Familypedia
Register
Advertisement


Valsad
Bulsar
—  City  —
Valsad City View from Parnera Hill in Gujarat,India
Valsad City View from Parnera Hill
Nickname(s): City of Peace =



Valsad is located in Gujarat <div style="position: absolute; top: Expression error: Missing operand for *.%; left: -1027.7%; height: 0; width: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
Red pog
Valsad
Country Flag of India India
State Gujarat
District Valsad
Elevation 13 m (43 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 170,060
Demonym Valsadians, Valsadis
Languages
 • Official Gujarati
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 396001
Telephone code 912632
Vehicle registration GJ-15
Sex ratio 926/1000 /
Literacy 80.94 %

Valsad (Pronunciation: [ʋalsɑɖ]) (Gujarati: વલસાડ), historically known as Bulsar, is a city and a municipality in Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the district headquarters of Valsad district.[2] The city of Valsad is located in the south of Navsari and Surat.

Etymology[]

The name "Valsad" derives from vad-saal, a Gujarati language compound meaning "hampered (saal) by banyan trees (vad)" (the area was naturally rich in banyan trees). During British Raj, it was historically known as "Bulsar".

Geography[]

Valsad is located at 20°38′N 72°56′E / 20.63, 72.93.[3] It has an average elevation of 13 metres (42 feet). The old city is about 4 km inland from the Arabian sea.

Geography of Valsad City:[4]
Average rainfall 1500 mm
Average temperature 26.9 °C
Seismic Zone Zone III
Major rivers Auranga, Wanki
Beaches Tithal Beach

Climate[]

Valsad has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) with little to no rainfall from October to May and very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from June to September when it is under the direct influence of Arabian Sea branch of the South-west monsoon.

Climate data for Valsad, India (1981-2010, extremes 1974–2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.9
(98.4)
38.8
(101.8)
42.3
(108.1)
43.1
(109.6)
41.9
(107.4)
38.1
(100.6)
36.8
(98.2)
33.4
(92.1)
36.4
(97.5)
38.9
(102.0)
38.1
(100.6)
36.7
(98.1)
43.1
(109.6)
Average high °C (°F) 29.6
(85.3)
29.7
(85.5)
32.4
(90.3)
33.8
(92.8)
33.8
(92.8)
32.5
(90.5)
30.1
(86.2)
29.3
(84.7)
30.4
(86.7)
32.9
(91.2)
32.4
(90.3)
31.4
(88.5)
31.5
(88.7)
Average low °C (°F) 14.6
(58.3)
15.8
(60.4)
19.1
(66.4)
22.8
(73.0)
26.0
(78.8)
26.2
(79.2)
24.9
(76.8)
24.5
(76.1)
23.9
(75.0)
22.2
(72.0)
18.7
(65.7)
15.6
(60.1)
21.2
(70.2)
Record low °C (°F) 7.1
(44.8)
5.6
(42.1)
10.6
(51.1)
17.1
(62.8)
19.8
(67.6)
17.0
(62.6)
16.8
(62.2)
15.6
(60.1)
16.8
(62.2)
12.6
(54.7)
10.4
(50.7)
7.0
(44.6)
5.6
(42.1)
Rainfall mm (inches) 0.3
(0.012)
0.0
(0)
0.1
(0.004)
0.0
(0)
3.0
(0.118)
274.6
(10.811)
576.0
(22.677)
381.4
(15.016)
218.4
(8.598)
32.6
(1.283)
13.3
(0.524)
0.6
(0.024)
1,500.3
(59.067)
Avg. rainy days 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 7.9 15.5 15.5 9.0 1.4 0.5 0.1 50.3
humidity 54 53 50 58 66 75 82 84 79 67 56 55 64.9
Source: India Meteorological Department[5][6]

Demographics[]

Religions in Valsad
Religion Amount
Hindus
  
85.04%
Muslims
  
10.31%
Jains
  
2.55%
Christians
  
1.24%
Others†
  
0.8%
Distribution of religions
Includes Sikhs (0.2%), Buddhists (0.11%).

As of the 2011 India census,[7] Valsad (metropolitan area) has a population of 170,060. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Valsad has an average literacy rate of 91.66%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 94.62%, and female literacy is 88.58%.

The major language spoken is Gujarati. Other languages spoken are Hindi, Marathi and English.

The major religion followed in Valsad is Hinduism. Other religions followed are Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.

Transport[]

Valsad Railway Building

Valsad railway station

Valsad lies on NH 48. Valsad is connected to many cities in Gujarat by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation bus service. Valsad is one of the 16 divisions of GSRTC referred as Daman Ganga.

Valsad railway station is managed by the Mumbai WR railway division of the Western Railway and it is a Sub-Division under Western Railway. It lies on the New Delhi–Mumbai main line. The present railway station building was established in 1925. Adjacent to the railway station is the Valsad Electric Loco Shed which houses over 100 electric locomotives.

Valsad is close to Surat International Airport, which is 99 km north of the city, located in Surat. The other airport closer to Valsad is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which is 188.3 km south from the city.

Economy[]

Valsad is an industrial base for sectors such as chemicals, textiles, and paper & pulp industries. Since the 1980s, textile and chemicals have been the major sectors of investments and employment in the district. Valsad is emerging as a horticulture hub of the state, witnessing significant production in food grains and crops.

Valsad has 7 industrial estates located in Dungra, Pardi, Dharampur, Bhilad, Valsad, Umbergaon, Sarigam, Vapi (the chemical hub of Gujarat) and 1 Industrial park in Kalgam.[8] With over 300 medium and large scale industries, Vapi is a major industrial center in Valsad. One of Asia's largest Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is present in Vapi, owned by Vapi Waste & Effluent Management Company and promoted by Vapi Industrial Association.[9]

Education[]

Colleges[]

  • GMERS Medical College, est 2014
  • Government Engineering College, est 2004
  • Government Polytechnic, est 1965
  • Smt. J.P. Shroff Arts College
  • Shah N.H. Commerce College
  • Dhiru-Sarla Institute of Management and Commerce
  • B.K.M. Science College
  • Dolat-Usha Institute of Applied Sciences
  • Shree N. K. M. Nursing Instuite
  • Shah K.M. Law College

Schools[]

Affiliated with ICSE
  • Atul Vidyalaya School
Affiliated with the CBSE
Affiliated with the GSHSEB
  • D.M.D.G. Municipal High School
  • Jamnabai Sarvajanik Kanya Vidyalaya
  • Maniba Sarvajanik Vidyalaya
  • Shah Khimchand Mulji Sarvajanik High School
  • St. Joseph's English Teaching High School
  • Mother Mary Public High school.
  • Bai Ava Bai High School
  • BAPS Swaminarayan Vidhyamandir
  • G.V.D. Sarvajanik High School
  • Sett Rustomjee Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy or Sett R.J.J High School
  • R.M. & V.M. Desai Vidyalaya
  • Swaminarayan High School
  • Gayatri High School
  • Kusum Vidyalaya
  • C.B High school

Tourist Attraction[]

Tithal Beach Sun Set

Tithal Beach

Tithal Beach is located near Tithal town. The sand of the beach is black sand. Tithal Beach Festival and International Kite Festival are also organized on the shore of the beach.

Shree Shirdi Saibaba Sansthapan is located on the shore of the beach in Tithal town of Valsad district. The temple was established in 1982.

Swaminarayan Temple

Swaminarayan Temple, Tithal

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is located on the shore of the beach in Tithal town of Valsad district. This is a temple of Lord Swami Narayan.

Shantidham Aradhana Kendra in Tithal is a meditation centre.[10]

Tadkeshwar Mahadev Temple is a temple of Lord Shiva located in Abrama. This temple is more than 800 years old.

Morarji Desai Museum is built to dedicate former 5th Prime Minister of India, Morarji Desai in Valsad. The museum was developed by Valsad municipality at a cost of Rs. 4 crore. The museum was inaugurated by former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel.[11]

Callian Baug is an urban park in Valsad. In 1929, Mr. Motilal Callianji presented donation for park to Valsad Municipality in memory of his father. In 1931, Callian Baug was opened by J.H.Garrett.[12]

Notable people[]

  • Ronak Shah-bday on 18 November.
  • Bhulabhai Desai - freedom fighter and acclaimed lawyer.
  • Bindu Desai - Hindi film actress.
  • Dadabhoy Havewala - first-class cricketer, who played for Bombay cricket team and Parsees cricket team.
  • Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) - singer and songwriter for the British rock band Queen, whose family originated from Valsad.
  • Hemin Desai - Indian-born cricketer, who has represented Oman at the List A cricket.
  • Makarand Dave - Gujarati poet.
  • Manilal Desai - Gujarati poet.
  • Morarji Desai - former Prime Minister of India.
  • Nagindas Parekh - literary critic, editor and translator.
  • Nanubhai Vakil - a Hindi and Gujarati film director.
  • Narayan Desai - Gujarati author.
  • Nirupa Roy - Hindi film actress.
  • Pooja Jhaveri - Telugu, Tamil and Kannada film actress.
  • Pramodkumar Patel - literary critic.
  • Pratap Save - a social activist.
  • Ravindra Parekh - a writer, novelist, poet, critic and translator.
  • Rex Sellers - a former Indian-Australian cricketer.
  • Sam Manekshaw - First Field Marshal of India and former chief of army staff, India. His family hailed from Valsad, later moved to Bombay and then Amritsar
  • Sangeita Chauhan - South Indian film & Hindi television actress.
  • Sheela Sharma - Hindi and Gujarati film actress.
  • Ushnas - Gujarati poet.

See also[]

  • Gulf of Khambhat
  • Tithal Beach
  • Surat
  • Vapi
  • Navsari

References[]

External links[]

Commons-logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Advertisement