Somnath, also known as Veraval, is a city and the headquarters of Gir Somnath district in the

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 ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

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 ...

. Somnath temple, a place of pilgrimage due to its importance as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga sites dedicated to the Hindu deity

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

, is located here. It is also known for the hub of fishing industries in

History

Veraval was founded in the 13th or 14th century by Rao Veravalji Vadher, a

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

. Its present name is believed to be derived from its old name "Velakul" meaning Port City. Veraval was once a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. It was a part of the Kingdom of Junagadh till 1947 when

Junagadh Junagadh () is the city and headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. It i ...

was merged with India. The city still bears some remnants of the old Nawabi heritage, the Nawabi summer palace being among them. There are ruins of the old Nawabi fort and Nawabi gates in and around the place. The old walls of the port are now ruined, but the impressive Junagadh gate and the Patan gate are still seen, although in a very bad state. The Nawabi Palace with Gothic features is one of the main attractions. It is popularly known as Somnath College (the palace was converted into a college after it was abandoned by the Nawab). At present it is the building of a Sanskrit university. The town is often known as the gateway to the magnificent Somnath Temple and the pilgrimage centres of Prabhas Patan and Bhalkha. Veraval is also the nearest town to the

Gir National Park Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located north-east of Somnath, south-east of Junagadh and south-west of Amreli ...

(42 km away). Veraval's importance now is as a fishing port, one of the largest in India. Seafaring

dhow Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...

s and wooden fishing boats are still built by the fishermen without the use of any modern technology. Traditional skills are passed down from father to son. On 30 March 2021, Veraval–Pabhas Patan joint municipality passed a resolution to change its name to Somnath Municipality. The final decision will be taken by Home Ministry of India.

Geography

Veraval is located at . It has an average elevation of 0 metres (0 feet).

Demographics

As of the 2011 India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Veraval had a population of 153,696. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Veraval has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 53%. In Veraval, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Climate

Veraval has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Aw'') borderline on a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(''BSh'') with very warm to hot temperatures throughout the year. Almost all rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon season from June to September, typically falling in extremely short-lived but intense storms: on average rain falls for a total of fewer than eighty hours each year. Rainfall is also exceptionally variable from year to year:See only fell in 1901, but as much as fell in 2009, of which fell in July of that year and a record daily total of on Veraval's wettest day of 16 July 2009.

People

Veraval has a predominant Gujarati population. Amongst Gujaratis, Karadiya Rajput, Kumbhar Samaj (Prajapati), Jains (Oswal), the Soni (Jewellers, mainly from the clans of Dhakan, Patt, Sagar, etc.), Kharwa, DHUNDHA FAMILY

Ahir Ahir or Aheer (derived from the Sanskrit word: abhira) is a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most of whom now use the Yadav surname, as they consider the two terms synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

(Yadav), brahma samaj and the Kolis Patni Jamat, Rajwadi bhois,

Hadi Hadi or Hady () is an Arabic masculine given name and surname. Al-Hadi is one of the 99 names of God in Islam meaning ''guide'' (from the Arabic triconsonantal root ; also present in hidayah). Given name Hadi * Hadi Saei (born 1976), Iranian taek ...

, Lohanas, Maleks,

Memons The Memon are a Muslim community in Gujarat India, and Sindh, Pakistan, the majority of whom follow the Hanafi fiqh of Sunni Islam. They are divided into different groups based on their origins: Memons (Kathiawar), Kathiawari Memons, Kutchi Me ...

, and Raykas. There is also a sizable population Sindhis. Gujarati and

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

are the most common languages in the town. Migratory people from other parts of the country also hold a good amount of population in the city.

Education

The city is home to Shree Somnath Sanskrit University. Some of the other institutions which provide higher education are College of Fisheries Science and Government Science College.

Economy

Fisheries have always been the main industries in the town and are dominated by the Kharwas (fisherfolk). The fishing is done mostly on traditional boats and trawlers. Veraval also has a large boat making industry. Veraval is home to a large number of fish processing factories in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) which export prime quality seafood to USA, Japan, SE Asian, Gulf and EU Countries. The seafood-industry which was started through government initiative now is in its prime and many importers are attracted towards Veraval from around the globe. Regional research centers of CIFT and CMFRI situated at Veraval have done Yeoman service in development of fisheries sector in Gujarat. Veraval also is home to Grasim Industries limited (Unit - Indian Rayon) which is one of India's largest

rayon Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose fiber, cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has t ...

manufacturing companies. There are various chemical, thread and cement companies around Veraval which provide employment to the local youth. The major ones being Indian Rayon Unit of Grasim industries limited, Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd, Gujarat Siddhee Cement Ltd and Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. Kharwa and Patni Jamat, a local inhabitants have flourished as main seafood exporter after the 1990s. They have a very good hold on the fishing business.

Culture

Tourist attractions

File:Veraval Beach.jpg, Veraval Beach File:Veraval Beach Sunset 2013.jpg, Sunset at Veraval Beach File:Camel on the beach (16495607540).jpg, Camel on the beach File:SOMNATH TEMPLE.jpg, Somnath Temple * Somnath Temple - It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites 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 ...

and is the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of

. * Lalit Tribhangi Temple - An important place of pushtimarg founded by Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu. The deity Lalit Tribhangi is a swarup of lord Krishna, bending too much and playing flute. * Bhalka - It is said that the hunter Jara ended Krishna life by an arrow shot to Krishna's foot, later suffering severe and subsequently fatal injuries. It is a part of the

Lord Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is wi ...

pilgrimage circuit. * Triveni Sangam - It is a confluence of the three holy rivers Saraswati, Kapil and Hiran which flow into the Arabian Sea. It is a sacrosanct pilgrimage revered by Hindus as the Moksha Teerth.

Transport

The city has two railway stations namely Veraval Junction and Somnath. Veraval Junction is a fairly busy railway junction station for Western Railways and is served by more than 14 pairs of

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

and long-distance trains. Daily (or multiple daily) trains connect it to major cities in Gujarat such as

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

Bharuch Bharuch () is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District. The city of Bharuch and surroundings have been settled since times of antiquity. It was a shi ...

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city and the headquarters of Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch, some west of the state capital, Gandhinagar. The city was the capital of Nawanagar State, Na ...

Porbandar Porbandar is a city and the headquarters of Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama. It was the former capital of the Porbandar State, Porbandar princely state. Porbandar and Chhaya, ...

Rajkot Rajkot () is the fourth-largest city in the Indian 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 ...

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

and

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

. Daily connections are also available to many other towns in Gujarat such as Keshod, Jetalsar, Gondal, Wankaner, Surendranagar,

Viramgam Viramgam is a town and former princely state in the Indian state of Gujarat. The town is located in the Ahmedabad district, which contains the city of Ahmedabad, the state's largest city. Gateway Distriparks notably flagged off the first ex ...

Nadiad Nadiad is a city in the state of Gujarat, India and the administrative centre of the Kheda district. It is known for the Santram Mandir, the Mai Mandir,

, Anand, Valsad,

Vapi Vapi (IAST: vāpī, ), is a city and Municipal Corporation in Valsad district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is near the banks of the Daman Ganga River, around 28 km south of the district headquarters in the city of Valsad, and it is ...

Dahod Dahod is a city on the banks of the Dudhimati River in Dahod District in the State of Gujarat, India. It is said that it has taken its name from Saint Dadhichi, who had an Ashram on the bank of Dudhumati river. This city is known for being t ...

and

Godhra Godhra () is a municipality in Panchmahal district in Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Panchmahal district. Originally the name came from ''gou'' which means "cow" and "dhara"- which have two meanings depend ...

. Daily long-distance trains connect Veraval to several cities in India including

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

Jabalpur Jabalpur, formerly Jubbulpore, is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the 3rd-largest urban agglomeration of the state and the 38th-largest of the country. Jabalpur is the administrative h ...

, Itarsi,

Ratlam Ratlam is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam district, which was created in 1947 after the independe ...

Ujjain Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...

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and

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the largest and ...

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Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

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Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the maj ...

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Karwar Karwar is a coastal City and the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district, formerly part of the Bombay Presidency, located at the mouth of the Kali River (Karnataka), Kali river along the Konkan Coast in the present-day state of Ka ...

, Madgaon,

Ratnagiri Ratnagiri (IAST:Ratnāgirī ; �ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in southwestern Maharashtra, India. The district is part of Konkan division of Maharashtra. The city is known for the Hapus or ...

and

Panvel Panvel () is a city and taluka in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is highly populated due to its closeness to Mumbai. Panvel is also governed for development purpose by the body of Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Panvel Municipal C ...

are some of the cities connected by weekly long-distance trains. The nearest airports are Diu, Keshod And

. Daily Flights connect Diu and Keshod to Mumbai.

Notable people

* Khusrau Khan - 16th

Sultan of Delhi The Sultan of Delhi was the absolute monarch of the Delhi Sultanate which stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent during the period of medieval era, for 320 years (1206–1526).Pushpaben Mehta Pushpa Janardanrai Mehta, (21 March 1905 ― 2 April 1988) also known as Pushpaben Mehta, was an Indian social worker and politician from Gujarat. She founded and headed several women and child welfare organisations in Ahmedabad and Saurashtra r ...

- An Indian social worker * Poonja Gokuldas Meghji - businessman and the grandfather of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

References

External links

{{Authority control Port cities in India Cities and towns in Gir Somnath district Ports and harbours of Gujarat Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Krishna