Gujarat

About the State and Cultures

By Piyush Dahiya 9C

Introduction
In this PowerPoint presentation you are going to get an insight on the state of Gujarat. It mainly focuses on Cultures, Clothing Festivals and the People.

Gujarat
Gujaratis live in Gujarat, one of the western states in India. The name comes from "Gujara," a branch of the White Huns. This group ruled the area during the eighth and ninth centuries. Gujara also is the name of a pastoral caste (social class).

Geography
o The State has a long coast-line of about 1600 kms. and is the longest among all States of country
o It is comprised of 25 districts, which are further subdivided into talukas. A taluka consists of a city or town that serves as its headquarters. o Gujurat accounts for 6.19 percent of the total area of the country.

Geography
o o The State is situated on the west coast of India Population of 50,596,992

o It is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the West, by the States of Rajasthan in the North and North-East, by Madhya Pradesh in the East and by Maharashtra in the South and South East. o The State has an international boundary and has a common border with Pakistan at the north-western fringe.

Cultural Heritage
o Gujaratis have a cultural heritage that can be traced back to a civilization that existed 3000 years ago. o Gujarati literature dates to the twelfth century.

o Many groups contribute to Gujarati culture. From the Vaishnavas come the legends and mythology of Krishna, to whom are ascribed the popular Raas and Garba folk dances. Jains influenced temple architecture and developed a distinctive style of painting. Muslim architecture in Gujarat combined Hindu elements with its own styles. Garba Video

Language
o The language, Gujarati, comes from Sanskritan ancient language.
o There are several dialects of Gujarati. These include Kachchi, Kathiawadi, and Surati. Bhili, a language similar to Gujarati, is spoken by tribal groups in northern and eastern Gujarat. o Gujarati is written in a cursive script. Many Gujaratis can also understand and speak Hindi.

Language

Clothing
Gujarati men wear the dhoti (loincloth consisting of a long piece of white cotton wrapped around the waist and then drawn between the legs and tucked into the waist), accompanied by a shirt and coat closed with strings.

Clothing
Women wear the sari (a length of fabric wrapped around the waist, with one end thrown over the right shoulder) and choli (tight-fitting, cropped blouse).

Food
Gujarati cuisine is mostly vegetarian, reflecting the strong influence of Jains and the Vaishnavas in the region. o Jowar, Bajri are the main staples.

o Roti - unleavened bread made from flour. This is eaten with a variety of vegetable dishes. o Kadhi - a savory curry of curds and fried cakes made from pulses (legumes), is a popular dish. o Srikhand - a rich dessert made with curds and spiced with saffron, cardamom, nuts, and fruit. Gujarat is also known for its delicious ice cream.

Food
o Lunch is usually roti and buttermilk. The main meal is eaten in the evening and consists of rice, split peas (dal-bhat), and vegetables.

o Meals are served on a thali, a metal tray on which roti, rice, and small bowls are placed. The bowls may hold vegetables such as eggplant, potatoes, beans, dal (lentils), and dahi (curds).

Sports
Gujarati girls play house, dress their dolls, and hold mock wedding ceremonies. Boys play marbles, spin tops, fly kites, and play such games as kabaddi (team wrestling). Khokho, a kind of team tag game, is another popular local pastime. Soccer, cricket, field hockey, and basketball are enjoyed throughout Gujarat.
Khokho Cricket

People
o Gujarat is home to number of groups that settled from outside including Huns, Sakas, Muslims, Parsis. Gujarat is devided mostly along caste lines.
o The largest caste is Koli Patel which makes up 20% of the population. The second largest is Patidar or Kanbi which makes up roughly 15% of the population. o Other major groups are Adivasi, Rajput, Vaniya, Harijan, Lohana, and number of other small sub-castes. The two largest caste, Koli and Kanbi, are distributed throughout Gujarat while other are found only in certain areas of Gujarat.

Religion
Break-down by Population
o o Hinduism 26,964,228 Jainism 491,331

o
o o o

Buddhism 11,615
Sikhism 33,044 Islam 13,606,920 Christian - 181,753

Major Holidays
Navratri is one holiday that is widely celebrated throughout the state. Navratri means "nine nights" and is celebrated on the nine nights leading up to Dasahara (the festival of the goddess Durga). It is a time of gaiety, when men and women gather in village squares and temple compounds to sing and dance.

Major Holidays
On the day of Diwali, old and young, rich and poor wear new dresses and share sweets. They also burn fire crackers. The North Indian business community starts their financial new year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day.

Major Holidays
Holi is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time indulging in general merrymaking.
During Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild in the streets.

Holi

Famous People
Mahatma Gandhi - (October 2, 1869 January 30,1948) was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement.

Kalpen Suresh Modi - (born on April 23, 1977) is an American actor who goes by the stage name Kal Penn. Harold & Kumar

Government and Politics

o Gujarat is governed by a Legislative Assembly of 182 members.
o The term of office for a member of the Legislative Assembly is five years. o The administration of the state is led by the Chief Minister.

o Narendra Modi has served as Chief Minister of the state since 2002.

Economy
o The economy of Gujarat is one of the most prosperous states of the country, having a per-capita GDP 2.47 times India's average.
Year 1980 1985 Gross State Domestic Product 74,270 139,880

o Gujarat controls some of the largest businesses in India.

o With 19.8% of the country's total industrial output, it is the most industrialized state in India.

1990
1995 2000

279,960
718,860 1,084,840

Amul
o formed in 1946, is a dairy cooperative movement in India
o managed by an apex cooperative organisation, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), which today is jointly owned by some 2.41 million milk producers in Gujarat, India

Amul
Amuls products range includes milk powders, milk, butter, ghee, cheese, curd, chocolate, ice cream, cream, shrikhand, paneer, gulab jamuns, basundi, Nutramul brand and others.