Jamnagar

Jamnagar is a city and municipal corporation in the state of Gujarat, India. Located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch in the Saurashtra region, it serves as the administrative headquarters of Jamnagar district. The city was historically known as Nawanagar and was the capital of a princely state of the same name during the British Raj. It is widely referred to as the "Brass City" of India for its dominant brass parts industry, and as the "Oil City" owing to the presence of the world's largest petroleum refining complex in its vicinity.

Etymology

The name Jamnagar derives from the title Jam, used by the rulers of the Jadeja Rajput dynasty, combined with nagar meaning "town". It was originally founded as Nawanagar, literally "new town".

History

According to tradition, Nawanagar was founded in 1540 by Jam Rawal of the Jadeja clan, who migrated from Kutch and established his capital on the Rangmati and Nagmati rivers. The state of Nawanagar grew to become one of the most prominent princely states of the Kathiawar Agency under British paramountcy.

Among its best-known rulers was Jam Ranjitsinhji (reigned 1907–1933), the celebrated cricketer who played for England and later represented India at the League of Nations. He is credited with extensive modernisation of the city, including the construction of Willingdon Crescent (Darbargadh) and improvements to roads, water supply and the harbour at Bedi. He was succeeded by his nephew Jam Digvijaysinhji (reigned 1933–1948), who is internationally remembered for sheltering Polish refugee children during the Second World War at Balachadi near Jamnagar.

Following Indian independence, Nawanagar acceded to the Dominion of India in 1948 and was merged into the United State of Kathiawar (later Saurashtra State). With the reorganisation of states in 1956, the area became part of Bombay State, and from 1960 part of the new state of Gujarat.

Geography and climate

Jamnagar lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, close to the Gulf of Kutch. The terrain is largely flat and semi-arid, with mangrove and coral ecosystems along the coast. The Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch, India's first marine national park (notified in 1982), lies near the city. The climate is tropical, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters.

Economy

Jamnagar is a major industrial centre. The Jamnagar Refinery complex operated by Reliance Industries at Motikhavdi/Sikka, commissioned in 1999 and expanded in 2008, is the largest oil refining hub in the world by capacity. Nayara Energy (formerly Essar Oil) operates another large refinery at Vadinar in the same district.

The city is also the largest producer of brass parts in India, and the small-scale brass industry concentrated in areas such as Shankar Tekri and Dared employs a substantial portion of the local workforce. Other industries include bandhani textiles, kohl (surma) manufacturing and edible oil processing.

Defence establishments

Jamnagar hosts INS Valsura, a premier training establishment of the Indian Navy specialising in electrical and weapons engineering, established in 1942. The Indian Air Force operates Jamnagar Air Force Station, one of the largest air bases in western India, which also serves as the city's civil airport.

Education and institutions

• Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar — a statutory university focused on Ayurvedic education and research.
• Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) — declared an Institution of National Importance in 2020.
• M. P. Shah Medical College and the affiliated Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital.
• Saurashtra University-affiliated colleges and several technical institutes.