Aravalli district explained

Aravalli District
Settlement Type:District of Gujarat
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Gujarat
Established Date:15 August 2013
Named For:Aravalli Hills
Area Total Km2:3308
Population Total:1,039,918
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1 Dst:IST (UTC+05:30)
Image Map1:Aravali in Gujarat (India).svg
Map Caption1:Location of district in Gujarat

Aravalli district is a district in the state of Gujarat in India that came into being on August 15, 2013, becoming the 29th district of the state. The district has been carved out of the Sabarkantha district. The district headquarters are at Modasa.[1]

Etymology

The district has been named for the Aravalli Hills that run across Gujarat and Rajasthan.[2] According to records with the Government of Gujarat, the Arasur branch of Aravalis passes through the regions of Danta, Modasa and Shamlaji in the district.[3]

History

See also: Ambliara State. It was one of 7 new districts in the state whose formation has been approved by the Government of Gujarat in 2013.[4] The district has a large tribal population and its formation, announced in the run up to the Assembly elections in Gujarat in 2012.

Geography

Aravalli district consists of Bhiloda, Meghraj, Modasa, Malpur, Dhansura and Bayad talukas of former Sabarkantha district.[5] Of these, Meghraj, Malpur and Bhiloda are tribal dominated talukas. The district includes 676 villages and 306 village panchayats with a total population of 1.27 million and is the most literate tribal district in Gujarat.[5]

Demographics

At the time of the 2011 census Aravalli district had a population of 1,039,918, of which 126,562 (12.17%) lived in urban areas. Aravalli district had a population of 953 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 62,223 (5.98%) and 213,913 (20.57%) of the population respectively.[6]

Hindus are 975,342 while Muslims are 58,536.[7]

Language

At the time of the 2011 census, 97.88% of the population spoke Gujarati and 1.31% Hindi as their first language.[8]

Politics

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Places of interest

Talukas

Aravalli district has 6 talukas:

  1. Modasa
  2. Malpur
  3. Dhansura
  4. Bhiloda
  5. Bayad
  6. Meghraj

Villages

Economy

Aravalli district has the first private sector, 5 MW solar power plant of Gujarat at Kharoda near Modasa.[5] The district is industrially backward, having no major industrial units although small scale industrial areas exist in Modasa, Bhiloda and Dhansura talukas. The Mazum is a major river in the region with two large dams on it. Another major river is the Watrak River.

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. News: Aravalli now a district in Gujarat. 23 February 2013. DNA. 18 September 2012.
  2. News: Narendra Modi packs in a new dist, Nitin Gadkari hopes for 'Gujarat-like govt' in Delhi. 23 February 2013. The Indian Express. 18 September 2012.
  3. News: Namesake of oldest mountain, Aravalli scores nil in industry. 23 September 2013. The Indian Express. 2 September 2013.
  4. News: Seven new districts to be formed in Gujarat. 23 February 2013. Daily Bhaskar. January 24, 2013.
  5. News: Kapil. Dave. Dignity of PM office has reached its nadir: Modi. 26 August 2013. The Times of India. August 25, 2013.
  6. Web site: District Census Hand Book – Sabarkantha . . Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  7. Web site: 2011. Population by Religion - Gujarat . censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  8. Web site: Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Gujarat . censusindia.gov.in . Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  9. Web site: Election results . Election Commission of India, New Delhi.