Overview
Botad district is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It was carved out as a separate district in 2013, when it was bifurcated from the older Bhavnagar district, with the town of Botad serving as its administrative headquarters. The district lies in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and is largely agrarian in character, with cotton, groundnut and other dryland crops forming the basis of the local rural economy.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Gujarat |
| Region | Saurashtra |
| Headquarters | Botad |
| Formed | 2013 |
| Formed from | Parts of Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad districts |
| Type | District |
Background
Before 2013, the area now constituting Botad district was administered as part of Bhavnagar district, with some adjoining tracts under Ahmedabad district. The Government of Gujarat reorganised districts in 2013, creating seven new districts including Botad, in order to bring administration closer to the population and to streamline revenue and development functions. The reorganisation came into effect on 15 August 2013.
Administration
The district is headed by a District Collector and District Magistrate, with parallel arrangements for police administration under a Superintendent of Police and for rural development under the District Development Officer of the Zilla Panchayat. The district is divided into talukas (administrative subdivisions), with Botad town functioning as the principal urban centre. The talukas commonly listed under the district include Botad, Barwala, Gadhada and Ranpur.
Geography
Botad district lies in the eastern part of the Saurashtra peninsula, on the transition between the peninsular interior and the alluvial plains leading to the Gulf of Khambhat. The terrain is largely flat to gently undulating. The district is bordered by Ahmedabad district to the north and east, Bhavnagar district to the south and east, and parts of Surendranagar district and Rajkot district to the west. The climate is semi-arid, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters.
Economy
The district economy is predominantly agricultural. Cotton, groundnut, sesame, wheat, bajra and pulses are the main crops, supported by both rain-fed cultivation and irrigated tracts. Animal husbandry and dairying are significant, with cooperative milk collection linked to the wider Gujarat dairy network. Botad town is known historically as a trading centre for agricultural commodities, particularly cotton and oilseeds, and there is small-scale ginning, oil milling and ceramics-related activity in the district.
Culture and notable places
The town of Gadhada within the district is an important pilgrimage centre associated with Swaminarayan, who spent a substantial part of his later life there; the Swaminarayan temple at Gadhada is one of the principal historic temples of the Swaminarayan tradition. Ranpur and Barwala also have local historical and religious significance.
Transport
Botad is connected by state highways to Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Rajkot, and lies on the Gujarat railway network with Botad Junction serving as a notable station on the route linking Ahmedabad with Bhavnagar. Road transport services operated by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation provide intra- and inter-district connectivity.
Related topics
References
- Wikidata entity: Q14505072
- Government of Gujarat notifications on district reorganisation, 2013.