Navsari
—  city  —
Navsari Location of Navsari in Gujarat and India
Coordinates	20°56′57″N 72°54′49″E / 20.9491°N 72.9136°E / 20.9491; 72.9136Coordinates: 20°56′57″N 72°54′49″E / 20.9491°N 72.9136°E / 20.9491; 72.9136
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District(s)	Navsari
Population	163,000 (2011[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 9 metres (30 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 396445 • Telephone • +02637 • Vehicle • GJ-21

Navsari (Gujarati: નવસારી) is a city and municipality in the Surat Metropolitan Region and also the administrative headquarters Navsari District of Gujarat, India. Navsari is also the Twin City of Surat, and only 37 km south of Surat.

Geography[link]

Navsari is located at 20°57′N 72°56′E / 20.95°N 72.93°E / 20.95; 72.93. It has an average elevation of 9m (29') above sea level. The city is located in southern Gujarat and is situated near the Purna River, within a few kilometres of the river's delta, which is west of the city and empties into the Gulf of Khambhat.

Weather in Navsari is sunny from September to May, rainy from June to August. The average maximum and minimum temperatures are 40 °C (104 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F) respectively. The average annual rainfall is 122 cm (48 in).

The soil of the region is black. There are two lakes in the city: Dudhiya Talav (Talāv means Lake in Gujarati), and Sharbatiya Talav.

Demographics[link]

The city's first settlers were the Chalukyas, followed by the Rashtrakutas, and subsequent settlements by the Parsis.

According to the 2001 census,^[1] Navsari had a population of 134,009. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Navsari has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 72%. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Gujarati is the main language spoken in Navsari. Other languages spoken are Hindi and Marathi^{[citation needed]}.

Landmarks[link]

One of the Seven Atash Behrams is located near Tarota Bazar and many Parsi Zoroastrians from all over the world visit.^{[citation needed]}

The Sayaji Vaibhav Public Library Navsari is an important public building in Navsari. The Meherji Rana library at Tarota Bazaar is home to some of the oldest texts of the Indian Zoroastrian community.^{[citation needed]} The Clock Tower, Laxman Hall, Junathana, Court Building and Old Post Office Building serve as important landmarks. The city's main market is Mota Bazaar. There is also a statue of Dadabhai Naoroji in Tower area.

Dudhia Talao, another of the area's major commercial centers, was once a lake. There is a well-known ophthalmic hospital called Rotary Eye Hospital near Dudhia Talao, which was built in the early 1970s. The regionally popular Ashapuri Temple is situated near Dudhia Talao. At Dudhia Talao is built one of the finest auditoriums in south Gujarat, J.N. Tata Memorial Hall.

On the banks of river Purna is the famous temple of Ravariya Bapa. Another important place of worship is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, located on the National Highway no. 8, which links Mumbai and Delhi. VIRWADI HANUMANJI MANDIR and TAPOVAN SANSKAR DHAM are highly visited worship places.Both temples are main worship places of Hinduism and Jainism.

At coastal line there lies a village, which is known as DANDI .The place where the salt Satyagraha took place against British rule. The Salt Satyagraha, which began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, was an important part of the Indian independence movement.On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhiji and 78 male satyagrahis set out on foot for the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, over 390 kilometres (240 mi) from their starting point at Sabarmati Ashram. According to The Statesman, the official government newspaper which usually played down the size of crowds at Gandhi's functions, 100,000 people crowded the road that separated Sabarmati from Ahmedabad.[38][39] The first day's march of 21 kilometres (13 mi) ended in the village of Aslali, where Gandhi spoke to a crowd of about 4,000. At Aslali, and the other villages that the march passed through, volunteers collected donations, registered new satyagrahis, and received resignations from village officials who chose to end cooperation with British rule.There a statue of Gandhiji and small museum in which photo gallery is there.

History[link]

Navsari, one of the oldest cities of Gujarat, has an inspiring history of over 2000 years. According to the Greek historical writings, a celebrated Egyptian astronomer and geographer named Tolemy mentioned about Navsari's port in his book written about 1850 years ago (150 A.D.). The geographic location he showed as Narispa, is in fact the Navsari of today.^[2]

The origin of the name "Navsari" has a very fascinating history. In the past, the city of Navsari has been associated with many names such as Nag Vardhana, Nag Shahi, Nag Sarika, Nag Mandal, Nav Sarika and Nav Sareh. Some of the legends associated with the various names of Navsari are as follows:

Shayashray Shiladitya, who ruled over Navsari in the seventh century named this city NAG VARDHANA in honor of his Guru Nag Vardhana. During the same period, the name changed to NAV SARIKA as is evidenced by a recovered copper plate dated 669 A.D. The legend is that Shayashray Shiladttya presented a copper plate to a priest in his town. The copper plate read that Shiladitya, the ruler of "Nav Sarika," had bestowed a nearby village upon this priest of the Kashyapclan.

Another recovered copper plate dated 821 A.D. implies that the city's name later changed into NAG SARIKA. The copper plate indicates that a Rashtrakut king named Kark Suvarna Varsh gave "Nag Sarika" as a gift to his teacher named AparaJeet, pupil of Sumati kaharishi, who in turn was a pupil of the famous Digambar Jain teacher Acharya Mallavadi. There is a popular legend behind the name "Nag Sarika." Fables suggest that there was a big papal tree on the bank of a pond in the city. A huge Cobra lived in a hollow of this tree. On this same tree, Sarika _ a singing bird _ had her nest. As they resided in the same place, both became friends. Everyday Sarika entertained the Cobra by singing her melodious tunes. The legends have it that due to this remarkable friendship between the Nag (Cobra) and the Sarika (singing bird), the city's name became popular as NAG SARIKA.

Another legend of the Nag talks about the origins of a different name for the city: NAG SHAHI. Historically, a Nag (Black Cobra) temple was situated next to a talav (pond) in the city. People worshiped the Black Cobra for its power and Prowess. Although the pond (talav) does not exist any more, the historical Nag Temple still exists in the area known as "Nag Talavdi" today. Hence the city came to be known as NAG SHAHI, which means the power and prowess of the Black Cobra.

According to the Parsi tradition, in 1142 A.D., when they first came to Navsari, the city was named as NAG MANDAL. The Parsis found the city's atmosphere to that of "Sari" prant of Iran. In the Persian language, "now" means new and "Sari" refers to the place in Iran. Hence, the name NAO SARI came into being.

The Fourteenth century marked the beginning of Muslim rule in Gujarat. Navsari came under the Muslim rule in the late sixteenth century when its name was changed to NAV SAREH. The anecdote is that according to the Muslim tradition, there were nine "Sarchs" of Muslims in the city and hence the name was derived as NAV (Nine) SAREH (Sarchs).

The above changes in names show that Navsari, like any other city, has passed through many vicissitudes in the matter of political reign. About fourteen hundred years ago, the kings of the Chalukya Dynasty governed the region of Navsari. Later on, the Parsis, who migrated from Iran, virtually ruled this small town. The reign of the Parsis ended as the Muslim rulers took over. For the last one hundred years, until India's independence in 1947, Navsari was the property of the Gaekwads of Baroda.

• Jamsetji Tata

Navsari is also the birth place of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of what would later become the Tata Group of companies; he is regarded as the "father of Indian industry"

• Dadabhai Navroji

Dadabhai Navroji, known as the "Grand Old Man of India," was born in Navsari. He was an elected Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom between 1892 and 1895, and the first Asian to be a British MP.

Transportation[link]

By Air: The nearest local airport is at Surat, 30 km north of Navsari, with the nearest international airports being Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at Mumbai, 260 km to the south and to the north the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. By Rail: Navsari also lies on the Mumbai-Delhi railway link, one of the busiest railway routes in India. By Road: Navsari is well connected by NH 228 also known as Sabarmati-Dandi Highway. NH 8 also passes through the city. Navsari is only 40 km south of Surat. Navsari has one of the best road connectivity.

Notable people[link]

• Ketan Mehta, Indian film director and husband of actress Deepa Sahi
• Dr. Dababhoy Nowroji
• Jamsetji Tata
• Homai Vyarawalla (1913- 2012), 1st woman photojounalist of India, Padma Vibushan^[3]
• B.A.Desai former soliciter gen. of india

Education[link]

Universities and colleges[link]

• Sorabji Burjorji Garda Arts College
• B.P. Baria Science College
• Navsari Agricultural University
• P.K. Patel Commerce College
• Navsari Law College
• Mahatma Gandhi institute of technical education and research
• Vallbhbudhi polytechnic navsari
• Arts And Commerce College,Chovisi(Dist:Navsari)
• Narnlala College of Profesional and Applied Science
• S.S.Agrawal College of Arts, Commerce and Management, Navsari
• S.S.Agrawal College of Nursing Training College and Research Centre, Navsari
• S.S.Agrawal Institute of Management and Technology, Navsari
• B.d.Gohil,Navsari.

Schools[link]

• The Vidyakunj High School
• Seth P.H.Vidyalaya (Sanskarbharti)
• A.H.M.P.High School (Akhil Hind Mahilaa parishad High School)
• Bai Navajbai Tata Girls' High School, Dastur Wad
• Seth R.J.J. High School
• The Navsari High School
• Sheth H.C. Prekh,Navsari High School
• St. Francis of Assisi Convent High School
• Bhakta Ashram
• Seventh-Day Adventist English School
• Sheth Purushottamdas Harjivandas Vidyalaya (Sanskar Bharti)
• D.K. Tata High School
• Dinbai Daboo Girls High School
• Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Nauserwanjee Zarthostri Madresa High School (Madresa High School)
• Tapovan Sanskardham Vidyalaya
• SGM Shiroiya School
• R.D Patel Sarvajanik High School, Kabilpore
• Mamta Mandir
• Seth Banatwala High School
• Sir C.J.Z Madresha High School, Navsari
• Shree Sardar Patel Vidhtabhavn, Jalalpore, Navsari
• Shree Sardar Sharda Mandir, Vijalpore, Navsari
• Seema Patel Higher Secondary School,Navsari
• A.B. Higher Secondary School,Navsari

External links[link]

• Navsari Collectorate
• Navsari Site
• Shree Sayaji Vaibhav Library - Navsari Public Library

References[link]

Surat Metropolitan Region

Morari Bapu (Gujarati: મોરારી બાપુ, Hindi: मुरारी बापू; real name Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani born on September 25, 1946^[1] in Talgajarda is a popular Hindu kathakaar (preacher), who has been giving 9 day-long sermons (kathaas) in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—including in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling the world—since the mid-1970s.

To date, he has conducted over 700 kathaas, most of them based on the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas and other such works about Rama as well as Gopigeet which has the gopis of Vrindavan singing of the glory of Krishna.

Biography[link]

Morari Bapu, complete name Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani was born on September 25, 1946 on auspicious day of Shivratri in village Talgajarda near Mahuva, Gujarat, to Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and Savitri Ben Hariyani, in a family of six brothers and two sisters. He is born in a family following religious traditions called Vaishnav Bava Sadhu Nimbarka Parampara (lineage). He became to be called as "Bapu" (meaning Father or elderly person) lovingly by people. .^[2] .^[3] His grandfather, Tribhovandasji was a great Ram Bhakta (devotee of Sri Rama) and used to make young Morari memorize five verses of the Ramcharitamanas each day, on his way to school and back. Further, he at young age was also encouraged via letters from his paternal great grand father, Mahamandleshwar Vishnu Giriji Maharaj, who was head of "Kailas Ashram" at Rishikesh, to be proficient in the Bhagvat Gita and the Vedas.^[4][5]

Morari Bapu has started his career as a primary school teacher in near by village to Talgajarda, he worked for several years, side by side he was doing Ram Kathas.

Media[link]

• Ram Katha by Morari Bapu. (Audio and Video)[1]

Currently available:-

1. Katha No. 668 - Manas Shraddha
2. Katha No. 667 - Manas Mallikarjun
3. Katha No. 648 - Manas Amarnath
4. Katha No. 623 - Manas Sadguru
5. Katha No. 571 - Manas Kak Bhusundi Ramayan

Further reading[link]

• Ramayana: Rāma, Gāthā in Different Versions, by Avadhesh K. Singh. Published by D.K. Printworld, 2007. ISBN 81-246-0416-9.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of Morari Bapu (IIRamII.net)
• Morari Bapu in Jerusalem

This Indian religion-related biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a person notable in Hinduism is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e