Jetpur, Navagadh


Jetpur is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

History

During the British period, the talukdars of Jetpur were Kathis of the Vala tribe. The talnka was a large and wealthy one consisting of 143 villages, and if under one chief would be a second class or even a first class state, as the revenue is not less than eight lakhs of rupees.
The Vala Kathis entered the province several centuries back, and one of their earliest seats was at Devlia Mota whence they conquered Chital. From Chital they acquired Jetpur and subsequently Mendarda and Bilkha. There are two different accounts given of the acquisition of Jetpur, viz. that of the Tarikh-i-Sorath, which says that the first Nawab of Junagadh, Bahddur Khan I, granted Jetpur to Vala Vim; tradition, which says that Vala Viro Najo of Chital aided the Valas of Bagasra in their feud with Vaijo Khasia of Mitiala, and that Vala Samat of Bagasra was slain in the battle. In consideration of Vira's aid the Valas of Bagasra gave him Jetpur. These Bagasra Valas acquired their share in Jetpur from the Khadia Baloch who received it from the local Muslim governors of former times.
Jetpur is said originally to have been a holding of the former Valas, and to have been conquered from Vala Champraj by Shamskhan at the same time as the Vala town of Kileshvar in the Bardas was sacked. It is said that Vala Champraj had a beautiful daughter whom he refused to give to Shamskhan in marriage on which that noble sacked Kileshvar and took Jetpur, Vala Champraj and eighteen hundred Kathi horse being left dead on the field. But Vala Champraj is said to have killed his daughter, hence Shamskhan failed to obtain her. The great-grandfather of this Vala Champraj was Jetji who founded and named Jetpur. Jetpur was held by sixteen talukdars descended from the common ancestor Vala Naja Desa in 1880s.

Geography

Jetpur is situated on the western bank of the Bhadar river. The Bhadar river, which has a south-westerly course to within a few miles of Jetpur, here suddenly takes a curve-to the north for a few miles, and then turns to the west. A bridge has been constructed across the Bhadar about a mile north of Jetpur on the Rajkot- Jundgadh highway.

Population

India census, Jetpur Navagadh had a population of 118,302. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Jetpur Navagadh has an average literacy rate of 98%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 98%, and female literacy is 97%. In Jetpur Navagadh, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The population according to the census of 1872 was 9600 and according 1881 was 18,085 souls.

Culture

Shree Swaminarayan Temple here is a popular Hindu temple.

Economy

Jetpur is a textile town. Jetpur is one of the largest centers for screen-printing, block printing and yarn dyeing workshops in the country. It is famous for cotton saree industry and is major exporter of khanga and kitenge. Local industrialists Gordhandas Karsanji Bosamia and Chunilal Karsanji Bosamia of Jagdish Mills set up the first Textile Mill in Jetpur and later in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Jetpur is a pleasure for textile enthusiasts who can visit and experience the process of printing and dyeing.

Notable people

Jetpur is connected to all major towns of Gujarat by public transport service operated by GSRTC. Jetpur Railway Junction is a railway station on the Bhavnagar-Dhoraji line. There roads from Jetpur to Rajkot, from Jetpur to Dhoraji, from Jetpur to Junagadh, and from Jetpur to Manikvada.