Mehsana

Mehsana (pronunciation ), also spelled Mahesana, is a city and municipality in Mehsana district,[4] in the Indian state of Gujarat.[5] Established in 14th century, the city was under Gaekwads of Baroda State from 18th century to the independence of India in 1947. The municipality was established in 1919–20. The town has population of about 185,000. Dairy, oil and natural gas are major industries while there are several small and medium enterprises in the city.

For its namesake district, see Mehsana district.

Mehsana
City
Rajmahal, a palace built in 1904 by Sayajirao Gaekwad III
Mehsana Location in Gujarat, India Show map of Gujarat Mehsana Mehsana (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 23.6°N 72.4°E / 23.6; 72.4
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District	Mehsana
Founded by	Mehsaji Chavda
Government
• Body	Mehsana Municipality
Area
• City	32 km^2 (12 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• City	184,991[2]
• Rank	17th (Gujarat)
• Metro [3]	190,189
Languages
• Official	Gujarati, Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	384001, 384002
Telephone code	91 2762
Vehicle registration	GJ-02
Sex ratio	1.12[1] ♂/♀
Website	mehsananagarpalika.com

History

Gate of Toranwali Mata Temple

Mehsana was established by Mehsaji Chavda, Rajput heir of the Chavda dynasty. He constructed the Torana (arc gate) of the city and a temple dedicated to Goddess Toran in Vikram Samvat 1414, Bhadrapad Sud 10 (1358 AD).[6] It is described by Jaisinh Brahmbhatt in poems from 1932 AD,[7][8] and corroborated by Manilal Nyalchand, an author of Pragat Prabhavi Parshvanath of Samvat 1879 (1822 AD). He also states that Mehsaji built the temple dedicated to Chamunda. It inconclusively establishes that the town was founded during Rajput period. Another legend says that Mehsaji established it in Vikram Samvat 1375 (1319 AD). The town is named after him.[9]

Gaekwads conquered Baroda and established Baroda State in 1721. They expanded their rule in north Gujarat and established Patan as its administrative headquarters. Later the headquarters was moved to Kadi and subsequently to Mehsana in 1902. The Gaekwad dynasty connected the city by Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway which was opened on 21 March 1887. Sayajirao Gaekwad III built Rajmahal palace in 1904 (Vikram Samvat 1956) at a cost of 443,532 rupees by the British architect Stevens. Intended for his son, Fatehsinhrao, who died shortly afterwards in 1908, the palace was then handed over to municipal authorities.[10] It is being used as a district court.[8][9]

Baroda State merged with the Union of India after independence in 1947. It was merged into Bombay State as Mehsana district in 1949. Later it became part of Gujarat in 1960 after the division of Bombay state into Gujarat and Maharashtra. Mehsana is headquarters of Mehsana district in north Gujarat.[7][9]

Geography

Mehsana has an average elevation of 265 feet (81 m) above sea level.

Administration

Mehsana Municipality (Nagar Palika) was established in 1919–20. Following the merger of Baroda state with Bombay State on 1 August 1949, it was governed by Bombay District Municipal Act, 1902. Since 1 January 1956, it is governed under Gujarat Nagar Palika Act, 1963.[8] It falls under Mehsana Metropolitan Region.

Demographics

As of the 2011 India census, the population of Mehsana was 184,991, of which male and female were 97,440 and 87,551, respectively.[2] Its urban-metropolitan population was 190,753 of which 100,558 were males and 90,195 were females.[11]

The sex ratio was 894 females to 1,000 males.[1] Mehsana had an average literacy rate of 84.26%, higher than the national average. Male literacy was 91.88%, and female literacy was 76.12%.[1] 9.4% of Mehsana's population was under 6 years of age.[1]

At 762,[1] Mehsana had the lowest child sex-ratio among the urban centres in India.[12]

Population growth of Mehsana
Census	Population		%±
1901	9,393		—
1911	10,141		8.0%
1921	11,888		17.2%
1931	14,762		24.2%
1941	16,986		15.1%
1951	22,804		34.3%
1961	32,577		42.9%
1971	51,598		58.4%
1981	72,872		41.2%
1991	88,201		21.0%
2001	98,987		12.2%
2011	184,991		86.9%
Sources:[10][13]

Mehsana City	Total	Male	Female
City & outgrowths	190,753	100,558	90,195
Literates	148,851	81,647	67,204
Children (0–6)	18,946	10,751	8,195
Literacy	89.64%	94.18%	84.69%
Sex ratio	899
Child sex ratio	762

Religion

Hinduism is the majority religion in Mehsana with 88.18% of the population being followers. Islam is the second-most-popular religion in the city at 9.26%, followed by Jainism at 1.62%, Sikhism 0.28%, Buddhism 0.28%, and Christianity at 0.27%. Around 0.01% identified with other religions and approximately 0.36% were of no particular religion.

Jain Temple in Mehsana

Religion	Population	Percentage
Hindu	168,205	88.18%
Muslims	17,673	9.26%
Jain	3,099	1.62%
Not stated	688	0.36%
Sikh	525	0.28%
Christian	508	0.27%
Buddhist	27	0.01%
Others	28	0.01%

Places of worship

Simandhar Swami Jain Derasar is a temple located near Modhera crossroads. It is 49 metres (161 ft) long, 30 metres (97 ft) broad and 33 metres (107 ft) high. The central deity (moolnayak) of the temple is a 12 feet (3.7 m) white idol of Simandhar Swami in lotus position (padmansa). The temple was established in 1971 under guidance of Jain monk Kailas sagar.[14]

Major Hindu temples include: Pushtimarg temples of Madanmohanlalji temple and Dwarkadhishji temple, Toranvali Mata temple, Brahmani Mata temple, Hinglaj Mata temple, Bahuchar Mata temple, Kalupur Gadi Swaminarayan temple, BAPS Swaminarayan temple, Gayatri temple, Ambika Mata temple and Somnath Mahadev temple.[9]

There is a temple dedicated to Ayyappa established by the South Indian community and a Gurdwara Sahib established by the Sikh community near Radhanpur crossroads on State Highway 41.

Christian churches include Mar Gregorious Orthodox Syrian Church.

Places of interest

Boter Kotha ni Vav

Persian and Devnagari inscriptions in Vav

Boter Kotha ni Vav, also known as Interi Vav, is a stepwell located opposite the crematorium in the Ambaipara area. Though folklore associates it to Lakha Vanzara, it was constructed of bricks and sandstone during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. An inscription dating from Samvat 1731 (1674 AD) in Persian and Devnagari scripts states that it was commissioned by Shah Gokaldas of Shrimali caste, Laghu Shakha, and his mother Manabai for public welfare. It is 14 to 15 metres (45 to 50 ft) long and eleven floors deep and has unique twin wells. Repaired during the Gaekwad era, it is now neglected and polluted.[9][15][16][17][18][19]

There is another stepwell known as Badiyashi Vav in Biladi Baug.[8]

Other historical monuments include Rajmahal, Yoshovijayji Jain Sanskrit Pathshala, T. J. Highschool, Kesharbai School, Mehsana district local board office.[8]

Para Lake, officially Swami Vivekanand Lake, was excavated during the Gaekwad rule. It was redeveloped and opened in 2019.[20] Nagalpur Lake is proposed for development as a public space.[21]

Dudhsagar Dairy plant is a postmodernist building designed by Achyut Kanvinde.[14]

Economy

Industries

Mehsana has dairy, agriculture and road-equipment based industry. It also has oil and natural gas production fields and various small- and medium-size industries. The banking and finance sectors have nationalised, cooperative, and private sector banks. Many large and small road-equipment industries are established in Mehsana-Dediyasan Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC).

Dairy

The city is known for its local Mehsani breed of buffaloes.

The Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producer's Union, popularly known as Dudhsagar Dairy, is a member of the state-level Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation and the largest dairy in Asia, processing on average 1.41 million kilograms of milk each day. It has established a network for procuring milk from 4,500,000 milk producers through 1,150 village milk cooperatives.[9]

Oil and natural gas

Established in November 1967, the Mehsana fields are one of the largest onshore-producing assets of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), covering an area of 6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi) with 28 fields in 2007–08. Mehsana also has 1,311 oil wells, and 16 gas wells producing 6,000 tonnes per day.[9]

Entertainment

Wide-Angle Multiplex and Wow Cine Pulse provide entertainment facilities. Shanku's Water Park, Tirupati Nature Park, Bliss Water Park and Taranga Jain temple are located nearby. Mehsana has three radio stations: Top FM (92.7 MHz),[22] Radio Mirchi (91.9 MHz)[23] and relay station of Akashvani (100.1 MHz).

Education

T. J. Highschool, established in 1889

Mehsana has several facilities offering education to graduation and post-graduation. The Municipal Arts and Urban Bank Science College is affiliated by Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University.[24] Ganpat University,[25] located in Kherva village which is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the city. Gujarat Power Engineering and Research Institute[26] and Saffrony Institute of Technology[27] offer courses in engineering and management. B. S. Patel College of Pharmacy offers courses in pharmacy, and is affiliated with Gujarat Technological University.[28] Sarvajanik Kelvani Mandal Trust offers education in the fields of pharmacy, nursing, and homeopathy.

There are many primary and higher-secondary schools affiliated with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Gujarat Board including: Kendriya Vidyalaya ONGC Mehsana, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Vadnagar, and N.G. International School. T. J. Highschool operated by Nagrik Kelvani Mandal was established in 1889. Gurukul English Medium School started in 2012. Sarvajanik Kelvani Mandal Trust also runs many schools in north Gujarat. Other schools include Sabari Vidya Vihar, run by Dharma Sastha Seva Trust, and Bethany Mission School.

Transport

GSRTC central bus station in Mehsana

New Railway Station (MSH)

Road

Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses also connect Mehsana to other cities and villages. Auto rickshaws and taxis are available.

Mehsana is approximately 75 km (47 mi) away from Ahmedabad. It is connected to Gandhinagar,Himmatagar,Patan, Unjha and Palanpur, Visnagar via state highways.

Rail

Mahesana railway station is on the Jaipur–Ahmedabad line with daily trains to and from Delhi and Mumbai, and direct weekly or bi-weekly trains connecting major cities in north and south India, including Bangalore.

Air

The nearest passenger airport is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad. Prepaid taxis and GSRTC bus are available to Mehsana from the airport.

Mehsana Airport is currently used for non-scheduled operation and as a civil aviation training centre, operated by Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics Ltd. It has an area covering 260,000 square metres (64 acres).[29][30][31][32]

References

1. "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
2. "Census of India: Search Details". Archived from the original on 20 August 2019.
3. "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
4. https://mehsanadp.gujarat.gov.in Archived 2016-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
5. https://mehsana.gujarat.gov.in Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
6. "Mehsana - History". NRI Division. Government of Gujarat. 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
7. "History". Government of Gujarat (in Gujarati). Mehsana District Panchayat. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
8. "Mehsana Nagarpalika, Mehsana". WMehsana Nagarpalika (in Gujarati). Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
9. S. B. Rajyagor, ed. (1975). Gujarat State Gazetteers: Mehsana District. Gujarat State Gazetteers. 5. Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Government of Gujarat. pp. 1, 805–806. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017.
10. Sergeant, Philip W. (1928). The Ruler Of Baroda: An Account of the Life and Work of the Maharaja Gaekwar. Albemarle Street, London: John Murray. pp. 226–229.
11. "Census of India: Search Details". Archived from the original on 20 August 2019.
12. Radha Sharma & Bharat Yagnik (13 January 2012). "Mehsana, shame of India!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
13. "Welcome to Mehsana Nagarpalika, Mehsana, Gujarat, INDIA".
14. "Mehsana, North Gujarat, Tourism Hubs, Gujarat, India". Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
15. Manohar Sajnani (2001). Encyclopaedia of Tourism Resources in India. Gyan Publishing House. p. 111. ISBN 978-81-7835-018-9. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
16. Purnima Mehta Bhatt (16 December 2014). Her Space, Her Story: Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat. Zubaan. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-93-84757-08-3. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
17. "Enthusiasts to revive stepwell in Mehsana". The Times of India. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
18. Shukla, Rakesh (24 June 2014). "ક્યારેક લોકોની તરસ છિપાવતા હતા ગુજરાતના આ જળ મંદિરો-બોતેર કોઠાની વાવ". gujarati.oneindia.com (in Gujarati). Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
19. "શિલ્પ-સ્થાપત્યની બેનમૂન બોતેર કોઠાની વાવ કચરાપેટી બની ગઈ". Webdunia (in Gujarati). 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
20. Bhati, Deepak (4 August 2019). "13 વર્ષ બાદ મહેસાણાવાસીઓને પરા તળાવની ભેટ, આજે નીતિન પટેલના હસ્તે લોકાર્પણ". divyabhaskar (in Gujarati). Retrieved 3 November 2019.
21. Shukla, Rakeshkumar (15 July 2019). "બાવળોની ઝાંડીઓથી ઘેરાયેલુ નાગલપુર તળાવ 11.99 કરોડના ખર્ચે રમણીય બનાવાશે". Divya Bhaskar (in Gujarati). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
22. https://sambhaavnews.com/mehsana-own-radio-station-top-fm-927-starts-from-today/
23. "ENIL commences broadcast from its radio station in Mehsana | Udaipur News | Udaipur Latest News | udaipur local news". 5 November 2018.
24. "MAUBS college Homepage". Municipal Arts And Urban Bank Science College, Mehsana. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
25. Oct 14, Prashant Rupera | TNN | Updated; 2018; Ist, 9:55. "Mehsana bridges education gap of terror-hit Valley | Vadodara News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 May 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
26. "Gujarat Power Engineering and Research Institute". www.gperi.ac.in. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
27. "Saffrony Institute". www.saffrony.ac.in. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
28. "GTU student to represent team India in World Roller Sports - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
29. "Aviation infrastructure to get a facelift by next year". The Indian Express. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
30. "Modi dedicates Mehsana airport for civil aviation training". oneindia.in. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
31. "Mehsana civic body opens airfield seal after HC orders". The Times of India. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
32. "Mehsana Airport | Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited". gujsail.gujarat.gov.in. Retrieved 21 May 2019.