Jamkhambhaliya, also known as Khambhalia, is a town and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Devbhoomi Dwarka district Devbhumi Dwarka District is a district of India located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch in the state of Gujarat. Its headquarters are located in the city of Jamkhambhaliya. The district was created on 15 August 2013 from Jamnagar dis ...

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 ...

, India. It is the headquarters and the largest town of the district. Khambhaliya is famous for ghee and eggplants all over India.

History

The ancient town of Khambhalia was ruled by the Vaghela clan--the Jam Shahib of Nawanagar conquered it from them. It had served as the capital of

Nawanagar State Nawanagar was an Indian state and then a princely state in the historical Halar region, located on the southern shores of the Gulf of Kutch. It was ruled by the Jadeja Rajput dynasty and became a part of newly formed India. Its capital cit ...

when Nawanagar was under

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

rule. Built around 350 years ago, the old town is fortified and has bastions at the intervals. There are five gates: Nagar gate, Por gate, Jodhpur gate, Salaya gate and Dwarka gate. The old temples in the town include Ramnath, Kamnath, Ashapuri Mata, Kalyanraiji and Jadeshwar Mahadev temples. Other important religious places are Mahaprabhu's '' Bethak'' and Ajmer Pir Dargah.

Demographics

Khambhalia has a population of approximately 100,000. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Khambhalia has an average literacy rate of 30%. In Khambhalia, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Geography

Khambhalia is situated on the raising ground. The town is located on the banks of Ghee and Teli rivers.

Culture

Near Ramnath temple, on the bank of river, an annual fair is held on the last three days of

Shravana Shravana (Devanagari: श्रवण), also known as Thiruvonam in Tamil and Malayalam (Tamil: திருவோணம், Malayalam: തിരുവോണം), is the 22nd ''nakshatra'' or ''lunar mansion'' as used in Hindu astronomy, Hindu ca ...

month. The annual fair is also organised at Shiru lake.

Economy

Khambhalia was well known for its iron smiths. The Gujarat Essar Power owned powerhouse was established in 2011. There are several oil mills near the town. Ivory bangles and handlooms were major handicrafts.

Ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

, cottonseed and groundnuts are major trade commodities. Essar oil refinery and Reliance Refinery are major petroleum refineries near the town. There is a general hospital and new district hospital is coming up. The town had several schools, veterinary hospital and a government library.

Connectivity

Khambhalia railway station is situated on Viramgam-Okha broad gauge line. There is a branch line from it to Salaya port. The town is connected to all major cities of Gujarat by state road transport GSRTC.

References

{{reflist Cities and towns in Devbhoomi Dwarka district Former capital cities in India