Ratnal is a village near the town of Anjar in the Anjar taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state 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 ...

. It is located around from Anjar and from Bhuj capital of Kutch. Ratnal Has No.1 Ranking in Asia for most number of Trucks and Truck Owners.

History

y RABARI.AND.AHIR people are believed to enter Ratnal for the first time.

Ahirs Ahir or Aheer are a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

are the majority in Ratnal now.

Earthquake of 26 January 2001

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 ...

occurred on 26 January 2001, India's 51st Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time (3:16 UTC) and lasted for over two minutes. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of X (Intense) on the

Mercalli intensity scale The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...

. The village was almost completely destroyed in the 26 January 2001 earthquake. It is estimated that 175 people died in the village on that day.

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

has previously visited the village.

Economy

The people are mainly involved in agriculture and transportation. Ahir women of Ratnal are famous for their embroidery and patch-work. According to an India Today survey Ratnal is the only village in world having more than 1414 trucks 454 Farms. People are mainly involved in transportation and cultivation of oil-seeds, cotton and other seasonal crops. Other smaller sources of employment are petrol pumps, tea stalls, pesticides sales. Some of the natives also work for the

Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...

Health Facility A health facility is, in general, any location where healthcare is provided. Health facilities range from small clinics and doctor's offices to urgent care centers and large hospitals with elaborate emergency rooms and trauma centers. The numbe ...

Ratnal has Primary health center from 1 April 2014 and also has 2 sub center

Marriages

The village presents a picture of paradox as both orthodoxy and modernity co-exists here. Mass

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a ma ...

s take place among an influential section among the Ahir community, known as Ahir Paratharia. In 2009 around 235 child couples tied the nuptial knot. These marriages take place traditionally once a year on the thirteenth day of the month of Vaishakh of the indigenous calendar.

Schools

There are five schools in the village: 1. Ratnal Panchayati Prathamik Shala (Primary School for Boys) 2. Shri Krishna Pranami Kanya Vidyalay (Girls School) managed by

Pranami Pranami () is a sect which worships the words of the Supreme God, Shri Krishna, which was given through Mahamati Prannathji and Satguru Shri Devchandraji as their holy book, Shri Tartam Sagar. History The Pranami sampradaya emerged in the ...

sect 3. Vidya Bharati (Primary School managed by Vidya Bharati) 4. Peta Para Shala 5. Ratnal Government High School 6.Radhe Krishna Nagar Primary School 7 Ratnal ITI government iti 8 kvk ratnal

Railroad station

Ratnal is a railway station on

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 ...

–

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 ...

railway line and Bhuj-Palanpur passenger train has a halt here. The station code is RUT.

References

{{Reflist Villages in Kutch district