Balambha is a village in

Jodiya Jodia (also spelled Jodiya) is a town in Jamnagar district, Gujarat, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and t ...

taluka of

Jamnagar District Jamnagar District is a district of Gujarat in Western India. Its headquarters are located in the eponymous city of Jamnagar. It hosts the production facilities of large Indian companies such as Reliance. Among its attractions are several palac ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about 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 ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The taluka headquarters of

is at a distance of 20 km and

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...

city at a distance of 60 km. The Dadhiari Dam on Aji river is at a distance of only 1 km. After 6th January 2001earthquake Balambha village peoples live in three different parts of village 1) old balambha, 2) Shanti Nagar and 3) Binadhar.

History

Balambha has a strong inner citadel. This is said in the ''Tarikh-i-Sorath'' by

Ranchhodji Diwan Raṇchoḍjī Amarjī (1768—1841) was an author and the chief minister (diwan) of Junagadh state under the Babi dynasty. Life Ranchhodji was a son of Amarji Diwan, the chief minister of Junagadh state. Upon death of his father, he was appoint ...

to have been built by Rao

Deshalji I Rao Deshalji I was the Rao of Cutch belonging to Jadeja Rajput dynasty, who ruled Princely State of Cutch as a regent from 1718 1752. His son Lakhpatji confined him in 1741 and ruled as a regent until death of Deshalji in 1752. Life Rao Godj ...

Cutch State Cutch, also spelled Kutch or Kachchh and also historically known as the Kingdom of Kutch, was a kingdom in the Kutch region from 1147 to 1819 and a princely state under British rule from 1819 to 1947. Its territories covered the present day K ...

in 1714, but its construction is popularly ascribed to Meraman Khavas. Probably the Rao first built a small citadel in 1714, afterwards strengthened and enlarged by Meraman Khavas in 1784. The river Aji, which flows by Rajkot, falls into the

Little Rann of Kutch The Little Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh which is part of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Attractions Indian wild ass sanctuary The Little Rann of Kutch is home to the Indian wild ass (khur). To conserve this species ...

at a distance of about six miles from Balambha. There is a hillock in the lands of Balambha called Bina where there is a Chapter spring of fresh water called the Navghan Kui. It is said that when Ra Navghan of

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally t ...

was marching to Cutch to avenge Jaasal, he halted here and was athirst and the men that were with him. In his distress he called on his tutelary goddess to aid him. She directed him to plunge his spear into the hillock ; he did so and water flowed forth and he appeased his thirst and that of his army. In the rains of 1881, Balambha was at the centre of the cyclone which visited the north-west of the peninsula ; forty-five inches of rain fell in the three days the cyclone lasted, hundreds of mud-houses were washed down, and it is said that only forty houses in the whole town were uninjured. Much damage was done by this storm, and many cattle died from the damp and exposure.

Education

The village has a aanganvadi pre primary school, a government primary school, and a government secondary and higher secondary school.

Demographics

The population is of Gurjar Kshatriya Kadia, Sathvara,

Lohana Lohana, also referred to as Loharana, Thakkar and Lohrana, are an Indian trading or mercantile ''jāti''. Lohanas claim to be descendants of the Lava, son of Rama, and to descend from the Raghuvanshi dynasty.Lachaier, Pierre. "Cérémonies D'hom ...

Bharvad The Bharwad, also known as gadaria, are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India, primarily engaged in herding livestock. History The Bharwads claim they are the descendants of (Hinduism). According to Sudipta Mitra, historians be ...

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

Koli Koli may refer to: Places * Koli, Finland, a hill in Finland * Koli National Park, a national park in Finland * Koli, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Koli Airfield, a former airfield in the South Pacific Other uses * Koli people ...

Khoja The Khojas ( sd}; gu, ખોજા, hi, ख़ोजा) are a mainly Nizari Isma'ili Shia community of people originating in Gujarat, India. Derived from the Persian Khwaja, a term of honor, the word Khoja is used to refer to Lohana Rajput ...

, Muslim, etc.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the

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: Villages in Jamnagar district {{Jamnagar-geo-stub