Godhra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Godhra
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City
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Ramsagar Lake near Bus Stand, Godhra
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| Nickname(s):
Land of Cows
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 Godhra
Location in Gujarat
Godhra
Location in India
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| Country |  India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Panchmahal |
| Named for | Cows |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.16 km2 (7.78 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 73 m (240 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 143,644 |
| • Density | 7,125.2/km2 (18,454/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Spoken | Gujarati |
| • Official | Gujarati, Hindi, English and Urdu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
389001
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| Telephone code | 02672 |
| Vehicle registration | GJ-17 |
| Sex ratio | 935/1000 ♀/♂ |
| Literacy rate | 87.51 % |
Godhra is a city in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat, an Indian state. It is the main office for the Panchmahal district. The name Godhra comes from two words: gou meaning "cow" and dharaa meaning "land." So, Godhra means "Land of the Cow."
Godhra is a key place for roads and railways. It is also a business hub for wood and farm products. The city has industries like oil pressing, flour milling, and glass making.
Godhra offers many types of education. It has colleges for science, business, arts, law, and engineering. There are also ITI (Industrial Training Institute) and medical colleges.
Contents
Godhra: What's in a Name?
The name Godhrā comes from an older name, Godrahaka. This name likely referred to a pond or lake where cattle, like cows or buffalo, would come to bathe.
Local stories say that cows from a nearby place called Pavagadh used to come here to graze.
A Gujarati historical novel, Gujaratno Jay, mentions the city as Godhpur. This book is based on old Jain stories.
A Glimpse into Godhra's History
In ancient times, around 975 AD, a bronze statue of Lord Rishabhanath was found. It mentioned "Gohadra kula," which was a school for Jain monks in Gohadra. The historical name for Godhra is "Godhrahk." A king named Dhudhul Mandalik from the Parmar family founded it in 1415 AD.
About 500 years ago, in the 15th century, a respected saint named Shrimad Vallabhacharya spoke about his dream city. He described how a Muslim resident gave the city, which his daughter saw in a dream, to a Hindu family.
Godhra is also famous because Vallabhbhai Patel first met Gandhi here in 1917. After this meeting, Patel became deeply involved in India's fight for freedom.
People and Population in Godhra
| Religions in Godhra | ||||
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| Religion | Percent | |||
| Muslims | 51.23% | |||
| Hindus | 46.63% | |||
| Jains | 1.31% | |||
| Others† | 0.8% | |||
| Distribution of religions †Includes Sikhs (0.2%), Buddhists (<0.2%). |
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According to the 2011 India census, Godhra had a population of 143,644 people. About 51.67% of the population were males, and 48.32% were females.
Godhra has a high average literacy rate of 87.51%. This is higher than the national average for India, which is 74.04%. For males, the literacy rate was 92.25%, and for females, it was 82.44%.
In 1901, the city's population was 20,915.
How Godhra is Governed
A municipality governs Godhra city. The city is divided into 12 areas called wards for administration. Each ward has three councillors who represent it.
The city also has a representative in the national parliament, called an MP. This MP is elected from the Panchmahal Lok Sabha area. Currently, Ratansinh Rathod from the BJP is the MP. There is also an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) elected from the Godhra Assembly area, CK Raulji.
I. I. Chundrigar, who later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, was born in Godhra in 1897.
Getting Around Godhra
Godhra is well-connected to all major towns in Gujarat. This is thanks to the public transport service run by GSRTC (Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation).
Godhra is also a major Railway Junction. This means it connects Godhra to many different parts of the state and the country by train.
A very important national highway, the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, passes through Godhra. This helps connect the city to other big places.
Culture and Celebrations
Religious Places
- The Sat Kaival Temple is located in Bagaidol village near Godhra. It is a temple of the Sat Kaival religious group.
- Godhra is a special religious place in India for the Vaishnav Sampraday. It has four bethaks (temples). There are two main seats for Lord Gokulnathji and one each for Lord Gusaiji and Lord Mahaprabhuji. Godhra is the only city in India that has all three of these important seats.
- Godhra has three Jain temples. The main statue in the Jain Temple is of Shantinath. There is also a temple called the 'Trimandir' in the Bhamaiya area. This temple was founded by Dada Bhagwan and welcomes people from all faiths.
- Godhra also has BAPS and SMVS Swaminarayan temples.
- The Sheikh Majhawar graveyard in Godhra is believed to be one of the largest in Asia.
Festivals and Celebrations
People in Godhra celebrate many festivals throughout the year. These include:
- Makar Sakranti
- Maha Shivratri
- Holi
- Diwali
- Eid al-Fitr
- Baisakhi
- Rakshabandhan
- Krishna Janmashtami
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Eid al-Adha
- Muharram
- Christmas
- Dussehra
- Easter
Nature and Landmarks
Godhra has several natural and man-made features. These include the Mesri River, Ramsagar Lake, and Kanelav Lake in the far east. Man-made landmarks include the Voharwad Masjid Tower, Polan Bazar, Methodist Church, and Nehru Garden.
