GrettaDumaresq4 at 14:21, 15 March 2026

2026-03-15T14:21:15Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}{{Infobox settlement
| name = Gandhidham
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| settlement_type = City
| image_skyline = Gandhidham_Gate.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Dadi Nirmala Gajwani Market Gate
| nickname = Sardar Ganj
| pushpin_map = India Gujarat
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Gujarat, India
| coordinates = {{coord|23.08|N|70.13|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_type3 = Municipal Corporation
| subdivision_name1 = [[Gujarat]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kutch]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder = [[Bhai Pratap]]
| named_for =
| government_type = Municipal Corporation
| governing_body = Gandhidham Municipal Corporation
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 63.49
| area_rank =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 27
| population_total = 248705
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_footnotes =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rank = 181
| population_demonym =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| demographics1_title2 = Regional
| demographics1_info2 = [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 370201, 370203, 370205, 370230, 370240
| area_code = 02836
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| registration_plate = GJ-39
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Human sex ratio|Sex ratio]]
| blank1_info_sec1 = 0.879 [[male|♂]]/[[female|♀]]
| website = https://www.gandhidhamnagarpalika.org/
| footnotes =
| blank2_name_sec1 = Distance from [[Bhuj]]
| blank2_info_sec1 = {{convert|60|km|mi}}
| blank3_name_sec1 = Distance from [[Gandhinagar]]
| blank3_info_sec1 = {{convert|365|km|mi}}
| official_name =
}}

'''Gandhidham''', initially known as '''Sardarganj''', located in the eastern part of Kutch district, in the state of Gujarat. It is the largest and most populous city in (Kachchh) [[Kachchh District|Kutch District]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Postal Code Information |first=India TV |title=Gandhidham Pin Code, Postal Code (Zip Code) of Gandhidham, Kachchh, Gujarat, India |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/pincode/gujarat/kachchh/gandhidham |access-date= |website=www.indiatvnews.com}}</ref> It was created in the early 1950s for the resettlement of [[Sindhi Hindu]] refugees from [[Sindh, Pakistan]], in the aftermath of the [[partition of India]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-11 |title=Gandhidham – City – Gujarat Updates |url=https://www.gujaratupdates.com/gandhidham-city/ |access-date=2023-10-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> The city was named after [[M K Gandhi]]. An [[economic capital]] of [[Kutch]], Gandhidham is a growing area for families and retirees. According to the 2011 Census, Gandhidham is Gujarat's 8th<ref>[[List of cities in Gujarat by population]]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gujarat Population Census data 2011|url=http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/gujarat.html|website=www.census2011.co.in}}</ref> most populous city. It is a popular destination for conventions, business, and meetings.

==History==
[[File: Bhai Pratap. Cotton Khadi Movement.jpg|thumb|left|Bhai Pratap spinning cotton yarn]]
Soon after the [[Partition of India]], in 1947, a large group of [[Sindhi Hindus]] refugees from [[Sindh]] of Pakistan migrated to India. The maharaja of Kutch [[Vijayaraji]] donated {{convert|15000|acre|km2}} of land to Bhai Pratap, who founded the Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Ltd. (SRC) to rehabilitate [[Sindhi Hindus]] that migrated from [[Sindh]] in [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sindhology.org/sindhiyat.asp |title=Welcome to Indian Institute of Sindhology |access-date=2010-08-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107184623/http://www.sindhology.org/sindhiyat.asp |archive-date=2010-01-07 }}</ref>

The Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Ltd was formed with [[Jivatram Kripalani|Acharya Kriplani]] as chairman and [[Bhai Pratap Dialdas]] as managing director. The corporation's primary goal was to help displaced people find new dwellings by building a new township. The original plan was prepared by a team of planners headed by [[Otto Königsberger|Otto H. Königsberger]], director of the division of housing in the Government of India. Later, the plan was revised by Adams, Howard and Greeley Company in 1952. The foundation stone of the town was laid with the blessings of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] in 1947. Hence, the town was named Gandhidham. To clean the desert where it was built, Pratap gave an incentive of 25 paise to kill [[Scorpion|scorpions]] and 50 paise to kill snakes.<ref name=src_web>
{{cite web|access-date=2007-09-28|archive-date=2009-12-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217014300/http://www.sindhu-src.org/aboutbhai.html|page=1|publisher=The Sindhu Resettlement Corporation, Gandhidham, India|quote=To clean the desert where it was built, Bhai Pratap gave an incentive of 25 paise to kill scorpions and 50 paise to kill snakes|title=Bhai Pratap|url=http://www.sindhu-src.org/aboutbhai.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The original plan envisaged 400,000 as of the ultimate population of the town, expecting half of it to be reached in the mid-1970s. A revised plan envisaged three stages of town development with the mid-stage lasting longer with a population of around 150,000.

==Geography and climate==
Gandhidham is located at latitude 23.08° N longitude 70.13° E.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Gandhidham, Gandhidham Information, Gandhidham Facts |url=https://www.gandhidhamonline.in/city-guide/about-gandhidham |access-date=2023-10-22 |website=www.gandhidhamonline.in}}</ref> The main city is constructed in accordance with the principles of
[[Vastu shastra|Vastu-Shastra]] (Hindu belief of construction), i.e., the main city has its face directed to the East.

Due to the very high [[potential evapotranspiration]], Gandhidham has a [[semi-arid climate#Hot semi-arid climates|hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BSh'') receiving around {{convert|385|mm|in|0|disp=or}} of rainfall per year.

Almost all rainfall occurs during the monsoon season from June to September — outside this period, Gandhidham averages just {{convert|15|mm|in|2|disp=or}} of rain in eight months. Gandhidham's amount of rainfall, although not especially low on paper, is amongst the most erratic anywhere in the world with a [[coefficient of variation]] of around sixty percent <ref>Van Etten, Eddie J.B.; ‘Inter-annual Rainfall Variability of Arid Australia: greater than elsewhere?’; ''[[Australian Geographer]]''; 40 (2009), pp. 109-120</ref> – among the few comparably variable climates in the world being the [[Line Islands]] of Kiribati, the [[Pilbara]] coast of Western Australia, the [[sertão]] of Northeastern Brazil, and the [[Cape Verde]] islands.<ref>Dewar, Robert E. and Wallis, James R; ‘Geographical patterning of interannual rainfall variability in the tropics and near tropics: An L-moments approach’; in ''[[Journal of Climate]]'', 12; pp. 3457-3466</ref>

During the "cool" season from October to March, temperatures range from very warm to hot during the afternoon and are cool to pleasant in the mornings. Whilst during the hot season, afternoon temperatures become sweltering and extremely unpleasant, especially when, with the approach of the monsoon, humidity increases.
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|location=Gandhidham
|Jan high C=26.8
|Feb high C=30.0
|Mar high C=34.8
|Apr high C=38.5
|May high C=39.8
|Jun high C=38.0
|Jul high C=33.9
|Aug high C=32.6
|Sep high C=33.8
|Oct high C=36.1
|Nov high C=33.1
|Dec high C=28.6
|Jan mean C=18.2
|Feb mean C=21.2
|Mar mean C=26.1
|Apr mean C=30.2
|May mean C=32.7
|Jun mean C=32.7
|Jul mean C=30.1
|Aug mean C=29.0
|Sep mean C=29.0
|Oct mean C=28.7
|Nov mean C=24.2
|Dec mean C=19.8

|Jan low C=9.7
|Feb low C=12.4
|Mar low C=17.5
|Apr low C=21.9
|May low C=25.6
|Jun low C=27.5
|Jul low C=26.4
|Aug low C=25.5
|Sep low C=24.2
|Oct low C=21.3
|Nov low C=15.3
|Dec low C=11.0

|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm=2
|Feb precipitation mm=1
|Mar precipitation mm=0
|Apr precipitation mm=0
|May precipitation mm=0
|Jun precipitation mm=51
|Jul precipitation mm=184
|Aug precipitation mm=96
|Sep precipitation mm=49
|Oct precipitation mm=7
|Nov precipitation mm=14
|Dec precipitation mm=1
|source 1= ''Climate-Data.org'' (altitude: 19m)<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/6166/ |title=Climate: Gandhidham – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table |publisher=Climate-Data.org |access-date=2013-12-04 }}</ref>
}}

==Governance==
The city is represented by a [[Gandhidham (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|constituency]] in the [[Gujarat Legislative Assembly]]. It forms part of the [[Kachchh (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kachchh Lok Sabha constituency]].

==2001 Earthquake Calamity==
[[File:Lilashah statue at Gandhidham Kutch Gujarat.jpg|thumb|Lilashah statue at Gandhidham]]
The [[2001 Gujarat earthquake|Gujarat earthquake of 2001]] majorly affected the city of Gandhidham along with many nearby towns like Bhuj, Anjar, Bhachau and more. The shock, which measured 7.7 on the moment [[Seismic magnitude scales|magnitude scale]] and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''), killed 13,805–20,023, left roughly 166,800 injured, and many were left homeless including Gandhidham. The death toll in the Kutch region was 12,300. Bhuj, which was situated only 50  km away from the Gandhidham, was devastated. Considerable damage also occurred in City Gandhidham and Bhachau and Anjar with hundreds of villages flattened in Taluka of Anjar, Bhuj and [[Bhachau]].

==Land of Adipur and Gandhidham==
Gandhidham was the dream of Pratap Dialdas. He requested great Leaders of India for the procurement of land in the Kachchh region. They requested [[Vijayarajaji|Maharao Vijayraj]] Ji of Kachchh for granting of land for re-settlement of Sindhi community people migrated from Sindh. Maharao, without any delay, granted 15000 acres of land for the purpose. Bhai Pratap said this is too big land and cannot be developed by SRC Ltd, therefore, he desired to keep with him only 2,600 acres, and the rest of the land was given to KPT and GDA for management. Today Adipur and Gandhidham townships are the townships of pride in the District of Kachchh only with the grace of Rajput Kshatriya ancestors – Provided by Ram Amarnani.

Distance between twin-townships of Adipur and Gandhidham is 5 km developed fully. The airport road dividing wards 5 and 7 divides this city, whereas Municipality is one, known as Gandhidham Municipal Corporation (from 2023). These towns are divided in two parts wherein land is recognized as Wards & Sectors. They have six wards each 1 to 6 in Adipur and 7 to 12 in Gandhidham. These wards consist of commercial, industrial and residential plots of land. The land which is owned and managed by SRC (The Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Ltd) is known as 'Wards' and The land which is owned and managed by KPT (Kandla Port Trust) is known as 'Sectors'. There are 13 such sectors in Gandhidham. Apart from this, there is vast land managed by GDA (Gandhidham Development Authority) which is known as "NU". For the construction of any permanent structure in these townships, the permission of GDA is a must.

The Authority was constituted by the [[Government of Gujarat|State Government]] under their Resolution No. TPS-3858(a) dated 08.08.1958 published in the Bombay Government Gazette part IVB, Extraordinary issue dated 11.08.1958. The GDA was created on 08.08.1958.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Approval For City |first=State Cabinet Accepted |date=29 June 2023 |title=About the conversation of the town into the city. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/state-cabinet-gives-approval-for-five-new-municipal-corporations/articleshow/101353416.cms |archive-url= |website=Times of India}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:Rotary_Circle.jpg|Rotary Circle
File:Tagore_Road.jpg|Tagore Road
File:SRI_GURUNANAK_DEV_JI_MARG.jpg|Sri Gurunanak Dev ji Marg
</gallery>

==Demographics==
In 2011 the population of Gandhidham was 247,992, which consisted of 131,484 males and 116,508 females.<ref name=census>{{cite web
| title = Census of India
| publisher = The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, New Delhi, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
| date = 2007-06-26
| url = http://censusindia.gov.in/pca/cdb_pca_census/Houselisting-housing-Gujarat.html
| access-date = 2015-09-03
}}</ref>

===Language===
According to the 2011 Census, Gujarati speakers are a majority in Bhuj, followed by Hindi, Kachchhi, Sindhi and others.<ref name="language">{{cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Gujarat |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10203/download/13315/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-2400.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in|publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]]}}</ref>

{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Languages of Kutch district (2011)<ref name="language"/>
| label1 = [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] | value1 = 46.54 | color1 = orange
| label2 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]] | value2 = 18.08 | color2 = springgreen
| label3 = [[Kutchi language|Kachchhi]] | value3 = 12.50 | color3 = gold
| label4 = [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] | value4 = 8.89 | color4 = blue
| label5 = others | value5 = 13.99 | color5 = grey
}}

==Education==
{{laundry|section|date=January 2024}}
{{unreferenced|section|date=January 2024}}

Schools in the area include

'''CBSE SCHOOLS'''

* [[Sixth star pre school & day care Center]]
* [[D.A.V. Public School]]
* [[Delhi Public School Society|Delhi Public High School (D.P.S)]]
* [[Podar Group of Schools|Poddar International School]]

* [[Kendriya Vidyalaya at IFFCO colony]]
* [[Kendriya Vidyalaya at Railway colony]]
* [[Kakubhai Parikh School]] (K.P.S)
* [[Amarchand Singhvi School]]
* [[Savvy International School]]
* [[The Fusion School]]
* [[St. Thomas School ]]
* [[Atmiya Vidyapeeth School]]
* [[Welspun Vidya Mandir]](W. V. M)
* [[Mount Litera Zee School]]
* [[Academic Heights Public School]]

'''STATE BOARD ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOLS'''

* Mount Carmel High School
* [[Saint Xavier's at Adipur]]
* [[Modern School, Gandhidham]]
* [[P.N. Amersey High School]]
* [[St. Mary's School at Kandla]]
* [[Guru Nanak Public School, Adipur]]
* [[Shree Swaminarayan Vidyalaya]]
* [[Ananda Marga High School]] in DC-2, Rambaug road (English Medium)
* [[Ananda Marga Primary school]] in Sector-7
* [[Guru Nanak School for Excellence]]
* [[Sadhu Vaswani International School]]
* [[Excelsior Model School, Adipur]]
* [[Kairali English School]]
* [[Cambridge School, Gandhidham]]
* [[Shri Krishna Public School]].
* [[Aum Vidya Mandir]] at [[Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative|IFFCO colony]]

'''GUJARATI MEDIUM SCHOOLS'''

* [[Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel High School]]
* [[Saint Xavier's at Adipur]]
* [[RP Patel High School]]
* [[Shri Saraswati Vidyalaya]]
* [[Shri Sahyog Saraswati Vidhya Mandir]]
* [[Ambe Bhavnath High School]]
* [[M.P. Patel Kanya Vidyalaya]]

'''HINDI MEDIUM SCHOOLS'''

* [[Dr. C. G. High School]]
* [[Maitri School at Adipur]]
* [[Maitri Kanya Maha Vidyalaya at Adipur]]
* [[Adarsh Maha Vidyalaya ]]

For professional courses like [[Chartered Accountancy]] and [[Cost accounting|Cost & Management Accountancy]] the national professional accounting body of India like [[Institute of Chartered Accountants of India]] and [[Institute of Cost Accountants of India]] have opened an examination centre at Adipur.

==College and graduation==
Colleges for graduation and higher studies are Tolani College of Science & Arts, Tolani Commerce College, Pharmacy college and Diploma in Engineering, Management Institute situated nearby in [[Adipur]]. DNV International Educational College is situated in Bharat Nagar; the courses provided are BCA and [[Bachelor of Business Administration|BBA]]. Gandhidham Institution of Medical Sciences (GIMS) has been started for aspiring Medical/ Pharmacy students/

==Transport==
[[File: Gandhidham Junction main entrance.jpg|thumb|Gandhidham Junction main entrance]]
[[File:19132 Kutch Express at Gandhidham Bg Railway Station.jpg|thumb|Kutch Express at Gandhidham Railway Station]]
[[File:(Gandhidham - Kamakhya) Express route map.png|thumb|(Gandhidham - Kamakhya) Express route map]]
Gandhidham is connected by road and rail to the rest of India. Transport Nagar, on the outskirts of Gandhidham, is the hub of all major transport activity. There are trains to, [[Ahmedabad]], [[Allahabad]], [[Varanasi]], [[Kanpur]], [[Agra]], [[Lucknow]], [[Faizabad]], [[Patna]],
[[Jodhpur]], [[Ajmer]], [[Alwar]], [[Abu Road]], [[Jaipur]], [[Mumbai]], [[Vadodara]], [[Surat]], [[Yesvantpur]], [[Kalyan]], [[Bhiwandi]], [[Pune]], [[Kolkata]], [[Ahmedabad]], [[Indore]], [[Bangalore]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kochi]], [[Kollam]], [[Kota, Rajasthan|Kota]], [[Delhi]], [[Durg]], [[Guwahati]], [[Puri]], [[Chengannur]], [[Jalgaon]], [[Bhusaval]], [[Raipur]], [[Vizag]], [[Nagercoil]], [[Vijayawada]], [[Warangal]], [[Rajahmundry]] and several other cities. Many private companies operate bus services to major cities in Gujarat like Ahmedabad and Rajkot. India's largest port, [[Kandla]] is around 13.8 km from the city. It also has connectivity to Kandla Airport near village Galpadar. From August 2016 Air connect has started its daily services for Ahmedabad and Surat. They announced one flight from Mumbai to Kandla Airport (Gandhidham).

===Trains===

{{unreferenced|section|date=January 2024}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Train {{abbr|No.|number}}
! Train name
! Runs from source
! Destination
! Departure days
! Arrival days
|-
| 20803/20804
| [[Visakhapatnam–Gandhidham Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Visakhapatnam]]
| Friday
| Sunday
|-
| 22973/22974
| [[Gandhidham–Puri Weekly Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Puri]]
| Wednesday
| Friday
|-
| 16335/16336
| Nagarcoil Express
| Gandhidham
| [[Nagercoil]]
| Friday
| Thursday
|-
| 16505/16506
| [[Gandhidham–Bangalore City Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Bangalore]]
| Tuesday
| Monday
|-
| 11091/11092
| [[Ahimsa Express]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Pune]]
| Wednesday
| Tuesday
|-
| 15667/15668
| [[Kamakhya–Gandhidham Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Kamakhya, Guwahati|Kamakhya]]
| Saturday
| Saturday
|-
| 14312/14311 via [[Ahmedabad]] & 14322/14321 via [[Bhildi]]
| [[Ala Hazrat Express (via Ahmedabad)]] [[Ala Hazrat Express (via Bhildi)]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Bareilly]]
| Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday For 14312. Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday For 14322.
| Friday, Saturday, Monday For 14311. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday For 14321.
|-
| 22829/22830
| [[Shalimar–Bhuj Weekly Superfast Express]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Shalimar railway station|Shalimar]]
| Tuesday
| Monday
|-
| 22904/22903
| Bandra Terminus–Bhuj AC Superfast Express
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Bandra]]
| Monday, Thursday, Saturday
| Thursday, Saturday, Monday
|-
| 12937/12938
| [[Garbha Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Howrah]]
| Saturday
| Wednesday
|-
| 12960/12959
| [[Dadar–Bhuj Superfast Express]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Dadar]]
| Monday, Thursday
| Wednesday, Saturday
|-
| 14802/14801
| [[Gandhidham–Jodhpur Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Jodhpur]]
| Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
| Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
|-
| 22955/22956
| [[Kutch Express]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Bandra]], [[Mumbai]]
| Daily
| Daily
|-
| 12993/12994
| [[Gandhidham–Puri Weekly Superfast Express]]
| Gandhidham
| [[Puri]]
| Monday
| Wednesday
|-
| 19116/19115
| [[Sayajinagari Express]]
| [[Bhuj]]
| [[Bandra]]
| Daily
| Daily
|}

===Airport===
The area is served by Kandla airport near Galpadar town. Daily service is available to Mumbai. SpiceJet announced one more flight for Mumbai from 11 July 2017 onward.

==See also==
*[[Kandla]]
*[[Adipur]]
*[[Galpadar]]

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
*Kripalani, J. B. 1951. Gandhidham. Bombay: [Mangharam N. Thadani for the Sindhu Resettlement Corp.]
*Adams, Howard & Greely. 1952. Report on a revised plan for the town and region of Gandhidham, Anjar Taluka, Kutch India, prepared for the Government of India Ministry of Transport, and the United States Department of State. [Boston: Adams, Howard & Greely].

==External links==
*[http://www.kasez.com Kandla Special Economic Zone]
*[https://www.deendayalport.gov.in Deendayal Port Authority]
*[http://www.aryagan.org Arya Samaj, Gandhidham]
*[http://www.tolani.org Tolani Foundation]
*[http://www.kutchforever.com KutchForever.com – The First Internet Gateway of Kutch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118170507/http://www.kutchforever.com/ |date=18 January 2010 }}
*[http://www.sindhu-src.org Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Limited (SRC Limited), Adipur]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100107184623/http://www.sindhology.org/sindhiyat.asp www.sindhology.org]

[[Category:Gandhidham| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Kutch district]]

Gandhidham - Revision history

GrettaDumaresq4 at 14:21, 15 March 2026