Mahuva is a town and

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...

of Bhavnagar District, Gujarat, India. Located on the coast of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

, Mahuva has mild weather and surroundings that include many coconut plantations. The town is a part of the Saurashtra region and is known as the

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

of Saurashtra. The region is home to a thriving

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

industry, particularly enterprises that dehydrate vegetables such as garlic and onions for use in processed foods. Mahuva is the only city known for producing the unique and flavourful Jamadar mangoes. BAPS Mandir Mahuva

History

Mowa (Mahuva) was a petty princely state, comprising solely the village, in the

Halar Halar (Haalaar) is a historical region of western India, located by the Gulf of Kutch coast on the northwestern area of Nawanagar, now Jamnagar, in Gujarat State, on Saurashtra peninsula, roughly corresponding to the present Jamnagar District ...

prant A prant is a historical district in India, and a native British Raj age term for a colonial district. The same name can thus have different meanings depending on the period. Pre-colonial Some prants are traditional names for parts of historical ...

'' of

Kathiawar Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the ...

. It was ruled by Jhala

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

Chieftains. Mowa had a population of 247 in 1901, yielding a state revenue of 3,322 Rupees (1903-4, mostly from land) and a paying a tribute of 158 Rupees, to the British and

Junagadh State The State of Junagadh or Junagarh was a princely state located in Gujarat, It was ruled by the Muslim Babi dynasty since 1654 by first Nawab of Junagarh, Nawab of Junagadh even within the Maratha Confederacy and later British India. which, aft ...

Geography

Mahuva is a Taluka (subdistrict) located in Bhavnagar District, in the state of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...

, as well as the name of a town within the taluka. Mahuva is in the coastal region of Saurashtra on the

Gulf of Khambhat The Gulf of Khambhat, also known as the Gulf of Cambay, is a bay on the Arabian Sea coast of India, bordering the state of Gujarat just north of Mumbai and Diu Island. The Gulf of Khambhat is about long, about wide in the north and up to wi ...

, which is a bay on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

Climate

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Mahuva subdistrict had a population of 452,011; the town of Mahuva had a population of approximately , composed of about 90,000 males and 60,000 females. There were a total of 27,607 households. Most residents of Mahuva are Hindus and Muslims; a smaller number are Jains and Christians.

Economy

The local economy of Mahuva is primarily based on the agricultural produce market and industries. The Mahuva

Agricultural Produce Market Committee An Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a marketing board established by state governments in India to ensure farmers are safeguarded from exploitation by large retailers, as well as ensuring the farm to retail price spread does not ...

(APMC) was established in 1858. Mahuva and its surrounding villages produce onions. The Mahuva market yard is the second largest onion trading centre in India after Lasalgaon, Maharashtra. It is famous for its good-quality red onions. Mahuva has the biggest onion market in Gujarat, so people also call it the onion capital of the state. It is spread across 38–40 acres of land. The region is the largest producer of white onions and the second-largest producer of

red onion Red onions (also known as purple or blue onions in some mainland European countries) are cultivars of the onion ('' Allium cepa''), and have purplish-red skin and white flesh tinged with red. They are most commonly used in cooking, but the skin ...

s in the country. Onion is the largest trading commodity in Mahuva APMC. Mahuva is a large hub for onion processing and exporting, with over 120 large-scale

dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...

plants. Peanuts, cotton and coconuts are also major trading commodities, and

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); ...

ning is conducted in the region. Pipavav Port is a fast-growing seaport located nearby, and India's first private sector port situated in Rajula. Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited, one of India's largest shipbuilding and heavy industry companies, operates out of the port. There are many diamond cutting and polishing centres with ties to overseas markets. Some are working for diamantaires in

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

Healthcare

Mahuva has two hospitals: Sadbhavana Hospital on the outskirts of Mahuva near Vadali, and ''Hanumant Trust Hospital'' on the bypass road, which was developed as a multi-specialty hospital.

Transport

The nearest airport is Bhavnagar Airport at Bhavnagar, about 100 km away from Mahuva. The

RORO ferry Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, Trailer (vehicle), trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their ...

began operating in 2017 and connects the ports of Ghogha and Dahej in Gujarat.

Attractions

The location where Bhagatji Maharaj was born and resided throughout his life has been preserved. The Mahuva Jain Tirth, known as Madhumati in ancient scriptures, is the birthplace of Sheth Javad Shah and Sheth Jadadu Shah. This shrine to Sri Mahavir is included in the Panch Tirthi of Sri Shatrunjay shrines. Bhavani beach is a picnic spot located south-east of Mahuva.

Notable figures

* Virchand Gandhi, Jain scholar * Bhagatji Maharaj, preacher * Chhabildas Mehta, politician * Harkisan Mehta: Gujarati author * Himesh Reshammiya: actor, singer * Balvant Parekh: businessman * Morari Bapu: spiritual leader * Kanubhai Kalsariya: politician, social activist, surgeon

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahuva (Bhavnagar District) Port cities and towns of the Arabian Sea Port cities in India Cities and towns in Bhavnagar district