Gujarat facts for kids

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Gujarat

ગુજરાત

State of India

Flag

Seal

A map showing us where the location of Gujarat is in India

Map of Gujarat

Country

India

Region

West India

Established

1 November 1956

Area

• Total

88,752 km² (34,267 sq mi)

Population

(2011)

• Total

91,347,736

Time zone

UTC+05:30 (IST)

Official languages

Gujarati · English

294 elected, 1 nominated

Gujarat (Gujarati: ગુજરાત, Sindhi: گوجارات) is a large state in the western part of India. Its capital city is Gandhinagar, which was named after the famous Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi.

Gujarat is located in the West Indian zone. It covers an area of about 75,686 square miles (196,077 square kilometers). This makes it bigger than countries like Syria but a bit smaller than Senegal. Part of its area includes the Kutch District.

The people of Gujarat mostly work in farming and business. The main languages spoken here are Gujarati and English.

Major Cities and Fun Places to Visit
- Important Cities
- Tourist Attractions
Provincial Symbols of Gujarat
Economy and Industries
- Manufacturing and Trade
- Energy and Innovation
Culture and Festivals
- Festivals and Dances
- Food and Cuisine
Wildlife and Nature
- Animals of Gujarat
- Natural Landscapes
Education
Images for kids
See also

Major Cities and Fun Places to Visit

Gujarat is home to many important cities and interesting places.

Important Cities

Some of the big and busy cities in Gujarat include:

Surat
Bharuch
Ahmedabad
Vapi
Vadodara (also called Baroda)
Porbandar
Rajkot
Jamnagar

Tourist Attractions

If you love to explore, Gujarat has many cool spots for tourists:

Champaner
Gondal
Bhavnagar
Utelia
Zainabad
Bhuj
Sasangir

You can also visit the Statue of Unity, which is the world's tallest statue. It honors Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a very important leader in India's history.

Provincial Symbols of Gujarat

Every state has its own special symbols. Here are the symbols for Gujarat:

Greater Flamingo, provincial bird of Gujarat
Asiatic or Indian Panthera leo persica, provincial animal of Gujarat
Mango tree, provincial tree of Gujarat
Marigold, provincial flower of Gujarat

Economy and Industries

Gujarat is known for its strong economy. Many people work in farming, growing crops like cotton, groundnuts, and sugarcane. The state is also a big center for industries.

Manufacturing and Trade

Gujarat has many factories that produce textiles, chemicals, and medicines. It also has important ports like Mundra Port and Kandla Port. These ports help India trade goods with other countries. The state is also home to the Tata Nano car factory in Sanand.

Energy and Innovation

Gujarat is a leader in renewable energy, especially solar power. It has large solar plants that help produce clean energy. The state also has a special financial hub called GIFT City, which is home to tall buildings and modern businesses.

Culture and Festivals

Gujarat has a rich and vibrant culture. People celebrate many festivals with great enthusiasm.

Festivals and Dances

Navratri: This is one of the most famous festivals. People perform traditional dances like Garba and Dandiya Raas. These dances involve colorful costumes and lively music.
International Kite Festival: Held in Ahmedabad, this festival attracts kite flyers from all over the world. The sky fills with colorful kites during this exciting event.

Food and Cuisine

Gujarati food is mostly vegetarian and known for its unique sweet and savory flavors. A traditional Gujarati meal, called a thali, includes many different dishes served together.

Wildlife and Nature

Gujarat is home to diverse wildlife, including some rare animals.

Animals of Gujarat

Asiatic Lions: Gujarat is the only place in the world where you can find Asiatic lions in their natural habitat. They live in the Gir National Park.
Flamingos: Large numbers of beautiful flamingos can be seen in the wetlands and coastal areas, especially near Jamnagar and the Rann of Kutch.
Other Animals: You can also find animals like striped hyenas and various types of deer.

Natural Landscapes

Rann of Kutch: This is a vast salt marsh that turns into a white desert during the dry season. It's famous for its unique landscape and the Rann Utsav festival.
Saputara: This is a beautiful hill station, a cool place to visit in the mountains.
Dinosaur Park: The Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park near Gandhinagar is a fun place to learn about dinosaurs and see their fossils.

Education

Gujarat has many good universities and colleges. Some well-known institutions include:

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar
Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara

These institutions help students learn about different subjects like business, law, technology, and arts.

Images for kids

A modern Zoroastrian Agiary in Western India
Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad
Portrait of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
Peshwa Baji Rao I riding a horse
Bombay Presidency in 1909, northern portion
Mahatma Gandhi picking salt at Dandi beach, South Gujarat ending the Salt satyagraha on 5 April 1930
Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat State. The picture shown above is of the Legislative Assembly and seat of Gujarat government.
Swarnim Sankul 2, Office of Gujarat Government
Mundra Port, Kutch
Tallest building in Gujarat: GIFT One
Shown here is the Tata Nano, the world's least expensive car. Sanand, Gujarat, is home to Tata Nano.
Surat is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Alang shipbreaking
Astonfield's 11.5 MW solar plant in Gujarat
Traditional farming
Amul plant at Anand
Hemchandra acharya with his disciple Kumarpal Raja. He is regarded as the father of the Gujarati language.
Depection of Shrimad Rajchandra writing Atmasiddhi in single sitting of 1.5 hrs, one of the longest Gujarati poetry based on Jain philosophy.
Gujarati thali
An Asiatic lion family, which occurs in and around Gir National Park
Greater flamingo, Jamnagar
Striped hyena at the Gir Forest National Park
Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park, Gandhinagar
Saputara – a hill station in Gujarat
Statue of Unity facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada in Kevadiya colony
Tarnetar Fair, Tarnetar
A man in traditional costumes during Tarnetar fair
Kandla Port, Kutch
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
The Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
Campus at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar
The clock tower in Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Kala Bhavan, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Rocket model at Science City, Ahmedabad
Mount Karo, Kutch
Cracked earth in the Rann of Kutch
The colourful Rann Utsav Festival is held annually in the Rann of Kutch.
People enjoying Raan Utsav at Dhordo, Kutch
Camel ride in Rann of Kutch
Greater Flamingo at Rann of Kutch
Hathisingh Jain Temple, Ahmedabad
Palitana temples
Modhera Sun Temple built by Bhimdev
Gurudwara Govinddham, Ahmedabad
Magen Abraham Jewish Synagogue
Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque, 15th century), Ahmedabad
Garba during Navaratri in Ahmedabad
Navratri Garba at Ambaji temple
Tourists playing Dandiya Raas
International Kite Festival, Ahmedabad
Statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad
Somnath Temple, Veraval
Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka
Radha Damodar Temple, Junagadh
Kirti Toran, Vadnagar
Akshardham Gandhinagar
Jama Mosque, Champaner
Lakhota Museum in Jamnagar
Sun Temple, Modhera
Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara
Vijay Vilas Palace, Mandvi, Kutch
Mahabat Maqbara, Junagadh
Vasai Jain Temple, Kutch
Wankaner palace, Wankaner
Mandvi Beach, Kutch