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Surendranagar district

Surendranagar district is now a major trade and processing center for agricultural products. Surendranagar city is the headquarters of the Surendranagar District. The city of Surendranagar is also called as Wadhwan city. The district is developed by the king Surendra Sinh. main business of the district is cotton.

Geography

Surendranagar is located at 22.43Â°N Latitude and 71.43Â°E Longitude. Total geographical area of Surendranagar district is 10436.30 sq.meter. The district is situated between Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

Economy

Surendranagar is a hub of cotton and ginning actitives of India. One of the largest producer of quality "Shankar" cotton in world. Surendranagar houses first Cotton Trading Exchange in India. Surendranagar 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 Industries are situated in the city or the Wadhwan GIDC area.v

Nearly 25% of India`s salt supply comes from mining areas. 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. The city is also home to a big textile and clothing market, specially for sarees.

Transport

By Air- Ahamadabad International Airport and Rajkot Domestic airports are the nearest airports to Surendranagar.v

By Rail- Surendranagar junction is the broad gouge railway station connected to all the major cities of India like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hydarabad and Surat.Joravarnagar junction, a broad gouge railway station si also connected with the major cities.

By Road- National Highway 8A is the nearest road connection to link Surendranagar to the neighbour cities

Division

The district has 10 talukas. Such as Wadhwan, Muli, Limbdi, Sayla, Chotila, Halvad, Dhrangdhra, Lakhtar, Chuda, Dasada.

Demographics

As per 2001 Census, Surendranagar had total population of 1,515,147. Total literacy rate of the district is 62.46%.

Culture

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 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, Rabri 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.

Fairs and Fesivals of surendranagar

The Tarnatar fairSurendranagar, Gujarat-The Tarnatar fair The Tarnatar fair in the village of Tarnetar in Surendranagar district celebrated in the honour of Lord Shiva on the 4th, 5th and 6th days of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August/ September) is also a similar joyous occasion.

Chotila Hill

Chotila hill located at approx 60 km from Surendranagar city is a place for worship for Chamunda Mataji, a Hindu goddess. Thousands of pilgrims comes walking for as far as 300 km to this place.

Navratri

The festival of nine nights, preceding the Dussehra is a special feature of Surendranagar when both males and females congregate in village squares and temple compounds and sing and dance. The festival ends on the Dussehra day, when artisans worship their instruments, agriculturists their ploughs, warriors their weapons and students their books. The Navratri festival is closely followed by the Sharad Purnima, the full moon night in the Asvina month.

Diwali

The Asvina month ends with the Diwali festival of four days. The first day of Diwali starts with Laxmi Puja.The second day is considered as the day of the casting off evils. The third day is the main Diwali day. The fourth day is the new year day of Gujrati. The day following the new year day is called the Bhai bij day when brothers are invited by their sisters to partake of sweets with them.

Kite festival

Kite Festival, another festival in Surendranagar is observed on the 14th of January, the day when the sun enters the tropic of cancer. On this day young boys and girls and even the old people, are on their housetops flying kites. This is really a national festival for Gujarat.

Holi

Like the Diwali, the spring festival of Holi on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna has a universal appeal. While Diwali marks the end of the monsoon and the agricultural season of the Kharif crop , the Holi festival marks the agricultural season of the Rabi crop.

The other festivals of Surendranagar are including the Gauri Puja, the Janmashtami, the Nag Panchami, the Paryushan and the Ganesh Chaturthi etc. Many of Gujarat`s festivals are mostly celebrated by women.

Flora and Fauna Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary

Nalsarovar Bird SanctuaryNalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is a 100 sq.km area with birds sanctuary located on Ahmedabad-Surendranagar border. Birds like Flamingos fly to this sanctuary during four months of winter. Nalsarovar attracts 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 sq.km, 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 lakeattract the wading birds that feed in the shallow waters. Besides a few mammalian species including the endangered wild ass and the blackbuck, its migratory birdpopulation includes Rosy Pelicans, Flamingoes, White Storks, Brahminy Ducks and Herons.

Wild Ass Sanctuary

Wild Ass Sanctuary is located in the Little rann of Kutch of Surendranagar district. Spread over4954 kmÂ², it is the largest wild life Sanctuary of India.The sanctuary is one of the last places on earth where the endangered wild ass sub-species Khur (Equus hemionus khur) belonging to species Onager (Equus hemionus) can be spotted.

According to the data submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centrethe sanctuary hasAbout 93 species of invertebrates, 25 species of zooplanktons, 1 species of annelid, 4 crutaceans, 24 insects, 12 molluscs and 27 spiders, 4 species of amphibians, 29 species of reptiles, 2 species of turtles, 14 species of lizards, 12 snakes and 1 crocodile Metapenaeus kutchensis, a type of prown, 70 to 75,000 birds, 9 mammalian orders with 33 species and sub species.

Education

There has been an exponential growth in the number of educational institutes in Surendranagar recently. These include:

Graduation and Post-Graduation Institutes:

C.U. Shah Medical College

C.U. Shah College of Engineering

C.U. Shah Pharmacy College

C.U. Shah College of Commerce

Computer and Managemen institutes:

Government Polytechnic

M.P.Shah Commerce College

M.P. Vora College

Famous Schools:

J. N. V. (Jawaharlal Naheru Vividhlakshi) High school

Shri D.N.T. High School

Kothari School

C.U. Shah School (English Medium)

Dayamayi Mata School (English Medium)

Sardar Patel Vidyalaya Sunflower School (English Medium)

R.P.P. (Rambhaben Purshottamdas Patadia) School for Girls