Bhavnagar (Gujarati: ભાવનગર, Hindi: भावनगर, Bhāvnagar) is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat. Founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil (1703–1764), the city was named after its founder and ruler. It has been the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Indian Union in 1948. It is now the administrative center of the Bhavnagar district.

Bhavnagar is situated 228 km from the state capital Gandhinagar and to the west of the Gulf of Khambhat. Bhavnagar is the fifth largest city of Gujarat, and the second largest city in the Saurashtra region. It is also known as the cultural capital of Saurashtra.

The Gohil Rajput of the Suryavanshi clan faced severe competition in Marwar. Around 1260 AD, they moved down to the Gujarat coast and established three capitals; Sejakpur, Umrala and Sihor.

In 1822-1823, forces led by Khanthaji Kadani and Pilaji Gaekwad attempted to raid Sihor but were repealed by Maharaja Bhavsinhji Gohil. After suffering defeat, he realized the reason was the location of Sihor (old Bhavnagar). In 1823, he established a new capital near Vadva village, 20 km away from Sihor, and named it Bhavnagar. It was a carefully chosen strategic location because of the potential of maritime trade. Naturally, Bhavnagar City became the capital of Bhavnagar State.

Shammi Kapoor (Hindi: शम्मी कपूर; born Shamsher Raj Prithviraj Kapoor; 21 October 1931. – 14 August 2011) was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s and played supportng roles from 1974 to 2011.

Shammi Kapoor is hailed as one of the most entertaining lead actors that Hindi cinema has ever produced and his notable films include Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Dil Tera Diwana, Professor, China Town, Rajkumar, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari, Andaz and Vidhaata. He received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1968 for his performance in Brahmachari and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Vidhaata in 1982.

He was given the name Shamsher Raj Kapoor at his birth in Mumbai to film and theatre actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Kapoor née Mehra. Shammi was the second of the three sons born to Prithviraj (the other two being Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor), both successful Bollywood actors. Though born in Mumbai, he spent a major portion of his childhood in Kolkata, where his father was involved with New Theatres Studios, acting in films. It was in Kolkata that he did his Montessory and Kindergarten. After coming back to Mumbai, he first went to St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and then, to Don Bosco School. He finished his matric schooling from New Era School at Hughes Road.

Morari Bapu (Gujarati: મોરારી બાપુ, Hindi: मुरारी बापू; real name Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani born on September 25, 1946 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.

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. . . 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.

Narendra Damodardas Modi (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી; born 17 September 1950) is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Born in a middle class family in Vadnagar, he was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife Heeraben. He has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood also having interest in politics since adolescence. He holds a master's degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.

He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".