CHAPTER II UNIVERSE LOCALE AND THE SHGS

Transcription

1 18 CHAPTER II UNIVERSE LOCALE AND THE SHGS The present study is conducted in the Dharampur Taluka of Valsad district in Gujarat. The region of Gujarat is located at the west coast of India between to north latitudes and to east longitudes. Its total area measures 1, 96,024 sq km comprising a total of 25 districts. The districts comprising the mainland include central, south, and north Gujarat which account for 86,033 sq. km of its area; the 7 districts of Saurshatra account for 64,339 sq km area. The area of Kutch district accounts for 45,652 sq. km while the state covers 5.98 per cent of the total area of the country. The tropic of cancer passes closely through the center of the state. The maximum north south length of the state measures 320 km, and east west width measures 80 to 240 km depending upon the location of the place. The maximum east west length of the region of Gujarat is called Saurshatra, i.e. 344 km east-west, and its north-

2 19 south length is 256 km, and its north-south width is 96 to 112 km. As far as area is concerned, Kutch is the largest district in Gujarat and second largest district in India. As far as geographical location is concerned, the north of Gujarat counts Marwad, Mewar, Shiroli (Rajasthan), and the hills of Aravali region. In south is the district of Maharashtra, while to the east are Baswada (Rajasthan), Khandes (Maharashtra), Alirajpur and Jhabuia (M.P). To the west of state are mainly located the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Khambat (Cambay) and Gulf of Kachccha while to the North West of the state lies Pakistan. To its eastern border are the Vindhya and Satpura Mountains and parts of Western ghats. The state is surrounded and protected by the desert and mountain ranges in the north by the hills and mountains as well as by forests in south and east and by Arabian Sea in the west. Earlier Gujarat was the part of Maharashtra, but it was separated in 1st May 1960 from Maharashtra. The Gujarat state lies in west direction of India. Its capital is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is the home of Gujarati speaking people of India. The state comprises major sites of the Indus valley civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout history. It is the home of major parts of Indian ancient and modern history,

3 20 leading into one of the main trade and commerce centres of India. Lothal, one of the world s first ports, is located in Gujarat. The father of the nation who led the Indian Independence movement against the British rule also belonged to Gujarat. Even today Gujarat has one of the fastest growing economies in India. In modern day Gujarat is derived from Gurjara i.e. a land protector ruled by Gurjar or from Gujar-rashtra, the Gujjar Nation. The origins of the Gujjar are uncertain. The Gujjar clan appeared in the northern India about the time of Huns invasions of northern India. Some Scholar such as B.A. Smith believed that they were foreign immigrants, possibly a branch of White Huns. However, others such as K.M. Munshi, stated them as an Indian. The name of tribe was sanskritized to Gurjara. Historically, the present day state of Gujarat has been one of the main centers of the Indian valley civilization. It contains major ancient metropolitan cities from the Indus valley such as Lothal, Dholavira. The ancient city of Lothal is the site of India s first port. Dholavira and Goladhoran are the ancient cities of Lothal site of India. There is the clear historical evidence of the trade and commerce ties with popular trade center of the world. Sumer in the Persian Gulf during the period of 1000 to 750 B.C was a Hindu kingdom

4 21 including the era of Gupta period and Gurjara Pratihara dynasty. The first Muslim conqueror was Muhammad Ghazni whose conquest of Somnath Temple and effectively ended the rule of Solanki. From 1297 to 1300, Allauddin Khilji, Sultan to Delhi, destroyed Unhillwara and incorporated Gujarat into the Delhi sultanate. Cambay and Bharuch were the most important trading ports. The Sultan of Gujarat remained independent until 1576, when the Mughal Emperor Akbar concluded and exceed it to the Mughal Empire. The port of Surat becomes the prominent and main port of India during Mughal Rule. Freedom Fighter from Gujarat: Leader like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Morarji Desai, K.M. Munshi, Narhari Parikh, Mahadev Desai, Mohanlal Pandya, Bholabhai Desai and Kumar Ravishankar Vyas all belonged to Gujarat. Also Gujarati speaking Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Pakistan s First Governor General). After Indian Independence and partition of India in 1947, the new Indian government grouped the former princely states of Gujarat into 3 large units. Saurshatra includes the former states on the Kathiawad peninsula, Kutch, and Bombay state includes former British

5 22 districts of Bombay presidency together with most of Baroda state and the other former princely states of Gujarat. In 1956, the Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra and some parts of Hyderabad State and Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The new state has mostly Gujarati speaking North and Marathi speaking south. But on 1 May 1960, it became the new state of Gujarat with Ahmedabad as the capital; the capital was moved to Gandhinagar in Gujarat borders with Pakistan to North West and bounded by the Arabian Sea to south west; the state of Rajasthan North East, M.P. to the east. The union territories of Diu & Daman, Dadara and Nagar Haveli lie to the south of Gujarat. As per the India Forest Report, 2009, Gujarat has 7.46 per cent of its total geographical area under forest cover. Gujarat has four national parks and 21 sanctuaries; Gujarat is the only state in India which has the home of Asiatic lions. The Gir forest National Park is situated in the Junagarh District of Gujarat. Economy: Gujarat has some of the largest business hubs in India. The major agricultural products of the state include cotton, groundnut (peanut), dates, sugarcane, milk and milk products. Industrial products include Cement and petrol.

6 23 30per cent of India Industrial Output 10per cent of its mineral production 80per cent of salt production 20per cent of India s Export 25per cent of textile production 40per cent of India s Pharmaceutical products 67per cent of Petrochemical production Longest Shoreline 1670 Kilometer Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat State. The world s largest ship breaking yard is at Alang port in Bhavnagar. Reliance petroleum limited is one of the companies of reliance industries limited founded by Dhirubhai Ambani. Gujarat has the biggest oil refinery at Jamnagar. It has gas based thermal electricity generation plants. It has nuclear electricity generation plant. There are 500 corporate conglomerates in Gujarat. The major cities of Gujarat include Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, and Rajkot. Surat is the fastest growing city, and Ahmedabad is the third fastest growing city in India.

7 24 Gujarat produces about 90 per cent of India s required amount of soda and gives the country about 66 per cent of its national requirement of salt. It is one of the India s most prosperous states having per capita GDP significantly above India s average. Kalol, Khambad and Ankleshwar are today known for their oil and gas producing centers. There is Nano car manufacturing unit at Sanand near Ahmedabad; AMW Trucks are manufactured near Bhuj. Jellalpur is the largest town in Gujarat where several largest industrial units are situated. Hazira is an industrial belt of Surat which is also famous for Diamond and Textile industry. In 2003, 92 per cent of the world diamond were cut and polished in Surat. Gujarat has established itself as a leader in industrial sector including textile, engineering, jewellery, and chemicals. A post liberalization period experienced the increase of domestic products rising at an average rate of 14 per cent per annum in real term from 1994 to The producers have contributed significantly in this addition. Gujarat is one of such states which encouraged private sector investment in the region of Dahej. Dahej is going to become big center of industry, and most of the investors are encouraged with the schemes of Vibrant Gujarat the blue print announced between January 2007 to 15 January At the science city of Ahmedabad, the state government signed 104 memoranda of understanding for special economic zones worth a total of 2.5 lakh

8 25 crores. The fourth vibrant Gujarat global investor s summit was held at science city Ahmedabad in January There were 600 foreign delegates. There is a possibility of creation of 25 lakh jobs in the state. The Gujarat Government is a front runner in the development of solar energy in the state. It has allowed 34 national and international solar project developers in 2009 for 500 MW solar powers. This is expected to bring an investment of 1200 crores and generate employment for 5000 people. Gujarat is chief producer of Tobacco, cotton, and groundnut in India. Other major food crops produced are rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, tur, and grain. Animal husbandry and dairy have played a vital role in the rural economy of Gujarat. Gujarat is the largest producer in milk in India. Amul milk is well-known across the country; it is biggest in Asia. Gujarat produced million tons of milk, 385 million eggs, and 271 million kg of wool. The total population of the Gujarat state was 5,06,71,017 as per 2001 census data. The density of population is the 258 person per square km, a lower density compared to other states of the country. About 89.1per cent population of Gujarat are Hindu. The Muslim population accounts for 9.1per cent, Jain 7.00per cent, and Sikh 0.1per cent. Gujarat has an Indo Aryan language Gujarati evolved from Sanskrit. There are

9 26 about 46.1 million speakers of Gujarati worldwide, making it the 26th most spoken native language in the world. Gujarati script is also has a few other variation in terms of certain consonants and employs a slightly different set of symbols for numbers. Gujarati has also been the language spoken by two most prominent leaders of Asia Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian Nation, and the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinah. The Majority of population speaks in Gujarati. People from Kutch district speak in Kutch language. Religion wise 71 per cent speak Gujarati while other 12 per cent speak in Urdu. Apart from this, English, Sindhi, Punjab, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kanada, Oriya, Malayalam, etc. are also spoken. After independence in 1947, the Indian National Congress (INC) ruled the Bombay state which included present day Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Congress continued to govern Gujarat after the state was created in In 1960, Gujarat was created out of 17 district of former state of Bombay. These districts were further sub divided later on. There are 26 administrative districts in the state. There are 26 administrative districts in the state. The Kutch district is the largest in terms of area. But Dang is very small in terms of population. Gujarat was a part of the Herappan civilization. Gujarat is the home to Hindi saints of all castes. Sant Dhudhalinath

10 27 was Adivasis. Sant Bhojo Machabkha and Madhava were shudras; Mahatma Gandhi and Lala Bhagat were vaishya; Sant Kilha was a Kshatriya, and Lakulisa and Chakradha were Brahmins. Gujarat is the birth place of lord Shiva avatar Lakulisa. He established the Pasupatai Shiv tradition. The Bhakti movement was very popular in Gujarat where devotees of both Islam and Hinduism offer worship to God, trying to get rid of any separation based on faith in God. Swami Chakradhara was another major figure of the Bhakti movement born in Gujarat in 1994 A.D. and he is believed to be the avatar of Vishnu. Chakradhana Maharaja established the Manubhavavaishnavite sect which spread to Maharashtra as well. FAIRS AND FESTIVALS OF GUJARAT: More than 1000 festivals are celebrated in Gujarat The state is known as the land of fairs and festivals. Some of these fairs are festivals are as follows: The Bhavnath Mahadev Mela (February) takes place at the Bhavnath Mahadev Temple, situated at the foot of mount Girnar in the city of Junagadh. The fair is held for five days in the month of February every year during the Maha Shivratri. The Maha Puja of Lord Shiva takes place at midnight in this temple on the 14th day

11 28 of the dark half of the month of Magh. When the puja starts, Naga Bavas living nearby move towards the fair seated on elephants, holding flags and blowing conch shells. It is firmly believed that Lord Shiva himself visits the shrine on the occasion. The Bhavnath Mahadev Temple is surrounded by many equally ancient and holy places. In the month of March, there is the Dang Darbar mela. The annual fair is held every year in Ahwa, the most important town of Dang, a few days before the Holi. The Dang is one of the most delightful districts of Gujarat and is located high in the Satpura hills, the original home of Adivasis of Gujarat. The name Darbar dates back to time of the British, when a darbar of Rajas and Naiks of neighboring area used to assemble there. Today is called Jamabandi Darbar, and the District Collector officiates on it. Thousands of tribal people flock to Ahwa from all over the district, dressed in bright colours, sounding the shehnai, and beating their drums. Folk dances, dramas, and songs are the common features of festivals. The Chitra-Vichitra Mela (March) is one of the largest Tribal (Adivasi) fairs. It is attended by around 60,000 to 70,000 tribal people. It takes place every year in the village of Gunbhakari in Sabarkantha district which is very near to the Rajasthan border. It

12 29 is held for a fortnight after Holi, the festival of colors. The site of the fair is attractive as the temple overlooks the river Sabarmati, Akul, and Vyakul. The fair attracts large number of Bhils (Tribals) who came from the surrounding district. The Grasis and Bhil tribals dress in their customary colorful costumes. The costume of the men generally consists of blue shirt, dhoti, and a red or saffron turban. Women use Ghaghara, which has a circumference of as much as 20 yards (18m), and are covered from head to foot with ornate and heavy silver jewelry. They use liquid kumkum (vermilion) to color their cheeks and lip a brilliant red, while their eyes are outlined with Kajal (Kohl). The women sing folk songs and everyone dances. Around 40 km from Bhuj, there is a Samadhi of the famous saint Menkon Dada who saved the community with great love and dedication and won their devotion. He was supposed to be the incarnation of Laxmiji. The Dhrang Fair (April) is held on Maghvad when a large number of Dada s followers from different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan come to the Samadhi and participate in religious rituals. The Venkata Reddy Tarnetar fair is one of the most happening events in Gujarat and is held at the Temple of Shiva or Trinetreshwar (Three eyed God) popularly known as Tarnatar.

13 30 Popular belief associates the village with the swayamvar (marriage) of Draupati after Arjun performed the mastyavedh, an unparalled feat of archery villagers from the all over the state, dressed in their brilliant traditional costumes and exquisite jewellery, flock to Tarnatar. A varitable feast for the eyes is the Rasada, a circle, dancing daily to the accompaniment of four drums and Jodjapava (double Flute). It is in district surendranagar. The Sanskriti kunj festival shows the different cultures of the state of India. It is organized in the winter season in the capital city, Gandhinagar. All the competition of India come during this fair and show their states culture of dance. The Shamlaji Fair takes place at the Shamlaji shrine, and the site is known for ancient and glorious heritage. Thousands of Tribal people flock to the Shamlaji fair. The Vauthano Mela takes place at the confluence of two rivers near Ahmedabad, the site attracts people of all communities. Animals, particularly donkey and camels, are sold in large numbers during this fair. Other than those festivals observed throughout India, there are festivities specific to Gujarat. The Makar Sakranti and the Kite Flying festival (14 January) takes place in mid-january and marks the time when the sun s direct ray reaches the tropic of Capricorn after the winter solstice. It is celebrated with lots of folk music and dance as well as kite flying.

14 31 People of Gujarat gather on terraces to fly kites of various colors to celebrate Makar Sakranti or uttarayan the welcome to sun after the cold winter months. Food such as undhiya, sugarcane juice and local sweets is typically to celebrate the day. The Kutch Mahotsav (February-March) or The Kutch Festival or the Rann festival is celebrated at the time of the Shivratri in February/March. The centre of the festival is Bhuj in Kutch. It has craft, fairs and folk dances and music cultural shows, all organized by the Gujarat Tourism. Tours are also conducted out to the ruins of Dholavera, a city that was once a part of the Indus valley civilization. The Dandiya Raas is a very energetic colorful and playful dance originating in the state of Gujarat. It roots lay from the days of lord Krishna who played raas on the shores of Yamuna River on a moonlight Night his beloved Gopi. Men and women dressed in colorful clothes dances in two concentric circles one moving clockwise and other moving counter clockwise. Men and women carry two bamboo sticks called the dandiyas in their hands. The song sung on the occasion is essentially an amorous one. Rass is a very playful dance providing opportunity for acting and exchanging messages through the eye contact. It is no wonder that

15 32 many romance bloom during navratri and hence the popularity of the dance among the generation. The Garba is a very graceful form of dance mainly performed by females in a circular formation. It is in reverence of goddess Ambaji. The basic of dance are singing and clapping rhythmically while going around the goddess. Today many modifications are prevalent to the basic pattern and even men are free to join in. Women are dressed in exquisitely embroided, set in mirrors cholis, ghagras and badhani Dupatta. The typical dress of male code of men is kehediya, chudidar and a turban. Originally men perform this dance as if they came from a battle as the victorious army starts dancing in tune with couplets and amorous song sung by charanswars or narrators who liked to go to the front to boost up the spirit during the battle by singing song with violin. The Padhar is performed by rural community living around Nallake. In it, performers simulate the rhythmic movements of rowing mariners and the undulating sea waves. The Bhil tribes, who live close to burden tracts and the tribal of Dang district, have live folk dances.

16 33 TEMPLES OF GUJARAT In Gujarat, there have been several great religious figures. Sant Dadu Sugal ( ), a saint-poet and major Bhakti figure from Ahmedabad treated equally both Raman and Allah as names of God and become popular in Northern India He wrote, The illusion of Allah and Rama hath been dispelled by my mind; since I see this in all. Gujarat is also the home of Mahatma Gandhi who preached the unity between all religious and became a worldwide figure for peaceful struggle against Tyranny. Dwarakadheesh Temple in Dwaraka is one of the important temples dedicated to Lord Krishna on the tip of the Arabian Sea. It was the home of Krishna. The Rann of Kutchch covers a large part of Gujarat. Palitana is known for mythological and historic reasons. That place is famous for Jain temple. It is situated 51 km south west of Bhavanagar district of Gujarat. There are 863 temples from the base to the peak of the Shatrunjaya hill where the Palitana temples are located. Modhera Sun Temple is one of the famous temple of Gujarat which lies near to Somnath. There is a central pond. Surrounding it stands 108 small temples for each of the Sun god s 108 names. Shankheshwar Jain Temple is mainly dedicated to the 23rd

17 34 Tirthunkar, Lord Parsvanath. It is believed that this idol was revered by Lord Krishna himself, by the teaching of Neminath. It is near Ahmedabad. Girnar is the epitome of communal harmony of Jains and Hindus. This high rising steep hill shrines belong to both religions. One is dedicated to Neminath who has 22nd Teerthnakar of Jain. Ambaji temple is dedicated to goddess Ambaji. It is situated on the Arusar hill and can be approached by Abu road in Rajasthan, as well from all other important places in Gujarat. A popular drama called Bhavi is performed in the courtyard of the temple. The Dakor temple town dedicated to Lord Krishna is situated 90 km from Ahmadabad city. The temple of Ranchodaraijas, the idol of Lord Krishna, which is believed to have been brought from Dwarkabu Hamed Bodana. Chotila is in Surendranagar district where there is a famous temple of Goddess Chamunda situated. The Dwarakadish temple at Dwarka was built in 16th century CE, while the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's Grandson, Vajranabha. The five storied temple is made up of limestone and sand. A flag hoisted in the temple tower five times a day. There are two gateways Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and Moksha Dwar, where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the

18 35 Sangam (confluence) of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi. There is a special temple for Rukmini Devi on the way to Bet Dwarka temple, which can be reached by boat. A similar deity of Lord Dwarakanath is also kept in Bet Dwaraka. The temple has many Shrines for Lakshmi Narayana, Trivikrama, Jambavati Devi, Satyabhama Devi and Rukmini Devi. The Sidi Sayed mosque in Ahmedabad is a famous and ancient mosque of the city. The elegant mosque was built by Sidi Sayed, a slub of sultan Ahmad Shah. The mosque is famous all over the country because of its fantastic architecture and exquisite Jain works. NATIONAL PARK AND WILDLIFE IN GUJARAT As per the Forest Report 2009, Gujarat is having 2.46 per cent of its total geographical area under forest. As per the districts, the Dang is having the largest area under forest cover. Gujarat has a national park and 21 sanctuaries. Gujarat is the only home of Asiatic lions. Except Africa, Gujarat is the only habitat of lions. The Gir Forest National Park in the south west of the state provides natural habitat to lions. Besides lions, the other big cat that can be

19 36 found in the state is the leopard. Near about 80per cent of the total forests of Gujarat are mainly situated in the districts of Surat, Valsad, Dang, Bharuch, Narmada, Panchmahal, Dahod and Vadodara and rest of the forest located in the north Gujarat and Saurashtra and Kachchha. MAIN RIVERS OF GUJARAT: The Narmada is a major river of Gujarat. It originates from Amarkantak which is located in the Thaikalmountain, a part of the Vindhachal ranges in M.P. The total length of Narmada is 1,312 km. But in Gujarat it flow only 160 km. Its total catchment area measures square km. The Tapi is known for its mythological origin, this river, known as the daughter of Sun, is to be traced in a mountain rivulet or a spring situated near Multai in the Betul district of M.P. Its total length measures 720 km for the first 250 km. The Kakrapara dam is constructed on this river and its catchment area is 60,450 square km. The Mahi is also one of the major rivers of Gujarat. It originates from Madhya Pradesh flow in the Banswada district of Rajasthan; then it enters into Gujarat and flows in the districts of Godhara. Dams constructed across it are at

20 37 Vanakbori in the Kheda district and the other at Kadanain the panchmahal district. The Sabarmati river originates from the area adjoining the Dhebarlake situated in the Mewad district of Rajasthan. In Gujarat, it flows in the districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Anand. Its total length is 416 km. Adam has been constructed on this river near Dharoi in the KheraluTaluka of the Mehsana district. The ancient name of the river Banas is Parnasha. It originates from the Siranwanmountain, situated in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. It touches the foot of Abu Mountain, flow near Chandravati and Deesa. It moves westwards and flows in the Rann of Kuchchha. The Vishwamitri river rises from Pawadgadh, flow through Vadodra and meet Mahi river. The main rivers of south Gujarat flow across the Surat and Valsad district of south Gujarat. All of them are perennial rivers. The maximum length of the Par is 80 km. It separates the Talukas of Paradi and Valsad. After covering a distance of 9.6 km south of the river Auranga, it empties itself in the Arabian Sea. The Kolak separates the Taluka of Daman and Pardi. The river flows through the Valsad district. It covered 12.8 km area. The kalu fish are found in rocky beds of the river. The river bed at the village Kotak

21 38 is 150m wide. The river Damanganga is located on the southern border of Gujarat. In monsoon, it overflows. Its hinterland comprises the Daman region and same parts of Dharampur Taluka. The geographical limit of Daman starts from the mouth of the river and covers 8 km from the sea. VALSAD DISTRICT: The name Valsad derives from Vad-saal a Gujarati language compound meaning hampered saal by banyan trees (Vad). Valsad is basically located at N and E. It has average elevation of 13 metres from the sea level. The city centre is about 10 km away from Arabian Sea. Valsad is a big district of South Gujarat region. Valsad has the population count of about according to the latest census. As per 2001 census, Valsad had a population of 68,825. Males constitute 51 per cent of the total population and females 49 per cent. Valsad district gives home to some of popular names such as Vapi (the chemical hub of Gujarat) umbergaon and sarigam (the industrial estate). The union territories of Daman and Dadra of Nagar Haveli, which are tourist destinations, are located Near Valsad. This city s longitude and latitude are and respectively.

22 39 Mararji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India, and famous Marathi playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkarihail from Valsad. Some of the famous actors have their birth place in Valsad like Nirupan Roy, Binda, Prachi Desai, Mahesh Deasi and producer Manmohan Desai. The Economy of Valsad certainly registers the Alphonso Mango (known locally as Haafus), for which the city was once famous is still important to local economy in the Valsad district. It has numerous mango orchards, the only sources of income for many villagers. Valsad district is a hub of Chikoo. The farmer of Valsad mainly produces product of different vegetables. The Vasundra Dairy industry is another source of economy. DHARAMPUR: Dharampur is a taluka town of the district of Valsad. It is just 35 km far away from Valsad city. Dharampur is situated on the banks of the Swaravahini river and is surrounded by the beautiful Sahyadri mountain range on the east, west and south sides. Due to its locations the town enjoys a very pleasant climate throughout the year. The name Dharampur is given by Dharamder in 1766 as a

23 40 capital of Ramnagar. Before, its name was Mandvengan, Dharampur, Gujarat. Dharampur is situated in South Gujarat and was a capital of the former princely state of Dharampur. Originally, it was known as Ramnagar. The present day Dharampur dates back to 1764 AD and was founded by King Dharmdevji. The Sisodia Rajputs of Chittor rules in the history of Dharampur after the fall of Delhi sultanate in south Gujarat. The Dharampur state was surrounded by the Muslim states of Khandesh, Ahmadnagar and main Gujarat sultans. The Parsis found political patronage under the Dharampur king. The development of the city of Dharampur had two major phases of development the first in the 18th century when the Rana undertook the construction of Raj Mahal, public building, step walls and temples, and the second phase covered the 19th century including the Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee celebrations. Many vernacular schools and hospitals were constructed. The King Vijay Devji constructed a museum and dedicated it to Lady Wilson. The town has a beautiful entrance gate (Rajya Rohan Gate) constructed in European style with life-size status of Greek style adorning the top.

24 41 DEMOGRAPHICS: As of 2001 India census Dharampur had a population of 19,932. Males constitute 52per cent of the population and female 48per cent. Dharampur has an average literacy rate of 59 per cent. Male literacy is 73 per cent and female literacy is 60 per cent. In Dharampur, 12 per cent of the population is under 6 years of Age. It has Science Academy that has an ongoing exhibition of science projects. Student from Gujarat would be benefited by visiting. Dharampur is situated on the bank of the Swaragavahini mountain range on east, west and south sides. Due to its location the town enjoys a very pleasant climate all throughout the year. LITERATURE: Valsad has always been a city when it comes to literature. This is the city which has described a heaven in Kumay Hasan Rizvi s devut novel Named fairy tales. This is supposed to be the hometown of Vasukhi, the leading female character of fairy tale. As per the book, the people of Valsad are really helpful and kind. This is India s first place that brought fairy tale and reality together into love in the form of this book. City has got two technical colleges namely Govt, Polytechnic (Estd, 1965) Govt Engineering College.

25 42 The Tithal beach is a tourist attraction in the coastal region of Valsad overlooking the Arabian Sea. There are so many stalls and shops selling various kinds like bajiya, dabelli, bhel chat, coconut water and of souvenirs. One can also find places to eat both indoors and outdoors with plenty of choice from a full meal to traditionally prepared snacks. There are two famous temples Swaminarayana and Shreesaibaba temple. Both the Government of India and Gujarat Government have had contributions in developing the area due to its popularity with the local and foreign tourists alike. The river Par counts its length is about 80 km. It separates the Talukas of Paradi and Valsad. After covering a distance of 9.6 km south of the river Auranga, it empties itself in the Arabian Sea. The Kolak separates the Taluka of Daman and Pardi. It covers 12.8 km area. The kalu fish are found in rocky beds of the river. The river bed at the village Kotak is 150m wide. The Damanganga river is located on the southern border of Gujarat. In monsoon, it overflows. Its hinterland comprises the Daman region and some parts of Dharampur taluka. The geographical limit of Daman starts from the mouth of the river and covers 8 km from the sea the catchment areas consist 2, sq km.

26 43 HILL STATIONS OF DHARAMPUR: The Wilson Hill is the most beautiful hill station of Gujarat lies in Dharampur Taluka of Valsad District. It is located in the Western Ghats range having an elevation of around 870m (2700 feet) above the sea level. It is located about 120 km away from Surat City, and 60 km from Valsad city. The name of Wilson Hill was named after the memory of Lord Wilson, the then Governor of Mumbai province. The Wilson Hill is located in a heavy dense forest region. There is a wildlife sanctuary called Pangarbari located at the Wilson Hill. It is one of the few Hill stations in the world where we can find the wonders of the sea. Due to its high elevation, Wilson Hill enjoys a cooler and less humid climate than the surrounding area, which makes it popular during the summer months. Wilson Hills was named in the memory of Lord Wilson the governor of Mumbai, by Vijay Devji the last king of Dharampur. Lord Wilson and King Devji had planned to develop this place for some reason. Announcement in their memory remain on the peak. In 2003, Ashish Birendra Sharma, a youth of Vapi, come forward and launched a company named Hotel Wilson Highland Pvt. Ltd. and started developing this place on Hill resort.

27 44 The Wilson Hill is located about 130 km from Surat, 80 Km from Navsari and 60 km from Valsad. Wilson Hills is connected to the town of Dharampur, which lies at the base of the Hill. A metal road connects Dharampur to Wilson Hill. The nearest air port is Surat, located around 140 km away from Wilson Hill. The nearest Railway station is Valsad, i.e. connected Surat to Mumbai through broad gauge line. The Surat-Mumbai National Highway (NH-8) passes through Udhana-Palsana and Chikli. At Chikli stop, one is to take a left turn and move towards Dharampur and one towards Wilson Hills and Barumal. Barumal is the most religious and pilgrim centre of Jain. While taking the Wilson Hills road, one can reach the Foot hills of Wilson Hills. The social ecology of the villages of Dharampur cannot be taken into isolation of the geographical conditions, natural resources, and social structure and social action, cultural integration, etc. The process of social mobility and social empowerment with special reference to SHGs have remain been the focus of the research.