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Gujarat
Gujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India.
The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and
Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the
history of India. It is home to major ports in India’s ancient and modern history, leading it to
become one of the main trade and commerce center of India. Lothal one of the world’s first
ports is located in Gujarat. Also Mahatma Gandhi, India’s father of the nation was born in
Gujarat and led the Indian Independence Movement against British. Modern Gujarat has one
of the fastest growing economies in India.

Gujarat borders with Pakistan to the north-west, bounded by the Arabian Sea to the
southwest, the state of Rajasthan to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, as well as
Maharashtra, Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south.
Historically, the North was known as Anarta, the Kathiawad peninsula, “Saurastra”, and the
South as “Lata”. Gujarat was also known as Pratichya and Varuna. The Arabian Sea makes up
the state’s western coast. The capital, Gandhinagar is a planned city. Gujarat has an area of
75,686 sq mi (196,077 km²).

Cities

Below is a selection of eight of Gujarat’s most populated cities. Other cities can be found under
their specific regions.

* Ahmedabad – Manchester of the East, Commercial Capital of Gujarat, Home of Mahatma

Gandhi’s Ashram and the World’s Finest and Breathtaking Textile Museum.

* Surat – Diamond city of India, Famous for Mouth Watering Surati Food.

* Vadodara or Baroda – Sanskari Nagari (Cultured City) and Oxford of Gujarat.

* Rajkot – Former capital of the state of Saraushtra.

* Bhavnagar – A busy industrial centre, base for journeys to nearby Shatrunjaya and
Velavadar National Park.
* Jamnagar – Home to the world’s largest Grass-Root Refinery complex.

* Gandhinagar – Administrative capital of Gujarat, City of Akshardham Temple and Second

planned Green City of India.

* Junagadh – City of ancient the Ashokan Stone Edicts.

Other Destinations

* Dholavira – Harappan (Indus) Civilization Site.

* Champaner – UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

* Lothal – Well planed Harappan (Indus) Civilization Port.

* Rani ni Vav – A famous stepwell (1304 AD.)

* The Sun Temple Modhera – 1000 years old famous Sun Temple.

* The Somanath- Glory of the Somnath temple attracted Islamic looter (Mahmud of Ghazni).
That time temple is so wealthy that it had 1000 priest and 300 musicians. The temple is
located on beach of Arabian Sea.

* The Dwarka- The Dwarka is believed to have been built by Lord Krishna himself. The temple
must have been erected during the period of Mughal Emperor, Akbar.

Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals
treasures hidden from the tourist hordes. Gujaratis are famous for their entrepreneurship,
both India and abroad. Encounter an Indian anywhere, from Wall Street to Wellington, and
there’s a good chance they hail from this wealthy, resourceful state. There are many
significant sites of God Krishna’s life lie along the coast of Saurashtra.The geographic diversity
and strategic location has made Gujarat home to an incredible diversity of people. With 20%
of the country’s total industrial output, it is the most industrialized state in India.
People

About 89% of the population of Gujarat are Hindu. Muslims account for 9% and Jain 1% of the
population. Most of the Gujarati people are strict “vegetarians”. Amongst Hindus the deity of
Krishna is famously worshipped in His form of Shrinathji throughout Gujarat. Since Gujarat
being a heavily industrialized state of India, attracts lots of outsiders from various parts of
India.

Weather

The Winters are mild, pleasant, and dry with average daytime temperatures around 83 °F(29
°C) and nights around 53 °F(12 °C) with 100 percent sunny days and clear nights. The
Summers are extremely hot and dry with day temperatures around 115 °F(46 °C) and at night
no lower than 90 °F(34 °C) with sunshine. The time just before the Monsoon, the temperature
are similar to Summer but now there is high humidity which makes the air feel hotter. Relief
comes when the monsoon season starts around in mid June. The day temperatures are lower
to around 100 °F(38 °C) but humidity is very high and nights are around 80 °F(27 °C). Winter
(October to March) is best time to travel in Gujarat.

Beaches

Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach – Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach is situated on the coastline of the state of
Gujarat and is one of the finest beaches in India. It is located in Ahemdpur Mandvi, which is
the historic port town of Maharao of Kutch.

Chorwad Beach – Chorwad Beach of Gujarat is another splendid beach situated on the west
coast of India. It is situated at a distance of 66 km from Junagadh. Chorwad has a high
potential of attracting both domestic as well as international tourists. The beach constitutes of
rocky hills and presents opportunity for thrilling boat rides.

Diu Beach – Diu beach is situated off the Saurashtra coast and is connected to the state of
Gujarat via a causeway. Diu is a secluded island and does not have much population. This
makes it the place ideal for a serene vacation, away from the worries of daily life.
Gopnath Beach – Gopnath Beach is situated in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. It comes into
Talaja Taluka. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Kambhat, at a distance of 75 km from
the city of Bhavnagar. and 22 km. away from Talaja. Gopnath is a pristine beach known for its
natural beauty. There is nice fort of king of Gohilvad in Gopnath.

Kutch Mandvi Beach — Kutch Mandvi is an important beach in Gujarat, situated at Mandvi.
Mandvi is the historic port town of Maharao of Kutch, located at a distance of 75 km from
Bhuj. Kutch Mandvi was once inhabited by the Maharao of Kutch and was an important
seaport.

Umbergam Beach – Umargam is about 6 km from Umargam Road railway station on Mumbai-
Surat rail section . This region was part of Thane district prior to creation of Gujarat in 1960.

Umargam is situated on the southern bank of Nargol creek. It was a small village about two
centuries ago, serving as a transit point for exporting marine products from the fishing port
Nargol on the Northern Bank of the creek.

TITHAL Beach (Valsad) tithal beach 5 km from Valsad. It is only beach of the world which has
only temple which is on the shore of Beach

Transportation

Railway

Gujarat comes under Western Railways of Indian Railways. Ahmedabad is the busiest railway
station in Gujarat. Indian Railways is planning Delhi-Mumbai dedicated rail freight route
passing through the state. Government of India is also planning $100 billion Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor Project on the lines of this freight corridor. Delhi-Mumbai corridor it has
good four lane road and one Ahmedabad-Baroda express way.

Airports

Gujarat has ten airports, the most of any Indian state as per the list of airports in India. All
are domestic airports except Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad,
which also offers international flights.

International Airport

* Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad)- Many domestic as well as

international flights operate from here.

Domestic Airports

* Bhavnagar Airport – Bhavnagar Airport, 9 km from the city of Bhavnagar.

* Bhuj Airport – In the Bhuj city of Gujarat. This airport has been recently been named
Shyamji Krishna Verma, Bhuj Airport.

* Jamnagar Airport – 10 km from the City of Jamnagar.

* Kandla Airport (Gandhidham) – situated at Kandla, near Gandhidham, in Kutch district.

* Keshod Airport (Junagadh) – Keshod Airport is found 3 km from Keshod city in Junagadh
District.
* Porbandar Airport – is situated 5 km from the city of Porbandar.

* Rajkot Airport – 4 km from the city of Rajkot.

* Surat Airport – This domestic airport of Gujarat was recently inaugurated in Surat, on
Magdalla Road.

* Vadodara Airport – Another domestic airport can be found near Vadodara city in Gujarat.

* Zalawad Airport – Future Airport for Surendranagar area.

* Mehsana Airport – Meshana Airport is found 2 km from Meshsana city

Local transportation

Bus

One of the most popular public transports in Gujarat is the City Bus. The only problem that
can surface with the city buses is that the bus numbers and the route information is given in
Gujarati. Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is the primary body responsible
for providing these services. It is a public transport corporation providing bus services and
public transit within Gujarat and to the other states in India. Apart from this, there are a
number of services provided by GSRTC.

* Mofussil Services — It connects major cities, smaller towns and villages within Gujarat.

* Intercity Bus Services — It also connects major cities — Ahmedabad, Vadodara (Baroda)
and Rajkot.

* Interstate Bus Services — It connects various cities of Gujarat with the neighboring states of
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

* City Services — GSRTC also provides city bus services at Surat, Baroda, Rajkot,
Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, within the state of Gujarat.

* Parcel Services — This service is used for transporting goods.

Apart from this, the GSRTC provides special bus services for festivals, industrial zones,
schools, colleges and pilgrim places.

Auto Rickshaws

Auto rickshaw is an important and frequently used mode of transport in Gujarat. Government
is promoting CNG Auto rickshaw to reduce pollution.

Eat

Gujarat is haven for Vegetarian (Lacto-vegetarian) People. Approx. 80% people of Gujarat eat
vegetarian foods only. It is very famous for variety of vegetarian and quality food. There are
hundreds of Lacto – vegetarian foods verities are offered across Gujarat. Rotli (Chapati/Puri) ,
Shaak (Subzi/Vegetables/Curries), Mithai (Sweets), Rice and Dal are parts of Standard
Gujarati Thali (Meal) in Restaurants. It might be little difficult to find non-vegetarian
restaurant in Gujarat.
District(s) 26

Established 1 May 1960

Capital Gandhinagar

Largest city Ahmedabad

Governor S.C. Jamir (acting)

Chief Minister Narendra Modi

Legislature (seats) Unicameral (182)

Language(s) Gujarati

Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Area 196,024 km2 (75,685 sq mi)

ISO 3166-2 IN-GJ

Website www.gujaratindia.com

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Dr Verghese Kurien

This is a story of a dream to which the interacting faith of a great many people finally gave
substance.

Realisation of the dream began with the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, which was
then like a small but sturdy plant, full of sap. That plant has grown into a fruitful tree, with
spreading roots and branches, but it is still nourished by the soil from which it sprang. Likewise are
the towering concrete structures and landscaped gardens; the array of computers; the clever,
highly skilled technical staff; the busy researchers, eloquent teachers, and eager students: they all
draw their purpose from the `white revolution' that has brought so much of rural India out of the
feudal age.

The white revolution has not been easy to achieve. At one time, the milk lake of Kaira district was
stagnant. A few traders skimmed off fat profits, leaving to the numerous producers only a sour thin
whey of inadequate payment. But the cooperative movement bean to churn that lake and soon it
overflowed, spreading throughout the country. There was some pain for all those involved in the
movement: for the traders, who lost much profit; and for the milk producers, who had to discipline
themselves to responsibility, to a practice of democratic principles, and to the acceptance of
changes in a lifestyle that had imparted a sense of security, chiefly because it was traditional; pain,
too, for the men who initiated and then guided the movement with patience and perseverance,
learning to accept temporary frustrations in the long-term interest of their project.

The Churning Begins

Image: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai and others at the
inauguration of Amul Dairy.

The cooperative movement in Kaira had an early beginning. A resolution of the Bombay Presidency
Government in 1904 had directed that work should begin on organizing cooperativesin six districts,
including Kaira. A cooperative Societies Act from the same government in 1912 was more effective.
The Congress ministry, which took office in 1937, showed greater interest in the cooperative
movement, recognizing it as an instrument of rural reconstruction. A report was commissioned by
Vaikunthlal Mehta, the Finance Minister, and M D Bhansali of the ICS (Indian Civil Service), who was
registrar of Cooperative Societies. After World War II, the movement progressed greatly in Bombay
presidency, despite the short tenure of the Congress ministry.

Milk production was unsatisfactory particularly because of two deficiencies. One, in order to produce
milk of better quality and larger quantities, milch cattle should have been upgraded (as European
dairy cattle have been), but that was a costly process that was beyond the means of the average
milk producer. (as long as short supply kept the selling price of milk high, traders could not be
expected to bother). Two, to make the most of whatever milk was available, it should have been
distributed efficiently and economically, which was impossible with primitive chilling facilities and
lack of transport routes.

An Unlikely Recruit

Image: Collection of milk at a village society.

It was kindly providence that brought Verghese Kurien to work at dairy engineering in a part of
India that was so different and far from his native Kerala. Kurien was born in Calicut on November
26, 1921. His father, Puthenparakkal Kurien, was a civil surgeon serving in Madras Presidency. In
his fifteenth year, Kurien passed the Secondary School Leaving CertificateExamination. Too young
for admission to an engineering college, he took a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola College,
Madras, graduating in 1940 with the seventh rank in the presidency. Intelligent, hardworking and
ambitious, he was a credit to his family and community.

Shockingly inadequate living quarters (there was no bathroom until Kurien contrived a suitable
enclosure with corrugated iron sheets), insalubrious surroundings, and enforced idleness: Kurien
might well consider himself to be serving a term of punishment. A natty dresser, he no longer took
trouble over his appearance but grew a beard, wore khaki overalls, and began to smoke
continuously. His brother sent him an old-fashioned cook-bearer named Anthony, who carried out
his duties in full panoply of turban, sash and starched uniform. This added the final touch of
absurdity what Kurien could only regard as a farce.

Anand was such a small town that a newcomer was bound to be noticed and talked about. As a
meat-eating bachelor (in a largely vegetarian town), and a Malayali-Christian with a phoren (phoren
is the vernacular pronunciation of foreign) degree, he provided ample scope for speculation in local
gossip. The man who was particularly interested in Kurien was the one who had watched him alight
from the train on the thirteenth of May, Maganbhai Patel. He sought out this engineer who, like
himself, had studied at an American University. It was fortunate that they became acquainted for
when Tribhuvandas came to Maganbhai with another woeful tale of his struggles with the
malfunctioning plant, Maganbhai advised him to talk to Kurien.

All Kurien could think of was the Bombay, city of luxuries, where he enjoyed his monthly trips,
might also offer a market for his milk powder. He asked to be sent on an official visit so that histaxi
fares in Bombay could be reimbursed. Desai responded indignantly. There was no provision for such
expenditure in his budget, and he was not willing to be pestered with official inquiries about it. If
Kurien went, it must be privately, but if he did not go, Desai would not authorize manufacture of
milk powder any more.

So determined was Kurien to keep himself usefully occupied that he undertook a private expedition
to Bombay to sell the milk powder. With the help of his friends he made a list of likely customers,
then tried them one by one. At the end of two days when he was almost at the end of his list, he
found a buyer. A biscuit factory was prepared to take all five tones of the milk powder. Tried but
pleased, Kurien returned to Anand in a fatefully altered state of affairs.

A Leap of Faith

Image: Amul Dairy, Anand

The year 1953 marked an important milestone, in Kurien's personal life as much as in the history of
Kaira Cooperative. On his return from New Zealand in April 1953, Kurien disembarked at Bombay,
where he spent a few days. One ngiht, he attended a dinner given by the YMCA to honour his
maternal uncle, DR Thomas Yakhub.

At the dinner he met a prominent businessman and social worker, K M Philip, of the wealthy family
that owned Malayala Manorama, Kerala's most widely read and influential daily. Philip's wife had a
younger sister, Susan Peter, fair, comely with unusual grey eyes and light brownhair. Her father and
Kurien's had been friends, although Molly (as she in known to most of her acquaintances) and
Kurien had never met. Kurien's mother had been trying for some time to get her son suitably
married. He finally accepted his mother's suggestion that he go to Trichur and meet Molly Peter.
They met for the first time on May 28, 1953, were married on June 15, at ten in the morning, and
caught the four o'clock train to Bombay enroute to Anand. Molly Kurien learned very early that her
husband's life revolved around his work in Anand.

But to return to the history of Amul, in 1953 a proposal came from Unicef to the Government of
Bombay. For years Unicef had been distributing free milk powder in underdeveloped nations, but it
aw no advantage to the recipients in continued dependence on this aid unless it helped the nation to
develop some industry of its own. Unicef offered a donation to the Bombay government, which
would include milk drying equipment worth eight lakh rupees, in return for which the government
would bind itself to distribute, through the BMS and Kaira Cooperative, 12 lakh rupees worth of free
milk to undernourished, children of Kaira.

Taking on the Giants

Image: Various Amul products

During the winter of 1957-58, Amul Dairy frequently worked beyond capacity, sometimes for days
on end, making butter and milk powder in a dogged attempt to utilize the surplus milk refused by
the BMS. For 49 days, the latter only accepted between 3700 and 7500 kl of milk daily, against the
contracted minimum of 26,000 kl. Sales of Amul butter helped ease the resultant financial strain.
Amul butter also compensated consumers for the shortage arising from the government's policy of
severely restricting imports. By filling the gap, Amul became one of the leaders in import
substitution, saved foreign exchange, and kept market prices of butter in check.

In 1958-59 the decidedly unhappy relationship between Kaira Cooperative and the BMS took a turn
for the better when the latter increased its offtake by 30 per cent over the quantity accepted in
1957-58. Meanwhile, Amul yielded to persuasion by the Indian government and began to
manufacture sweetened considered milk.

The government had two reasons for urging Amul to make condensed milk. While the armed forces
required large amounts of it, need to conserve foreign exchange necessitated its removal from the
list of imports. In 1954-55, condensed milk worth close on 1,500,000 dollars had been imported, of
which 60 per cent was taken by the armed forces.

Text and photographs excerpted from: The Amul India Story by Ruth Heredia. Price: Rs
295. Published with permission from Tata Mc-Graw Hill Publishing Company Limited.
Copyright 1997. All rights reserved.
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