Mehsana (), also spelled Mahesana, is a city and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in
Mehsana district
Mehsana district (alternate spelling "Mahesana") is one of the 33 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 1.8 million and an area of ove ...
, in the Indian
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
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 ...
. Established in 14th century, the city was under
Gaekwads of
Baroda State from 18th century to the independence of India in 1947. The municipality was established in 1919–20. The town has population of about 185,000. Dairy, oil and natural gas are major industries while there are several small and medium enterprises in the city.
History
![Toranwali Mata temple gate Mehsana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Toranwali_Mata_temple_gate_Mehsana.jpg)
Jaisinh Brahmabhatt describes the following legend in his poems from 1932 AD:
Mehsana was established by Mehsaji Chavda,
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
heir of the
Chavda dynasty
The Chavda (IAST:Chávaḍá), also spelled Chawda or Chavada was a dynasty which ruled the region of modern-day Gujarat in India, from c. 690 to 942. Variants of the name for the dynasty include Chapotkatas, Chahuda and Chávoṭakas.
During ...
. He constructed the ''
Torana
''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...
'' (arc gate) of the city and a temple dedicated to Goddess Toran on Bhadrapad Sud 10 in
Vikram Samvat
Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...
1414 (1358 AD).
The legend is corroborated in ''Pragat Prabhavi Parshwanath athva Parshwanathna Chamatkaro'' published in Vikram Samvat 1909 (1823 AD) by Manilal Nyalchand Shah who also mentioned in it that Mehsaji built a temple dedicated to
Chamunda. Another legend says that Mehsaji established the town in Vikram Samvat 1375 (1319 AD). Both legends describes that the town is named after Mehsaji. These legends also inconclusively establish that the town was founded during the Rajput period.
Gaekwad
Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; mr, Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes. It is also a common surname among Bharadis, Dhor, an ...
s conquered
Baroda
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
and established
Baroda State in 1721. They expanded their rule in north Gujarat and established
Patan as its administrative headquarters. Later the headquarters was moved to
Kadi and subsequently to Mehsana in 1902 when the city was connected by the
Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway
Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway (GBSR) or Gaikwad Baroda State Railway was a narrow gauge railway line owned by the Princely State of Baroda, which was ruled by the Gaekwar dynasty.
History
The railway track has the distinction of being the fir ...
which was opened on 21 March 1887.
Sayajirao Gaekwad III built
Rajmahal
Rajmahal is a subdivisional town and a notified area in Rajmahal subdivision of the Sahebganj district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is situated at the banks of Ganges and was former capital of Bengal Subah under Mughal governor, Man Sin ...
, a palace in 1904.
Baroda State merged with the Union of India after independence in 1947. It was merged into
Bombay State as Mehsana district in 1949. Later it became part of
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 ...
in 1960 after the division of Bombay state into Gujarat and
Maharashtra. Mehsana is headquarters of Mehsana district in north Gujarat.
Geography
Mehsana has an average elevation of above sea level.
By Ahmedabad-Palnpur Railway line, the town is divided in two: the east and western parts are known as Mehsana-1 and Mehsana-2 respectively.
Administration
Mehsana
Municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
(
Nagar Palika
In India, a Municipal Council (also known as Municipality, Nagar Palika, or Nagar Palika Parishad) is an Urban Local Body that administers a city of population 100,000 or more. However, there are exceptions to that, as previously Nagar Palikas co ...
) was established in 1919–20. Following the merger of
Baroda state with
Bombay State on 1 August 1949, it was governed by Bombay District Municipal Act, 1902. Since 1 January 1956, it is governed under Gujarat Nagar Palika Act, 1963.
It falls under Mehsana Metropolitan Region.
Demographics
India
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
, the population of Mehsana was 184,991, of which male and female were 97,440 and 87,551, respectively.
Its urban-metropolitan population was 190,753 of which 100,558 were males and 90,195 were females.
The sex ratio was 894 females to 1,000 males.
Mehsana had an average literacy rate of 84.26%, higher than the national average. Male literacy was 91.88%, and female literacy was 76.12%.
9.4% of Mehsana's population was under 6 years of age.
At 762,
Mehsana had the lowest child sex-ratio among the urban centres in India.
Religion
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
is the majority religion in Mehsana with 88.18% of the population being followers. Islam is the second-most-popular religion in the city at 9.26%, followed by Jainism at 1.62%, Sikhism 0.28%, Buddhism 0.28%, and Christianity at 0.27%. Around 0.01% identified with other religions and approximately 0.36% were of no particular religion.
Places of worship
Major Hindu temples include: Pushtimarg temples of Madanmohanlalji temple and Dwarkadhishji temple, Toranvali Mata temple, Brahmani Mata temple,
Hinglaj
Hinglaj (Devanagari: हिंगलाज, bal, هنگلاج, sd, هنگلاج, ur, ) is an important Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of many Kshatriya, Charan, Rajpurohits and other Hindu Communities of India ...
Mata temple, Bahuchar Mata temple, Kalupur Gadi Swaminarayan temple, BAPS Swaminarayan temple, Gayatri temple, Ambika Mata temple and Somnath Mahadev temple.
Bhimnath Mahadev Temple was renovated in 1982.
Simandhar Swami Jain Derasar is a temple located near Modhera crossroads. It is long, broad and high. The central deity (''moolnayak'') of the temple is a white idol of
Simandhar Swami
Simandhar is a '' Tīrthaṅkara'', an arihant, who is said to be currently living in another world in the Jain cosmological universe.
Residence in Jain cosmology
''Tirthankara'' Simandhar Swami resides at ''Mahavideh Kshetra'', another la ...
in
lotus position (''padmansa''). The temple was established in 1971 under guidance of Jain monk Kailassagarsuri.
There is a temple dedicated to Ayyappa established by the South Indian community and a Gurdwara Sahib established by the Sikh community near the Radhanpur crossroads on State Highway 41.
Christian churches include Mar Gregorious Orthodox Syrian Church.
Places of interest
Rajmahal
Rajmahal is a subdivisional town and a notified area in Rajmahal subdivision of the Sahebganj district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is situated at the banks of Ganges and was former capital of Bengal Subah under Mughal governor, Man Sin ...
is a palace built in 1904 by Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
Boter Kothani Vav was constructed during the reign of Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb. An inscription dated 1674 AD in Persian and Devnagari scripts states that it was commissioned by Shah Gokaldas of Shrimali caste, Laghu Shakha, and his mother Manabai for public welfare.
There is another stepwell known as Badiyashi Vav in Biladi Baug.
It was constructed by Shah Virchandji Jadavji.
Other historical monuments include Yoshovijayji Jain Sanskrit Pathshala, T. J. Highschool, Kesharbai School and Mehsana district local board office.
Dudhsagar Dairy plant is a
postmodernist
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...
building designed by
Achyut Kanvinde
Achyut Purushottam Kanvinde (9 February 1916 – 28 December 2002) was an Indian architect who worked in functionalist approaches with elements of Brutalist architecture. He received the Padma Shri in 1974.
Early life and education
He was bor ...
.
Public amenities
Para Lake, officially Swami Vivekanand Lake, was excavated during the
Gaekwad rule. It was redeveloped and opened in 2019.
Nagalpur Lake is proposed for development as a public space.
There are nine gardens in the city including Parashuram Play Ground, Arvind Baug and Biladi Baug (Mahatma Gandhi garden).
Sardar Patel Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી સ્ટેડિયમ; Hindi: नरेन्द्र मोदी स्टेडियम), formerly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium is a cricket stadi ...
is a multi-purpose stadium with capacity of 3000 people.
Atal Sports Centre was built at the cost of and opened in April 2022. It houses sports facilities and swimming pool. Vanikar Club is also there.
Economy
Industries
Mehsana has dairy, agriculture and road-equipment based industry. It also has oil and natural gas production fields and various small- and medium-size industries. The banking and finance sectors have nationalised, cooperative, and private sector banks. Many large and small road-equipment industries are established in Mehsana-Dediyasan
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) was established under the ''Gujarat Industrial Development Act of 1962'', with a goal of accelerating industrialization in the state of Gujarat, India.
Main role of the GIDC is to identify locati ...
(GIDC).
Dairy
The city is known for its local
Mehsani breed of
buffaloes.
The Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producer's Union, popularly known as
Dudhsagar Dairy, is a member of the state-level
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation and the largest dairy in Asia, processing on average 1.41 million kilograms of milk each day. It has established a network for procuring milk from 4,500,000 milk producers through 1,150 village milk cooperatives.
Oil and natural gas
Established in November 1967, the Mehsana fields are one of the largest onshore-producing assets of the
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...
(ONGC), covering an area of with 28 fields in 2007–08. Mehsana also has 1,311 oil wells, and 16 gas wells producing 6,000 tonnes per day.
.
Entertainment
![Vanikar Club Mehsaba](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Vanikar_Club_Mehsaba.jpg)
Wide-Angle Multiplex and Wow Cine Pulse provide entertainment facilities. Shanku's Water Park, Tirupati Nature Park, Bliss Water Park and
Taranga Jain temple
Taranga is a Jain pilgrimage center near Kheralu in Mehsana district, Gujarat, India, with two compounds of Jain temples that are important examples of the Māru-Gurjara style of architecture. The Ajitnatha temple, was constructed in 1161 by ...
are located nearby. Mehsana has three radio stations: Top FM (92.7 MHz),
Radio Mirchi
Radio Mirchi (also known as 98.3 Mirchi) is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group. ''Mirchi'' is Hindi for re ...
(91.9 MHz) and relay station of
Akashvani (100.1 MHz).
Education
![T](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/T._J._Highschool_Mehsana_established_1889.jpg)
Mehsana has several facilities offering education to graduation and post-graduation. The Municipal Arts and Urban Bank Science College is affiliated by
Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University.
Ganpat University, located in
Kherva
Kherva is a village in the Mehsana District, Gujarat, India, situated on State Highway 73 between Gandhinagar and Mehsana. It borders the following villages: Devarasan, Kadavasan, Mulsan, Jagudan, Sanganpur, Punasan, Hebuva, Udalpur, Gunjala, D ...
village which is from the city. Gujarat Power Engineering and Research Institute and Saffrony Institute of Technology offer courses in engineering and management. B. S. Patel College of Pharmacy offers courses in pharmacy, and is affiliated with
Gujarat Technological University
Gujarat Technological University (International Innovative University), commonly referred as ''GTU'', is a state university affiliating many engineering, pharmacy, and management colleges in Gujarat state, India. The university is headed by the s ...
. Sarvajanik Kelvani Mandal Trust offers education in the fields of pharmacy, nursing, and homeopathy.
There are many primary and higher-secondary schools affiliated with
Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
(CBSE) or Gujarat Board including:
Kendriya Vidyalaya
The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Moscow ...
, ONGC, Mehsana,
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India. They are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Noida, an autonomous organization under the Department of School Educa ...
(JNV), Vadnagar, Shanku's Divine Child School and N.G. International School. K. V. Mehsana made a beginning in the year 1980 with classes 1 to 10 with two sections each and one section science stream and one commerce stream in Class XI and XII. It is a Hindi, English Medium school. In 2021, 966 students were enrolled. T. J. Highschool operated by Nagrik Kelvani Mandal was established in 1889 and
Urban Bank Vidhalaya. Gurukul English Medium School started in 2012. Sarvajanik Kelvani Mandal Trust also runs many schools in north Gujarat. Other schools include Sabari Vidya Vihar, run by Dharma Sastha Seva Trust, and Bethany Mission School.
Transport
Local
The Mehsana Municipal City Bus Service is operated on eight routes.
Road
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses also connect Mehsana to other cities and villages.
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
s and taxis are available.
Mehsana is approximately away from
Ahmedabad. It is connected to
Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar (, ) is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the Industrial corridor between Delhi, the political capital of India, and Mum ...
,
Himmatnagar
Himatnagar or Himmatnagar is a municipality in Sabarkantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the district. The city is on the bank of the river Hathmati.
History
Himatnagar was founded in 1426 b ...
,
Patan,
Unjha
Unjha is a town and a municipality in the Mehsana district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Unjha is 26 km north of Mehsana and 102 km north of Ahmedabad.
Geography
Unjha is located at . It has an average elevation of 111 metres (3 ...
and
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants.
Ety ...
,
Visnagar
Visnagar is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Visnagar is also a taluka capital.
History
"Visnagar" named after its founder king Visaladev from Ajmer Dynasty was founded in 953 on the auspicious day ...
via state highways.
Rail
Mahesana railway station
Mahesana Junction railway station (also spelt Mehsana unofficially) is located in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves the city of Mehsana.
History
Rajputana State Railway extended the metre-gauge Delhi–Ajmer line to Ahme ...
is on the
Jaipur–Ahmedabad line
The Jaipur–Ahmedabad line connects Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan to Ahmedabad, the largest city of Gujarat in India. It is present on Ahmedabad–Delhi main line. Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express is the fastest train in this route.
History ...
with daily trains to and from Delhi and Mumbai, and direct weekly or bi-weekly trains connecting major cities in north and south India, including
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
.
Air
The nearest passenger airport is
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) is an international airport serving the twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. The airport is located in Hansol, north of Ahmedabad. It is named after Sardar Vall ...
at Ahmedabad. Prepaid taxis and GSRTC bus are available to Mehsana from the airport.
Mehsana Airport
Mehsana Airport is a civil aviation training base in Mehsana, Gujarat, India. It is used for non-scheduled operations.
An abandoned airfield was developed by the Government of Gujarat and a private company, ''Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics ...
is currently used for non-scheduled operation and as a civil aviation training centre, operated by Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics Ltd. It has an area covering .
References
{{Authority control
14th-century establishments in India
Cities and towns in Mehsana district