| Valsad | |
| Native Name Lang: | Vad(Banyan Tree) Saal(covered - Gujarati term for shawl) Vadsal- land covered with banyan trees, later britishers adopted Bulsar, which later became Valsad. |
| Other Name: | Bulsar |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | India Gujarat#India3#Asia |
| Pushpin Label: | Valsad |
| Coordinates: | 20.61°N 72.926°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Gujarat |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Valsad |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 24.10 |
| Elevation M: | 13 |
| Population Total: | 170,060 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Valsadians, Valsadis |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Literacy |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 80.94 % |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Gujarati |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 396001 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | 912632 |
| Registration Plate: | GJ-15 |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Sex ratio |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 926/1000 ♂/♀ |
Valsad (Pronunciation: [ʋalsɑɖ]), historically known as Bulsar, is a city and a municipality in Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the district headquarters of Valsad district.[2] Valsad is located south of Navsari and shares border with Maharashtra and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in the south.
The name "Valsad" derives from vad-saal, a Gujarati language compound meaning "covered (saal) by banyan trees (vad)" or "where Vad(Banyan trees) and Saal(Saal tree) are" (the area was naturally rich in banyan trees). During British Era, it was historically known as "Bulsar".
Valsad is located at .[3] It has an average elevation of 13 metres (42 feet). The old city is about 4 km inland from the Arabian Sea.
| Geography of Valsad City:[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Average rainfall | 2300 mm | |
| Average temperature | 26.9 °C | |
| Seismic Zone | Zone III | |
| Major rivers | Auranga, Wanki | |
| Beaches | Tithal Beach | |
Valsad has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) with little to no rainfall from October to May and very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from June to September when it is under the direct influence of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-west monsoon.
As of the 2011 India census,[5] Valsad (metropolitan area) has a population of 170,060. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Valsad has an average literacy rate of 91.66%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 94.62%, and female literacy is 88.58%.
The major language spoken is Gujarati. Other languages spoken are Hindi, Marathi and English.
The major religion followed in Valsad is Hinduism. Other religions followed are Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.
Valsad lies on NH 48 and is connected to many cities in Gujarat and neighbouring states by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation bus service.
Valsad railway station is managed by the Mumbai WR railway division of the Western Railway and it is a Sub-Division under Western Railway. It lies on the New Delhi–Mumbai main line. The present railway station building was established in 1925. Adjacent to the railway station is the Valsad Electric Loco Shed which houses over 100 electric locomotives.
Valsad is close to Surat International Airport, which is 99 km north of the city and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai which is 188.3 km south of the city.
Valsad is an industrial base for sectors such as chemicals, textiles, and paper & pulp industries. Since the 1980s, textile and chemicals have been the major sectors of investments and employment in the district. Valsad is emerging as a horticulture hub of the state, witnessing significant production in food grains and crops.
Valsad has 7 industrial estates located in Dungra, Pardi, Dharampur, Bhilad, Valsad, Umbergaon, Sarigam, Vapi (the chemical hub of Gujarat) and 1 Industrial park in Kalgam.[6] With over 300 medium and large scale industries, Vapi is a major industrial center in Valsad. One of Asia's largest Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is present in Vapi, owned by Vapi Waste & Effluent Management Company and promoted by Vapi Industrial Association.[7]
Tithal Beach is located near Tithal town. The sand of the beach is black. Tithal Beach Festival and the International Kite Festival are also organised on the shore of the beach.
Shree Shirdi Saibaba Sansthapan is located on the shore of the beach in Tithal town of Valsad district. The temple was established in 1982.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is located on the shore of the beach in Tithal town of Valsad district. This is a temple of Lord Swami Narayan.
Shantidham Aradhana Kendra in Tithal is a meditation centre.[10]
Tadkeshwar Mahadev Temple is a Shiva temple located in Abrama and is believed to be more than 800 years old.
Morarji Desai Museum dedicated to the 5th Prime Minister of India, Morarji Desai is in Valsad. The museum was inaugurated by the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel.[11]
Callian(Kalyan) Baug is an urban park in Valsad. In 1929, Mr. Motilal Callianji presented a donation for park to Valsad Municipality in memory of his father. In 1931, Callian Baug was opened by J.H.Garrett.[12]
Parnera Hill, also called Parnera Dungar, is one of the tourist attractions within the city that offers great view of the city. It's located 6.5 kilometers away from the city center.