Rajkot

Overview

Rajkot is a city in the state of Gujarat, India, and the administrative headquarters of Rajkot district. Located in the Saurashtra region of the Kathiawar peninsula, it is one of the largest cities in Gujarat and an important industrial, commercial and educational centre of western India. The city lies on the banks of the Aji and Nyari rivers.

Key facts

History

Rajkot is traditionally said to have been founded in 1612 by Vibhaji Ajoji Jadeja of the Jadeja Rajput clan. The princely state of Rajkot was a salute state under the British Raj and was administered as part of the Western India States Agency. During the colonial period, Rajkot served as the headquarters of the British political agency for the Kathiawar states, giving it administrative prominence beyond its size.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi spent much of his early life in Rajkot, where his father Karamchand Gandhi served as the diwan of Rajkot state. He attended the Alfred High School in the city. The building today houses Mahatma Gandhi's memorial and a museum dedicated to him.

Following Indian independence in 1947, Rajkot acceded to the Indian Union and was briefly the capital of the short-lived state of Saurashtra (1948–1956) before that state was merged into Bombay State, and subsequently into Gujarat in 1960.

Geography and climate

Rajkot lies in the central part of Saurashtra on a largely flat plain, at an average elevation of around 128 metres above sea level. The Aji and Nyari rivers, both seasonal, flow through or near the city, and the Aji Dam is a major source of municipal water supply. The climate is semi-arid, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters.

Civic administration

The city is governed by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, which was constituted in 1973. Rajkot is part of the Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency and is divided into multiple Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) constituencies.

Economy

Rajkot has a diversified industrial base. It is well known for the manufacture of machine tools, automobile parts, casting and forging products, kitchenware, bearings and silk embroidery. The city has a large cluster of small and medium enterprises and is sometimes referred to as a hub for engineering goods in Gujarat. Rajkot is also a traditional centre for the production of imitation jewellery (chandi bazaar) and watch parts.

Transport

• Road: Rajkot is connected by national highways including NH 27 (part of the east–west corridor) linking it with Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and other cities.
• Rail: Rajkot Junction is a major station on the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways.
• Air: The city is served by Rajkot Airport. A new greenfield airport, Rajkot International Airport at Hirasar, has been developed to replace the older airfield for commercial operations.
• Public transport: City bus services are operated by the Rajkot Rajpath Limited (RRL) under the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, including BRTS corridors.

Education

Rajkot is home to several institutions of higher learning, including Saurashtra University, established in 1967, which serves as an affiliating university for colleges in the Saurashtra region. Other notable institutions include the Indian Institute of Technology Rajkot (IIT Rajkot), the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rajkot, the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Medical College, and the Marwadi University. The historic Alfred High School, where Gandhi studied, is among the oldest schools in the city.

Culture and tourism

Rajkot retains a strong Gujarati cultural identity, expressed in cuisine, festivals such as Navratri and Uttarayan (the kite festival), and folk forms like garba and dandiya raas. Notable landmarks and attractions include:

• Watson Museum, established in the late 19th century, with collections on the history and archaeology of Saurashtra.
• Kaba Gandhi No Delo, the ancestral home of the Gandhi family, now a memorial.
• Rashtriya Shala, founded in connection with the freedom movement.
• Jubilee Garden and the Connaught Hall.
• Aji Dam Garden and Race Course Ground.

Sports

Rajkot has emerged as a recognised cricketing centre. The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium at Khandheri hosts international matches and is the home ground of the Saurashtra cricket team in the Ranji Trophy. The city has produced several notable cricketers, including Ravindra Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara.

Notable people associated with Rajkot

• Mahatma Gandhi – spent his childhood and schooling years in the city.
• Virchand Gandhi – jurist and reformer associated with Rajkot.
• Cheteshwar Pujara – Indian Test cricketer.
• Ravindra Jadeja – Indian international cricketer.

Related topics

• Gujarat
• Saurashtra region
• Rajkot district
• Rajkot Municipal Corporation
• Saurashtra University
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium
• Ahmedabad
• Jamnagar

References

• Wikidata entity: Q11854
• Government of Gujarat – Rajkot district administration.
• Rajkot Municipal Corporation – official publications.