Zhagadia (also spelled Jhagadia) is a

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 ...

Bharuch district Bharuch (formerly commonly known as Broach) in India, is a district in the southern part of the Kathiawar, Kathiawar peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston. Bharuch derives ...

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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Zhagadia is located south of the southern bank of the

Narmada River The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

. It is southeast of the historic town ShuklaThirth, where

Chanakya Chanakya (ISO 15919, ISO: ', चाणक्य, ), according to legendary narratives preserved in various traditions dating from the 4th to 11th century CE, was a Brahmin who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya, Chandragup ...

apparently lived until he returned to Pataliputra (now

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

). The economy of Zhagadia is dependent on industrial area (GIDC) and the fertile land where

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

, and other vegetables and fruits are grown and exported. Trade to the interior villages, local government offices, and Seva Rural Hospital and local businesses provide most of the employment. In Zhagadia is the town Bhalod, on the Narmada riverbank, across from another town, Koral. Bhalod is known for farming bananas, cotton, and sugar cane, although it suffers from a high rate of emigration, primarily to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The town has cultural activities, such as the three-day program of Gangadashahara. During this period, many

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

s from various parts of Gujarat and elsewhere travel to Bhalod to be "blessed" by their "holy River" Narmada", in celebration of the 'birth' of the "holy River"

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

. Bhalod has a number of temples, including Ramnath Mahadev, Mokshnath Mahadev, Datatrey, Ranchhodnathji & Gayatri Mata.

Industries

Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation has developed a megaindustrial estate in Zhagadia. Companies there include:

Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories is an American multinational medical devices and health care company with headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois, in the United States. The company was founded by Chicago physician Wallace Calvin Abbott in 1888 to formulate k ...

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United Phosphorus United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

, Gulbrandsen Technologies,

Kohler Kohler is an occupational surname of German origin. It means "charcoal burner". Notable people with the surname include: *Alan Kohler (born 1952), Australian journalist *Anton Kohler (1907–1961), German chess player *Berthold Kohler (born 1961 ...

, S. Kumar, Century Textile and Industries, Aarti Industries Limited, BEC Fertilizers Limited, Welspun, Brakes India and

Agrotech Agricultural technology or agrotechnology (abbreviated agtech, agritech, AgriTech, or agrotech) is the use of technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture with the aim of improving yield, efficiency, and profitability. Agricultural tec ...

(an affiliate of

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Education

For students too young for high school, the public schools are divided into male and female schools. Zaghadia has an all-female primary and middle school and an all-male primary and middle school. Two high schools serve the local population. The oldest high school is Diwan Dhanji Shah High School, which was founded in 1942 by Diwan of Rajpipla's King, a group of concerned citizens in response to the lack of public education in the remote region. The result of their efforts, at least in part, was that the strength of the education program in the 1950s and 1960s was noted throughout Gujarat. A private school, Manav School, also exists in Zaghadia.

Tourism

Places to visit include: Jain Daherasar, Kabirvad, Gayatri Mandir, Dholi Reservoir, and Hanuman Temple. Trips to banana farms and a ride in bullock cart in fields are popular experiences. Gumandev, an old temple of the

Hindu god Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, even agnostic, atheistic, or humanist. Julius J. L ...

Hanuman, is a holy place for

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

in Bharuch, from Zhagadia.

Notes and references

{{reflist

External links

Official website of Gujarat
the state where Zaghadia is located Cities and towns in Bharuch district