Khambhat

Khambhat
Cambay
City
Tower Road, Khambhat
Tower Road, Khambhat
Nickname: 
Trambavati Nagari
Khambhat is located in Gujarat
Khambhat
Khambhat
Coordinates: 22°18′N 72°37′E / 22.3°N 72.62°E / 22.3; 72.62
CountryIndia
StateGujarat
DistrictAnand
Government
 • TypeNagar Palika
Area
 • Total2,932.9 km2 (1,132.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total99,164 (M+OG)
 • Density620/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialGujarati
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PINs
388620, 388625, 388630, 388540
Telephone code02698
Vehicle registrationGJ 23
Websitekhambhatnagarpalika.in

Khambhat (/kɑːmˈbɑːt/, Gujarati: [kʰəmbʱɑt] ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat.[1] It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved to Surat. Khambat lies on an alluvial plain at the north end of the Gulf of Khambhat, noted for the extreme rise and fall of its tides, which can vary as much as thirty feet in the vicinity of Khambat. Khambat is known for its halvasan sweet, sutarfeni, akik stone and kites (patang), and for sources of oil and gas.

Khambat is perhaps the only place in India where the Harappan craft of agate bead making is found in the living tradition. Surprisingly Khambat has no stone deposits; the craft has survived mainly through acquiring stones from the Rajpipla hills, about 200 km away from the city. In the folklore of Khambat, the beginning of the craft is attributed to Baba Ghor, a 1500 AD saint from Ethiopia (Habash) who had led a large contingent of Muslims (Siddi) to settle in the city. However, in the archaeological record the origin of the craft can be traced to nearby Lothal, a Harappan outpost that flourished about 4000 years ago.

  1. ^ "Alphabetical List of Towns and their Population: Gujarat" (PDF). Census of India 2010. Office of The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2007.