Mehsana

Overview

Mehsana (also spelt Mahesana) is a city and municipality in the Mehsana district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Mehsana district and is one of the principal urban centres of north Gujarat. The city lies on the broad alluvial plain between the Sabarmati and Saraswati rivers and has historically functioned as an important trading, agricultural, and transport hub on the route connecting Ahmedabad with the northern parts of the state.

Key facts

Background

Mehsana is traditionally believed to have been founded in the late fourteenth century by Mehsaji Chavda, a Chavda Rajput chieftain, after whom the town is said to be named. A shrine dedicated to him stands within the older part of the city. During the era of princely states, Mehsana formed part of the territory of the Gaekwads of Baroda and grew in significance as one of the administrative subdivisions of that state. After the integration of princely states following Indian independence in 1947, the area was incorporated into Bombay State and, with the formation of Gujarat as a separate state in 1960, became part of Gujarat.

Geography and climate

The city is situated in the semi-arid plains of north Gujarat. The terrain is generally flat and the soils are alluvial, supporting extensive cultivation. The climate is characterised by hot, dry summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters. Groundwater has historically been a major source of irrigation, and the surrounding region has long depended on stepwells, tanks and tube wells for both agriculture and domestic use.

Economy

Mehsana has a diversified economy spanning agriculture, dairying, oil and natural gas, and small-scale manufacturing.

• Dairy: The city is the headquarters of the Dudhsagar Dairy, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in Asia and a member of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation that markets products under the Amul brand. The Mehsani buffalo, a recognised indigenous breed, is associated with the region.
• Oil and gas: Mehsana is one of the major onshore operational areas of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), which operates an asset based in the city covering oilfields across north Gujarat.
• Agriculture: Major crops include cotton, castor, bajra, wheat, mustard, cumin and tobacco.
• Industry and trade: The city hosts agro-processing, ginning, engineering, and ancillary industries, and functions as a market town for surrounding talukas.

Transport

Mehsana lies on National Highway 48 (the Delhi–Ahmedabad–Mumbai corridor) and is connected by road to Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Palanpur and Patan. Mehsana Junction railway station, on the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways, is a junction point for lines radiating towards Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Viramgam and Taranga Hill, and has historically been an important station on the metre-gauge networks of north Gujarat that have since been progressively converted to broad gauge. The nearest major airport is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad.

Education

Mehsana is home to several institutions of higher education, including engineering and pharmacy colleges affiliated with state universities, polytechnic institutions, and the campuses associated with technical and management education in north Gujarat. The Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, headquartered at nearby Patan, affiliates many colleges in Mehsana.

Culture and places of interest

• Modhera Sun Temple: The eleventh-century Sun Temple at Modhera, built during the reign of the Chaulukya (Solanki) king Bhima I, is located in Mehsana district and is among the most celebrated examples of Maru-Gurjara architecture.
• Rani ki Vav: The UNESCO World Heritage stepwell at Patan is in the adjoining district and is closely associated with the cultural region of which Mehsana forms a part.
• Bahuchara Mata Temple: The major shakta pilgrimage site at Bahucharaji lies within Mehsana district.
• Taranga: The Jain temple complex at Taranga Hill, an important Shvetambara pilgrimage centre, is also in the district.
• Simandhar Swami Jain Temple: A prominent modern Jain temple located in Mehsana itself.

Administration

Civic affairs in the city are managed by the Mehsana Municipality. The city is the headquarters of Mehsana district, which was constituted as one of the districts of Gujarat at the formation of the state in 1960. Mehsana is also a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency and a Vidhan Sabha assembly constituency.

Notable people

• Several political and public figures from Gujarat trace their roots to Mehsana district, and the region has played a significant role in the cooperative dairy movement associated with figures such as Verghese Kurien and Tribhuvandas Patel through the wider Gujarat milk cooperative network.

Related topics

• Mehsana district
• Gujarat
• Patan
• Ahmedabad
• Sun Temple, Modhera
• Bahucharaji
• Dudhsagar Dairy
• Amul
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation

References

• Wikidata entity: Q1922283
• Government of Gujarat, Mehsana district administration.
• Census of India publications on Gujarat.