Wallacepur
21.5694°N 72.1886°EWallacepur is a village in the Ghogha Taluka of Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It was founded in the 19th century and became the only all-Christian village in Gujarat.[1][2]
History
The Ghogha Christian mission was initiated by the Reverend James McKee in 1844 and was a part of the Kathiawar and Gujarat mission establishment started and supported by the Irish Presbyterian Mission.[3][4]
About 1869, Wallacepur was founded on a tract of land near the village of Kareda about 11 mi (18 km) southwest of Ghogha by William Beatty, a missionary at Ghogha from 1867 to 1877. The village was laid out and most of the houses were built by Beatty. He also built a church with a bell in 1871. The village was named after James Wallace, who had been appointed a missionary at Ghogha in 1845 and later at Surat. Wallace had retranslated scriptures, and written an educational textbook and some Gujarati tracts.[4][3][5][6]
Additions to the village were made by the Reverend George T. Rea, who was in charge of the mission afterwards.[3] In 1871, a number of Christians came from Gujarat and settled. At the time, there were eight houses, a church with a bell, a resthouse, a missionaries house, a public well, and a cattle pond.[3]
Most of the villagers were Hindu and later adopted Christianity.[5][6]
Demographics
The village has a population of around 500 people, all of whom are literate.[1][7] It is the only all-Christian village in Gujarat and all the residents are Protestants.[2][1] Most men are engaged in farming, while many women have taken up roles as nurses, teachers, and clerks in nearby villages and Bhavnagar.[7]
Disputes are settled internally and the village has been crime-free for years. Wallacepur has also been the recipient of the district council's cleanest village awards. The village has a reciprocal arrangement with the nearby village of Kareda, with residents of both attending each other's religious festivals.[2]
References
- Dave, Nayan (14 January 2008). "An all-Christian village in Gujarat". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- Powers, Janet M. (2008). Kites over the Mango Tree: Restoring Harmony between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat: Restoring Harmony between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat. ABC-CLIO. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-313-35158-7.
- Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Ahmedabad. Byculla, Bomabay: Education Societies Press. 1886. p. 43. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Badley, B. H. (Brenton Hamline) (1886). "The Irish Presbyterian Mission". Indian Missionary Directory and Memorial Volume. Princeton Theological Seminary Library (3rd ed.). Calcutta: Methodist Publishing House. pp. 183–185.
- Dave, Nayan (21 April 2014). "NaMo wave grips Guj's Christian village". The Pioneer. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- "Democracy sacred in Gujarat's vote-proud villages". India Today. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- Dave, Nayan (11 October 2013). "Gujarat parish an example of peace". The Pioneer. Retrieved 27 December 2019.