parts of the country also hold a good amount of population in the city.
Education
University gate
The city is home to Shree Somnath Sanskrit University. Some of the other institutions which provide higher education are College of Fisheries Science and Government Science College.
Economy
Veraval Fishery Harbour
Fisheries have always been the main industries in the town and are dominated by the Kharwas (fisherfolk). The fishing is done mostly on traditional boats and trawlers. Veraval also has a large boat making industry. Veraval is home to a large number of fish processing factories in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) which export prime quality seafood to USA, Japan, SE Asian, Gulf and EU Countries. The seafood-industry which was started through government initiative now is in its prime and many importers are attracted towards Veraval from around the globe. Regional research centers of CIFT and CMFRI situated at Veraval have done Yeoman service in development of fisheries sector in Gujarat.
Veraval also is home to Grasim Industries limited (Unit - Indian Rayon) which is one of India's largest rayon manufacturing companies.
There are various chemical, thread and cement companies around Veraval which provide employment to the local youth. The major ones being Indian Rayon Unit of Grasim industries limited, Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd, Gujarat Siddhee Cement Ltd and Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
Kharwa and Patni Jamat, a local inhabitants have flourished as main seafood exporter after the 1990s. They have a very good hold on the fishing business.
Transport
Thiruvananthapuram Veraval Express
The city has two railway stations namely Veraval Junction and Somnath. Veraval Junction is a fairly busy railway junction station for Western Railways and is served by more than 14 pairs of regional and long-distance trains.
The nearest airports are Diu, Keshod And Rajkot. Daily Flights connect Diu and Keshod to Mumbai.
Lalit Tribhangi Temple
An important place of pushtimarg founded by Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu. The deity Lalit Tribhangi is a swarup of lord Krishna, bending too much and playing flute.
Kathiawar is a peninsula, near the far north of India's west coast, of about 61,000 km2 (23,500 sq mi) bordering the Arabian Sea. It is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest and by the Gulf of Khambhat in the east. In the northeast, it is connected to the rest of Gujarat and borders on the low, fertile hinterland of Ahmedabad. It is crossed by two belts of hill country and is drained radially by nine rivers which have little natural flow aside from in monsoon months, thus dams have been built on some of these. Kathiawar ports have been flourishing centres of trade and commerce since at least the 16th century.
Rajkot is the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat, and is in the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Rajkot is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in India, with a population of more than 2 million as of 2021. Rajkot is the 6th cleanest city of India, and it is the 7th fastest-growing city in the world as of March 2021. The city contains the administrative headquarters of the Rajkot District, 245 km from the state capital Gandhinagar, and is located on the banks of the Aji and Nyari rivers. Rajkot was the capital of the Saurashtra State from 15 April 1948 to 31 October 1956, before its merger with Bombay State on 1 November 1956. Rajkot was reincorporated into Gujarat State on 1 May 1960.
The Somanath temple or Deo Patan, is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus and is the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is unclear when the first version of the Somnath temple was built, with estimates varying between the early centuries of the 1st millennium and about the 9th century CE. The temple is not mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism; while various texts, including the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana, mention a tirtha at Prabhas Patan on the coastline of Saurashtra, where the temple is presently located, there is no evidence that a temple existed at the site in ancient times.
Prabhas Patan, historically named Dev Patan, is locality in Veraval, Gujarat. As the site of the Somnath temple and its associated Jyotirlinga, it is an important place of Hindu pilgrimage.
Junagadh district is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.
Keshod is a town and a Taluka in Junagadh District.
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.
Una is a town and a municipality in Gir Somnath district of the Saurashtra region in the state of Gujarat, 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. It is a popular tourist destination in the country and was visited by 19.5 million domestic tourists and 210 thousand international tourists in 2020.
Sarsai is a village of Visavadar Taluka Junagadh district, Gujarat State, India. It is located 38 kilometres (24 mi) east of district headquarters Junagadh, and 339 km (211 mi) from state capital Gandhinagar. Its Postal Index Number is 362120. It is located near Satadhar. A popular place named "sant rohidas ashsram" is in Sarsai.
Gir Gadhada is a town in Gir Somnath district in the state of Gujarat, India. Before 2013, it was a town of Una Taluka in Junagadh District, Now it has become the administrative headquarters for 42 villages when that taluka was created as part of the new Gir Somnath District in August of that year. Newly built BAPS Shree Swaminarayana Mandir is a popular place of worship and spiritual activities here. There is another older Swaminarayan mandir nearby. Other temples in the town are Shree Khodiyar Mandir, Shree ramji Mandir, Hanuman Ji mandir, Shiv mandir and Ganpati temple
Gir Somnath is a district of Gujarat, India. It is located on the southern corner of the Kathiawar peninsula with its headquarters at the city of Somnath.
There are two sets of Buddhist caves in two different places taking the name of Shana caves.
Gir Gadhada Taluka is a taluka of Gir Somnath district in the state of Gujarat, India. Before 2013 the area was part of Una Taluka, but it became a taluka in its own right with the creation of Gir Somnath District in August of that year. Gir Gadhada Taluka has population around 15,600. The village of Gir Gadhada became its administrative headquarters.
Junagadh Junction railway station is a railway station in the city of Junagadh, Gujarat. It is under Bhavnagar railway division of Western Railway zone of Indian Railways.
Khengara was a Chudasama king of Saurashtra region of western India who reigned from 1331 CE to 1351 CE. His capital was at Junagadh.
Keshod railway station is a railway station serving in junagadh district of Gujarat State of India. It is under Bhavnagar railway division of Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Keshod railway station is 40 km far away from Junagadh Junction. Passenger, Express trains halt here.
Pushpa Janardanrai Mehta, also known as Pushpaben Mehta, was an Indian social worker and politician from Gujarat. She founded and headed several women and child welfare organisations in Ahmedabad and Saurashtra region. She served as the member of legislative assemblies of Saurashtra, Bombay and Gujarat states consecutively from 1952 to 1962. She served as the member of Rajya Sabha from 1966 to 1972. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.
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