Bhavnagar district is a district in the Saurashtra region of the state of Gujarat, India. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Bhavnagar, which lies on the western coast of the Gulf of Khambhat. The district is notable for its long coastline, historic association with the princely state of Bhavnagar, and the presence of the Alang ship-breaking yard, one of the largest of its kind in the world.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Gujarat |
| Region | Saurashtra |
| Headquarters | Bhavnagar |
| Type | District |
| Coast | Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea) |
Bhavnagar district occupies the south-eastern part of the Saurashtra peninsula. It is bounded by the Gulf of Khambhat to the east and south-east, and shares land borders with neighbouring districts of Saurashtra, including Botad district to the north, Amreli district to the west, and other adjoining districts of Gujarat. The terrain is largely a coastal plain with low hills, including parts of the Shetrunji and Khokhra ranges. The Shetrunji river is the most prominent watercourse and is dammed to provide irrigation and drinking water.
The coastline along the Gulf of Khambhat is marked by tidal flats, salt pans and several minor ports. Climatically the district has a semi-arid pattern with hot summers, a south-west monsoon, and mild winters.
The district is administered by a District Collector and a District Development Officer, with elected local self-government through the Bhavnagar Zilla Panchayat. It is divided into several talukas, including Bhavnagar, Sihor, Palitana, Talaja, Mahuva, Ghogha, Umrala, Vallabhipur, Gariadhar and Jesar. The principal urban centres are Bhavnagar city, Mahuva, Palitana and Sihor.
The area corresponds substantially to the former princely state of Bhavnagar, founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil of the Gohil Rajput clan, who shifted the capital from Sihor to a new port town named Bhavnagar. Under successive rulers, particularly Takhtsinhji and Bhavsinhji II, the state developed modern administration, railways, port infrastructure and educational institutions, and was among the first Indian princely states to introduce reforms in revenue and judicial administration.
Earlier, the region of Vallabhipur, in the present district, was the seat of the Maitraka dynasty (c. 5th–8th centuries CE), which patronised Buddhist and Brahmanical learning. Vallabhi was an important early medieval centre of scholarship.
After India's independence, Bhavnagar State acceded to the Indian Union in 1948 and was integrated into the United State of Saurashtra, which later became part of Bombay State and, from 1960, of Gujarat. The Botad area was carved out of Bhavnagar district to form the new Botad district in 2013.
The district has a diversified economy combining agriculture, fisheries, industry and trade. Major crops include cotton, groundnut, wheat, bajra, jowar and pulses; Mahuva taluka is well known for onion cultivation. Coastal talukas support marine fisheries and salt production.
Industrial activity is concentrated around Bhavnagar city and the Alang–Sosiya belt. The Alang ship-breaking yard, established in 1983 along the Gulf of Khambhat, is among the largest ship-recycling facilities in the world and supports a substantial steel re-rolling and ancillary industry. Diamond cutting and polishing units, plastics, engineering, and chemical industries are also present.
Palitana, in the district, is one of the most important pilgrimage centres of Jainism. The Shatrunjaya hills above the town carry hundreds of marble Jain temples built over several centuries, with the principal shrine dedicated to Adinatha (Rishabhanatha). The town is closely associated with the Shvetambara tradition.
Other notable religious and cultural sites include the Takhteshwar temple in Bhavnagar, the Khodiyar Mata temple at Rajpara, the Nishkalank Mahadev shrine at Koliyak (which appears at low tide on the seabed), and Gopnath, associated with the Bhakti poet Narsin