2. Gujarat
Gujaratis live in Gujarat, one
of the western states in
India. The name comes from
"Gujara," a branch of the
White Huns. This group
ruled the area during the
eighth and ninth centuries.
Gujara also is the name of a
pastoral caste (social class).
3. Geography
o The State has a long coast-line of about 1600 kms.
and is the longest among all States of country
o It is comprised of 25 districts, which are further sub-
divided into talukas. A taluka consists of a city or town
that serves as its headquarters.
o Gujurat accounts for 6.19 percent of the total area of
the country.
4. Geography
o The State is situated on the west coast of India
o Population of 50,596,992
o It is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the West, by the
States of Rajasthan in the North and North-East, by Madhya
Pradesh in the East and by Maharashtra in the South and
South East.
o The State has an international boundary and has a
common border with Pakistan at the north-western fringe.
5.
6. Cultural Heritage
o Gujaratis have a cultural heritage that can be traced
back to a civilization that existed 3000 years ago.
o Gujarati literature dates to the twelfth century.
o Many groups contribute to Gujarati culture. From
the Vaishnavas come the legends and mythology of
Krishna, to whom are ascribed the popular Raas and
Garba folk dances. Jains influenced temple architecture
and developed a distinctive style of painting. Muslim
architecture in Gujarat combined Hindu elements with
its own styles.
Garba Video
7. Language
o The language, Gujarati, comes from Sanskrit—an
ancient language.
o There are several dialects of Gujarati. These include
Kachchi, Kathiawadi, and Surati. Bhili, a language similar
to Gujarati, is spoken by tribal groups in northern and
eastern Gujarat.
o Gujarati is written in a cursive script. Many Gujaratis
can also understand and speak Hindi.
9. Clothing
Gujarati men wear the dhoti
(loincloth consisting of a
long piece of white cotton
wrapped around the waist
and then drawn between the
legs and tucked into the
waist), accompanied by a
shirt and coat closed with
strings.
10. Clothing
Women wear the sari (a
length of fabric
wrapped around the
waist, with one end
thrown over the right
shoulder) and choli
(tight-fitting, cropped
blouse).
11. Food
Gujarati cuisine is mostly vegetarian, reflecting the strong
influence of Jains and the Vaishnavas in the region.
o Jowar, Bajri are the main staples.
o Roti - unleavened bread made from flour. This is eaten
with a variety of vegetable dishes.
o Kadhi - a savory curry of curds and fried cakes made
from pulses (legumes), is a popular dish.
o Srikhand - a rich dessert made with curds and spiced
with saffron, cardamom, nuts, and fruit. Gujarat is also known
for its delicious ice cream.
12. Food
o Lunch is usually roti and
buttermilk. The main meal is
eaten in the evening and
consists of rice, split peas
(dal-bhat), and vegetables.
o Meals are served on a
thali, a metal tray on which
roti, rice, and small bowls are
placed. The bowls may hold
vegetables such as
eggplant, potatoes, beans, dal
(lentils), and dahi (curds).
13. Sports
Gujarati girls play house, dress their dolls, and hold mock
wedding ceremonies. Boys play marbles, spin tops, fly
kites, and play such games as kabaddi (team wrestling).
Khokho, a kind of team tag game, is another popular local
pastime. Soccer, cricket, field hockey, and basketball are
enjoyed throughout Gujarat.
Khokho
Cricket
14. People
o Gujarat is home to number of groups that settled from
outside including Huns, Sakas, Muslims, Parsis. Gujarat is
devided mostly along caste lines.
o The largest caste is Koli Patel which makes up 20% of the
population. The second largest is Patidar or Kanbi which
makes up roughly 15% of the population.
o Other major groups are
Adivasi, Rajput, Vaniya, Harijan, Lohana, and number of other
small sub-castes. The two largest caste, Koli and Kanbi, are
distributed throughout Gujarat while other are found only in
certain areas of Gujarat.
15. Religion
Break-down by Population
o Hinduism –26,964,228
o Jainism – 491,331
o Buddhism – 11,615
o Sikhism – 33,044
o Islam – 13,606,920
o Christian - 181,753
16. Major Holidays
Navratri is one holiday that is
widely celebrated throughout
the state. Navratri means "nine
nights" and is celebrated on the
nine nights leading up to
Dasahara (the festival of the
goddess Durga). It is a time of
gaiety, when men and women
gather in village squares and
temple compounds to sing and
dance.
17. Major Holidays
On the day of Diwali, old and
young, rich and poor wear
new dresses and share sweets.
They also burn fire crackers.
The North Indian business
community starts their
financial new year on Diwali
and new account books are
opened on this day.
18. Major Holidays
Holi is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the
full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March).
It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in
Hindu mythology and is time indulging in general
merrymaking.
During Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends
and family with colored powders and water, and generally
go a bit wild in the streets.
Holi
19. Famous People
Mahatma Gandhi - (October 2, 1869–
January 30,1948) was a major
political and spiritual leader of India
and the Indian Independence
Movement.
Kalpen Suresh Modi - (born on
April 23, 1977) is an American
actor who goes by the stage
name Kal Penn.
Harold & Kumar
20. Government and Politics
o Gujarat is governed by a Legislative Assembly of 182
members.
o The term of office for a member of the Legislative
Assembly is five years.
o The administration of the state is led by the Chief Minister.
o Narendra Modi has served as Chief Minister of the state
since 2002.
21. Economy
o The economy of Gujarat is
one of the most prosperous
states of the country, having a
per-capita GDP 2.47 times
India's average.
o Gujarat controls some of
the largest businesses in India.
o With 19.8% of the
country's total industrial
output, it is the most
industrialized state in India.
Year Gross State
Domestic Product
1980 74,270
1985 139,880
1990 279,960
1995 718,860
2000 1,084,840
22. Industry
o Major Agricultural produce of the state include
cotton, peanuts, dates, sugar cane, milk & milk products.
Industrial products include cement, and Petrol.
o Gujarat ranks first nationwide in gas-based thermal
electricity generation with national market share of over 18%
and second nationwide in nuclear electricity generation with
national market share of over 16%.
o Over 4% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have
corporate offices in Gujarat.
23. Industry
o The worlds largest ship
breaking yard is in Gujarat near
Bhavnagar at Alang.
o Reliance Petroleum
Limited, one of the group
companies of Reliance Industries
Limited founded by Dhirubhai
Ambani operates the oil refinery at
Jamnagar which is the world's
largest grass roots refineries.
24. Industrial Growth
o During the period 1960-90, Gujarat established itself as
a leader in various industrial sectors -
Textiles, Engineering, Chemicals,Petrochemicals. Drugs &
Pharmaceuticals. Dairy, Cement & Ceramics. Gems &
Jewellery, etc.
o Post-liberalization period saw Gujarat's State Domestic
Product (SDP) rising at an average growth rate of 12.4% per
annum in real terms (from 1994 -2002).
25. Amul
o formed in 1946, is a dairy
cooperative movement in India
o managed by an apex
cooperative organisation, Gujarat
Co-operative Milk Marketing
Federation Ltd.
(GCMMF), which today is
jointly owned by some 2.41
million milk producers in
Gujarat, India
26. Amul
Amul’s products range
includes milk
powders, milk, butter, ghe
e, cheese, curd, chocolate,
ice
cream, cream, shrikhand,
paneer, gulab
jamuns, basundi, Nutramu
l brand and others.
27. Amul
o Amul is the largest food
brand in India with an annual
turnover of US $868 million
(2005-06)
o Currently Amul has 2.41
million producer members with
milk collection average of 5.08
million litres/day.
o Amul is the largest producer
of milk and milk products in the
world.
Sales Turnover US $ (million)
1994-95 355
1995-96 400
1996-97 450
1997-98 455
1998-99 493
1999-00 493
2000-01 500
2001-02 500
2002-03 575
2003-04 616
2004-05 672
2005-06 850
