- published: 03 Nov 2015
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Bharuch pronunciation (help·info)(Gujarati: ભરૂચ), also known as Broach, is the oldest city in Gujarat, situated at the mouth of the holy river Narmada. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District and a municipality of more than 1,50,000 inhabitants. As Bharuch is a major seaport city, a number of trade activities have flourished here. Located between Vadodara and Surat, the city derived its name from ‘'Bhr̥gukachchha’' (Sanskrit: भृगुकच्छ, "Bhr̥gu's riverbank"), the residence of the great saint Bhrigu Rishi, which was later abridged to Bharuch. The city then became known as 'Bharukachch' and eventually Bharuch.
The priests of Bharuch were famous for their learning in the other regions too. As per the mythological stories, Agnihotri and Samvedi, the learned priests of Shukaltirtha were famous up to the Kashi in the northern India.
Bharuch is the hometown of the Gujarati Bhargav Brahmin community. The community traces its origins back to Bhrigurishi, Bhagwan Parshram the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and other rishis. The community has had Bharuch as their hometown for centuries. Some of the great men from this community include Kulapati K.M. Munshi, the great educationalist and founder of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.