Surendranagar is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in India. The district headquarters are located at Surendranagar. The district occupies an area of 10,489 km² and has a population of 1,515,148 of which 26.56% were urban (as of 2001).[1]
Along with the district headquarters town of Surendranagar, other cities in the district include Dhrangadhra, Halvad, Wadhwan, Limbdi, Tarnetar, Lakhtar, Vagadia, [Muli], Sayla, and Thangadh.
The chief agricultural product of Surendranagar district is cotton. In fact Surendranagar district is one of the highest quality producers of cotton in world. First private cotton futures trading exchange was established in Surendranagar. Big number of SMEs & Industry is also present, and is involved in such things as ceramics, pharmaceuticals ,engineering plastics and salt production.
Economy
Surendranagar is a hub of cotton and ginning actitives of India. One of the largest producer of quality "Shankar" cotton in world. In fact Surendranagar houses first Cotton Trading Exchange in India. Nearly 25% of India's salt supply comes from mining and in the area. There are miles of "Agar" (Salt pans) specially in Kharaghoda area.
SMEs in various segments like textile bearings, ceramics, sanatryware, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and plastics have developed to a great extent. Surendranagar being a cotton hub of the country is also home to large number of ginning and pressing units.
A few big companies like Textile Bearings(KCI) Industies, Makson Pharmaceuticals, Luxite Industries, Mepro Pharmaceuticals, New Age Industries, LMS Foundry, Amba Mechanic Works, Meghdev Enterpries, Rimtex group of companies, Biodeal Laboratories Panama group, Ronak Cotton ind. are situated in the city or the Wadhwan GIDC area.
The city is also home to a big textile and clothing market, specially for sarees. Big clothing showrooms are located in the city on Jawahar Road and Vithal Press Road. The city has a good wholesale grain market called Mehta Market. However, town planners had designed very small roads before nearly one and half century, which is causing the problems of traffic. But, the new roads are constructed two lanes, i.e., in Ratanpar, the road which is entry into Surendranagar is a two lane road. One can visit Shri Rameshwar Mahadev Temple there, which is just opposite to Narottam Chembers society.
In the past, Surendranagar was used as a hill station by the outsiders as it has dry environment and very romantic mood of the evening. This was mainly because this type of environment helps the people to cure some physical as well as mental tensions. In fact, Surendranagar's dry air is still believed to be the best place in Gujarat to cure T.B. patients.
Educational Institutes
There has been an exponential growth in the number of educational institutes in Surendranagar recently. These include:
- C.U. Shah Medical College
- C.U. Shah College of Engineering
- C.U. Shah Pharmacy College
- C.U. Shah College of Commerce, Computer and Management
- Shri D.N.T. High School
- Kothari School
- Government Polytechnic
- M.P.Shah Commerce College
- M.P. Vora College
Several quality schools have also opened in Surendranagar, such as:
- Dayamayi Mata English School
- C.U. Shah English School
- Sardar Patel Vidyalaya
- Sunflower English School
- R.P.P. School for girls
- EuroKids
Transport
- By Air : Nearest airports
Ahmedabad International Airport: 115 km, 2 and 1/2 hours by taxi Rajkot Domestic Airport: 100 km, 2 hours by taxi
- By Train :
Surendranagar Junction, a broad gauge railway station connected to all major cities of India directly like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkotta, Bangalore Hyderabad, Surat etc.
- By Road :
National Highway 8A passes on Surendranagar's periphery. Enter Right from Limbdi (25 km) circle if you are coming from Mumbai, Ahmedabad. If you are coming from Rajkot, Jamnagar enter left from Dolia circle (35 km)
A separate state highway connects Surendranagar directly to Ahmedabad and intersects National Highway at Dolia Cicle.
Places of Interest
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is a 100 km² plus birds sanctuary located on ahmedabad-surendranagar border. Birds like flamingos fly to this sanctuary during four months of winter. Nalsarovar attracts hoards of people from all over during winter. Special boating arrangements are also made to get view of birds.
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, primarily comprising of a huge lake and ambient marshes. Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring coming from as long as Siberia and Russia it is the one of largest wetland bird sanctuary in India.
The lake measures 123 km², attracts over 210 species of birds in the winter, and harbors a variety of flora and fauna. Thousands of migratory waterfowl flock to this sanctuary just after the Indian monsoon season. The shallow area and ponds on the outer fringes of the lake attract the wading birds that feed in the shallow waters. Besides a few mammalian species including the endangered wild ass and the blackbuck, its migratory bird population includes Rosy Pelicans, Flamingoes, White Storks, Brahminy Ducks and Herons.
Wild Ass Sanctuary
World's only Onager(wild ass) century. It is located in Little rann of Kutch in Surendranagar district.
Chotila Hill
Chotila hill located at approx 60 km from surendranagar city is a place for worship for Meldi Mataji, a Hindu goddess. Thousands of pilgrims comes walking for as far as 300 km to this place.
Tarnetar
Tarnetar is famous for its fair popularly known as the Trinetreshwar Mahadev Mela (Fair) held near the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple. Villagers from all over the region, dressed in their colorful traditional costumes and exquisite jewellery throng Tarnetar during this fair. About 100,000 people belonging to various tribes like Rabari, Kathi, Charans, Bharwads, and Koli come to the fair. The fair attracts a large number of tourists from India and abroad also.
The fair is also a kind of match-making event. Tradition holds that if a girl stops to talk to one of the men, it is a sign that she has found the man of her choice. Then the elders of both the girl's and boy's family meet and decide about their choices.
The Fair is also known for various dance and village-sports competitions. The competitions include the horse cart race, bullock cart race and camel race, along with cultural competitions such as rass (Gujarati dance) competition, doha (poem recitation) competition and umbrella decoration competition.
Zharia Mahadev
A natural waterfall near chotila and place of picnic.
People
In fact, people of Surendranagar have been peace lover and co-operative. Notably, majority of the population is Jains and this city is also called as Baniya's city. Main residents of surendranagar are Kshatriya,Jains and Patels and Various community in surendranagar live homogeniously. Surendranagar has been traditionally been peace loving city. There is huge influx of people from surrounding villages due to development of educational institutes in the city. People from other community like Bharvad, Rabari etc are also in good numbers. Interestingly, Surendranagar is one of the best place in terms of mutual understanding between different communities - which has made the place a peaceful and nice place to live in.
Lately there is fast prosperity coming in due to bumper cotton production, good rains and rapid industrial development.
Notable people
- Late Zhaverchand Meghani (Father of Gujarati Poems)
- Late Nhanalal (a son of Zhaverchand Meghani creating a different league for himself in poems)
- Shahbuddin Rathod (Comic Artist)
- Dr. J.J. Rawal (Father of Indian Astrology)
- Dimple Kapadia (Actress)
- Dr. S.P. Adeshra (FDA commissioner-Gujarat)
- Jignesh. Shah (Founder, Multicommodity Exchange Of India)
- Late Sardarsinh Rana(Freedom Fighter)
- Mayur Chotaliya (The Future of Surendranagar)