Rapar is a city and a

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 Kutch district in the

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

. Particularly this area of Kutch is called 'Vagad'. The name derives from famous Vaghela rulers.it means the land of Vaghelas.

Geography

Rapar (earlier known as Rahpar) is located at . It has an average elevation of 79 metres (259 feet). Rapar is the main town in the Vagad Region of the Kutch District and the easternmost town of the Kutch District. It is a very vibrant trading hub and shopping center for local people as there is no other major town within a 100 km radius. The nearest towns are Samakhiyali, Bhachau,

Gandhidham Gandhidham, initially known as Sardarganj, is the largest and most populous city in Kutch District, Gujarat, India. It was created in the early 1950s for the resettlement of Sindhi Hindu refugees from Sindh (now in Pakistan) in the aftermath ...

, Anjar,

Kandla Kandla, now officially Deendayal Port Authority, is a seaport and town in Kutch district of Gujarat state in Western India, near the city of Gandhidham. Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of India's major ports on the west coast. It is ab ...

and

Adipur Adipur is a town in Gandhidham Municipal Corporation of Kutch District in the state of Gujarat, India. The town is situated approximately from Gandhidham. History Adipur was initially founded as a refugee camp after the partition of India, ...

in Kutch district, and

Morbi Morbi or Morvi is a city in the Morbi district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is situated on the Kathiawar peninsula. , the city's population was determined to be 194,947. The city is on the Machhu River, from the sea and from Rajkot. H ...

in Rajkot district and

Radhanpur Radhanpur is a town and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Origin of name According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch. Fateh Khan Baloch received a freedom fro ...

in Patan district. The district headquarters,

Bhuj Bhuj () is a Municipality and District Headquarters of Kutch District in the state of Gujarat, India. Etymology According to legend, Kutch was ruled by the Nāga chieftains in the past. Sagai, a queen of Sheshapattana, who was married to Kin ...

, is almost 140 km to the west. The nearest railway station is Chhitrod which is 18 km away. The nearest airport is Bhuj which is 140 km away. Dholavira1

The nearby villages are Gagodar, Chhotapar, Pragpar, Bhutakiya, Bhimasar, Selari, Badargadh, Vajepar, Kidiyanagar, Padampar, Kalyanpar, Rav, Palanpar, Nandasar, Bela, Jatawada, Davri, Balasar

Palanswa Palanswa or Palansva is a village of Vaghela Royal kingdom in Gujarat, India.Its one and only Vaghela Jagir(Kingdom) in kutch others are of Jadeja's Jagir(Kingdom). The Palasva's Fort have permission of Jail. Palasva also known as King Meghrajs ...

and others. Rapar is nearest town en route to

Dholavira Dholavira ( gu, ધોળાવીરા) is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern-day village south of it. This village is f ...

, the

Harappan civilization Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

site. Rapar was partially destroyed during the

2001 Gujarat earthquake The 2001 Gujarat earthquake, also known as the Bhuj earthquake, occurred on 26 January, India's 52nd Republic Day, at . The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat ...

but it has been developed again with good planning. It has many temples like Swaminarayan Temple dedicated to

Swaminarayana Swaminarayan (IAST: ', 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of God Krishna, or as the highest manifestation of Purushottam, and around ...

, Ratneswar Temple dedicated to

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, Ram Mandir dedicated to

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

, Dariyasthan dedicated to

Dariyalal A folkloric hero among the sect of Daryapanthi Sindhis, Jhulelal is the most revered deity of Sindhi Hindus in modern South Asia. Legends converge upon that Jhulelal was born during the rule of one Islamic despot "Mirkshah", who had issued an ...

and two nice ponds and a public garden.

Politics

Current MLA of Rapar is Smt. Aarethiya Santokben Bhachubhai member of Indian National Congress. She won by 49.05% votes. The other contesting members with the highest votes after Santokben Aarethiya are Pankajbhai Anopchand Maheta(BJP) gained 48606 votes, Gada Babulala gada is the gada (Nationalist Congress Party) gained 02756 votes.

References

Cities and towns in Kutch district {{Kachchh-geo-stub