| Veraval | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District(s) | Junagadh |
| Population | 341,207 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 0 metres (0 ft) |
Veraval (Gujarati:વેરાવળ, Hindi:वेरावल) is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.
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Veraval was founded in 13th or 14th by Rao Veravalji Vadher, a Rajput .Veraval was once a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. It used to be a part of the Kingdom of Junagadh till 1953 when Junagadh was merged with India. The city still bears some remains of the old Nawabi heritage, the beautiful Nawabi summer palace being one of them. There are ruins of the old Nawabi fort and Nawabi Gates in and around the place. The old walls of the port are now ruined, but the impressive Junagadh gate and the Patan gate are still seen, but are in a very bad state.
The Nawabi Palace with gothic features which is one of the main attractions. It is popularly known as Somnath College (the palace was converted into a college after it was abandoned by the nawab).At present it is the building of a Sanskrit university. The town is often known as the gateway to the magnificent temple of Somnath and the pilgrimage centres of Prabhas Patan and Bhalkha. Veraval is also the nearest town to the Gir National Park (42 km away).
Before the rise of Surat, Veraval was the major seaport for pilgrims to Mecca. Its importance now is as a fishing port which is one of largest in India. Sea going dhows and fishing boats are still being built by the sea without the use of any instruments other than a tape-measure. Traditional skills are passed down from father to son. About 25 km from the veraval a historical place is located at Savani village known as Pandav gufa. According to mahabharta during the vanvas pandvas stayed here.
Veraval is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 0 metres (0 feet).
As of 2001[update] India census,[2] Veraval had a population of 141,250. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Veraval has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 53%. In Veraval, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Veraval has a predominant Gujarati population. Amongst Gujaratis, the Kharwas and the Kolis form a sizable part of the local population. In addition there are also significant populations of Turks, Rajwadi bhoi's, Lohanas, Maleks, Memons, Patnis and Raykas. There is also a sizable population of Malayalees and Sindhis. Gujarati and Hindi are the most popular languages in the town.
Fisheries has always been the main industry in the town and is dominanted by the Kharwas(fisherfolk). The fishing is done mostly on traditional boats and trawlers. Veraval also has a large boat making industry. Veraval is home to a large number of fish processing factories in G.I.D.C which export prime quality seafood to USA, Japan, SE Asian, Gulf and EU Countries. The seafood-industry which was started through government initiative now is in its prime and many importers are attracted towards Veraval from around the globe. Regional research centers of CIFT and CMFRI situated at Veraval have done Yeoman service in development of fisheries sector in Gujarat.
Veraval also is home to Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (Formerly:Indian-Rayon Industries Ltd) which is one of India's largest rayon manufacturing companies.
There are various chemical , thread and cement companies around veraval which provide employment to the local youth. The major ones being Indian Rayon NUVO Ltd. ,Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd, Gujarat Siddhee Cement Ltd, Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
Veraval also enjoyes a long coastline, lined with beaches. Beaches extend uninterrupted almost throughout the veraval coast. Only a small portion of the beach has been commercialised and majority of the beach is still virgin.
Veraval is an important railway station of Western Railways. The trains connect it to major cities like Ahemedabad, Rajkot, Ratlam, Ujjain, Vadodara, Pune, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Mumbai etc.
The nearest airports are Diu and Rajkot