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 Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

Geography

Unjha is located at . It has an average elevation of 111 metres (364 feet).

Demographics

The

2001 Indian census The 2001 Census of India was the 14th in a series of censuses held in India every decade since 1871. The population of India was counted as 1,028,737,436 consisting of 532,223,090 males and 496,514,346 females. Total population increased by 18 ...

shows that Unjha had a population of 53,868.

Religion Wise Populations

Places

Temples

There is a temple in Unjha dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Umiya. Umiya is considered a clan deity of the Kadva Patidar community. This temple is located in the center of the town and is a place of pilgrimage. Other major temples include the Baloj Mata temple near the bus station. There is also a Dwarkadhishji Temple of the

Pushtimarg Pushtimarg (), also known as ''Pushtimarg sampradaya'' or ''Vallabha sampradaya'', is a subtradition of the Rudra Sampradaya (Vaishnavism). It was founded in the early 16th century by Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) and is focused on Krishna.

Vaishnava sect located in Nava Mahad, near Brahman Chora, and a Kabir

Ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...

for the followers of Kabir. Umiya Mata Mandir, Unjha

There is a centuries-old Kunthunath Jain temple in the town. There are also 2 other main Jain temples. One of them is located in the heart of the city and is called the Adinath Jain temple. The third temple contains an ancient idol of the lord

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

Education

Currently, Unjha has several schools for science, commerce and the arts, including: * Unjha Public School * Shihi Std 9 to 12 Science ( Science Non-Government) * Sheth Shree G. V. Patel Charitable Trust Sarvajanik Vidhyalay Shahi There are several institutions of higher learning in Unjha, including a B.B.A. College, a Law College, a Teacher Training College, a Women's Residential College and a Commerce and Arts College.

Recreation

There is a recreational pond near the center of town. Other popular recreation areas include various wadis and places where marriages and other occasions are held. The town has many wadis and each particular sub-caste of Patel has a particular wadi dedicated to it. Examples include Rangpur Samaaj wadi, Raman wadi, Unava Desh ni Wadi, Bhraman ni wadi, Omiya dash ni wadi, Zanskar Bharti wadi, and Achleshawar Ni Wadi.

Economy

Unjha is known as the biggest spice and

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

Asia and one of the biggest regulated markets in India. In the financial year 2012–13, the value of trade passing through Unjha totalled US $353 million. Major importers of Unjhan products include countries such as US, Germany, Central America, New Zealand, Portugal, and Poland. The nearest seaport is Mundra Port. The proximity to a port gives an advantage to Unjhan spice exporters by enabling them to export quality spices at competitive rates. There are many direct manufacturer exporters of Indian spices and oilseeds located in Unjha.

Agricultural produce market committee

The Agricultural produce market committee in Unjha features farmers and traders from states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Saurashtra who come to trade and sell spices and oilseeds like

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

fennel,

fenugreek Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...

, dill, ajwain, mustard,

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

coriander Coriander (;

, etc. Aside from Rajasthan, Unjha is the only place that can grow cumin, fennel, and Isabgol ( psyllium) seeds in the region. There are nearly 800 businesses that produce these spices. The agricultural produce market committee was established by Shri Mohanbhai Haribhai Patel in 1954.

Notable people

* Musician and sarod player

Vasant Rai Vasant Rai (1942–1985) was one of the world's most acclaimed masters of Indian music and played the Indo-Afghan instrument the sarod. Personal life and education Rai's family was from a small town in India called Unjha and he was born in Pari ...

is from Unjha. There is a music school named after him in the city. Shri Mohanbhai Haribhai Patel who established the agricultural produce market committee, Arts, Commerce, and Law colleges, Eye Hospital and Unjha Cottage Hospital.

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Mehsana district