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Kheda district

Kheda is the one of the 25 districts of Gujarat. The district has great historical significance. It is the breeding ground of Indias national struggle against the British rule. Being the home to Great Sardar Vallabhbha Patel and other nationalist leaders, Kheda was one of the main centers if India's nationalist activities during the pre-independent era.

Kheda District is Situsted between 22.30 to 22.18 North altitude and 72.32 to 72.37 East longitudes. The District is bound on the north by Sabarkantha, Sourth by Anand, east by Panchmahal and Vadodara and west by Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

The district covers an area of 424359 km, which is 2 % of total area of the state. The administrative head quarters are located at Nadiad. Three are 551 Gram panchayats, 4 Nagapalikas as Nadiad, Kapadwanj, Chaklashi and Balasinor. There are 4 municipal Bureaus at Kheda Mahudha, Dakor and Mahemdabad.

Major religious and tourist destinations include the swaminarayan temple at vadtal, Ranchhodray at Dakor, Santaram Mandir at Nadiad and Virpur's Muslim;s Dargah. Hot and cold water ponds at Lasundra. Bhammaria Kua' at Mahemdabad, ancient Shiv temple of Galteshwar and Utkantheswar are other historical places. An ancient settlement, Kheda dates from 5th century AD. The British developed a military garrison here in 1803.

Places of Interest

Shri Kheda Tirth (Jain Temple): It is in the Patel locality of the Kheda City on the Ahmedabad - Bombay high way. Since this idol belongs to the times of King Samprati, its artistry is extraordinary and wonderful. The idols of the times of King Samprati and the idol in the Kousagga posture which is found from the ground, are delightful. Besides this, there are eight Jain temples in the Kheda district.

Nadiad: The largest town in Kheda district, Nadiad is a trade centre. The temples here include Santram Temple and Shri Mai Mandir, famous for its carvings. There are many hospitals and educational institutions. The Kidney Hospital, Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Technology and the Ayurvedic College are well-known throughout. Near by, the small town of Lasundra is famous for its hot springs.

Dakor: Dakor originally known as Dankpur, is located 40kms east of Nadiad and about 94 Kms. from both Vadodara and Ahmedabad. It is an ancient temple town sacred to Lord Krishna. There are many temples in Dakor. The temple of Ranchodrai has an idol of Krishna which was said to be brought here from Dwarka, by a devotee. It is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architecture. The other pilgrimage centres include Satyanarayan Temple, beautiful temple of Laxmi and Galteshwar Shiva Temple, located 16kms from Dakor which is famous for its sculptures. Every year pilgrims from all over the country visit this temple town in October/November.