Mehsana district

Mehsana district (alternate spelling "Mahesana") is one of the 33 districts of Gujarat state in western India.[1] Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 1.8 million and an area of over 4,500  km2. There are over 600 villages in this district with a population of 2,035,064 of which 22.40% were urban as of 2011.[2]

This article is about the district. For its eponymous headquarters, see Mehsana.

Mehsana District
District of Gujarat
Clockwise from top-left: Modhera Sun Temple, Kirti Toran, Vadnagar, Umiya Mandir in Unjha, Mehsana city, Shitala Mata Temple, Buttapaldi
Location of district in Gujarat
Location of district in Gujarat
Coordinates: 23°40′N 72°30′E
Country India
StateGujarat
HeadquartersMehsana
Area
 • Total4,401 km2 (1,699 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total2,035,064
 • Density460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialGujarati, Hindi, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationGJ-02
Websitemehsanadp.gujarat.gov.in/Mehasana/

Mehsana district borders with Banaskantha district in the north, Patan and Surendranagar districts in west, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad districts in south and Sabarkantha district in the east.

Major towns of the district are Mehsana, Vijapur, Bahucharaji, Satlasana, Modhera, Unjha, Vadnagar, Kalol, Kadi, Visnagar, Kherva, Jotana and Kheralu.

History
Gate of Toranwali Mata Temple

Mehsaji Chavda, a Rajput and an heir of Chavda dynasty, established Mehsana. He constructed the Toran (arc gate) of city and a temple dedicated to Goddess Toran in Vikram Samvat 1414, Bhadrapad Sud 10 (1358 AD).[3] It is described by Jaisinh Brahmbhatt in poems of 1932 AD.[4][5] It is also corroborated by Manilal Nyalchand, an author of Pragat Prabhavi Parshvanath of Samvat 1879. He also refers 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).[6]

Gaekwads conquered Baroda and established Baroda State. 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. This northern area under Baroda was divided in 8 mahals. Gaekwad also connected the city by Baroda State railway which was opened on 21 March 1887. Sayajirao Gaekwad III built a palace known as Rajmahal in Vikram Samvat 1956 for his son Fatehsinhrao. It is now used as a district court.[6][5]

Baroda state was merged with India after independence in 1947. It was included in Bombay state. Later became part of Gujarat in 1960 after partition of Bombay state into Gujarat and Maharashtra. Now Mehsana is a standalone district in north Gujarat.[6][4]

Divisions

There are 7 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in this district: Kheralu, Unjha, Visnagar, Bechraji, Kadi, Mahesana and Vijapur. Kheralu is part of Patan constituency and rest are part of Mahesana constituency.

Demographics
Religions in Mehsana district (2011)[7]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 92.66%
Islam
 
 6.70%
Other or not stated
 
 0.64%

According to the 2011 census, Mehsana district has a population of 2,035,064,[8] roughly equal to the nation of Slovenia[9] or the US state of New Mexico.[10] This gives it a ranking of 229th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 462 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,200/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 9.91%. Mehsana has a sex ratio of 925 females for every 1,000 males, and a literacy rate of 84.26%. 25.27% of the population lived in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 7.97% and 0.46% of the population respectively.[8]

Languages of Mehsana district (2011)[11]

  Gujarati (97.58%)
  Hindi (1.76%)
  Others (0.66%)

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 97.58% of the population in the district spoke Gujarati and 1.76% Hindi as their first language.[11]

Mehsana district consists 10 talukas: Becharaji, Kadi, Kheralu, Mahesana, Vadnagar, Vijapur, Visnagar, Satlasana, Jotana, and Unjha. Populations as of 2011 were as follows:

2011 Population Total Male Female
Becharaji 99,588 51,152 48,436
Jotana - - -
Kadi 341,407 177,698 163,709
Kheralu 133,778 68,968 64,810
Mehsana 529,816 277,094 252,722
Satlasana 89,546 46,036 43,510
Vadnagar 145,445 74,437 71,008
Visnagar 262,246 136,329 125,917
Vijapur 257,699 133,713 123,986
Unjha 175,539 91,093 84,446
Total 2,035,064 1,056,520 978,544

Politics
District No. Constituency Name Party Remarks
Mehsana 20Kheralu Sardarbhai Chaudhary Bharatiya Janata Party
21Unjha K. K. Patel Bharatiya Janata Party
22Visnagar Rushikesh Patel Bharatiya Janata Party Cabinet Minister
23Bechraji Sukhaji Thakor Bharatiya Janata Party
24Kadi (SC) Karsanbhai Solanki Bharatiya Janata Party
25Mahesana Mukesh Patel Bharatiya Janata Party
26Vijapur C. J. Chavda Indian National Congress

Education
Government District Library, Mehsana

Engineering colleges in Mehsana district

Pharmacy and Medical colleges in Mehsana district
  • S.V. Institute of Management, Kadi, Mehsana
  • S.K. Pharmaceutical college of education and research, Ganpat University, Kherva, Mehsana (Also has M.Pharma)
  • Saffrony Institute of Technology, Linch, Mehsana
  • Pharmacy college in Bechraji, Mehsana
  • Pharmacy college in Modasa, Dist-Mehsana
  • GMERS Medical College, Vadnagar

Science colleges in Mehsana district
  • Mehsana Urban Institute of Sciences, Ganpat University, Kherva (Second largest science college in North Gujarat)
  • Nootan Sciences College, Sakalchand university, Ganj bazar, Visnagar (first science college in North Gujarat)
  • Mehsana Urban Science College, Nagalpur, H.N.G.U University
  • Smt. R.M. Prajapati Arts College

Teacher colleges in Mehsana district
  • S.A.Patel B.ed College, Rampura (kukus), Mehsana

See also

References
  1. Official website
  2. "Census GIS India". Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  3. "Mehsana – History". NRI Division. Government of Gujarat. 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  4. "History". Government of Gujarat. Mehsana District Panchayat. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  5. "Mehsana Nagarpalika, Mehsana". WMehsana Nagarpalika (in Gujarati). Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  6. S. B. Rajyagor, ed. (1975). Gujarat State Gazetteers: Mehsana District. Gujarat State Gazetteers. Vol. 5. Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Government of Gujarat. pp. 1, 805–806.
  7. "C-16 Population By Religion – Gujarat". census.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
  8. "District Census Hand Book – Mehsana" (PDF). Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  9. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison: Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Slovenia 2,000,092 July 2011 est.
  10. "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 September 2011. New Mexico – 2,059,179
  11. "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Gujarat". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
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