Kheda Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

Sightseeing Highlights:

Dandi, a historical place located about 16 km from the district of Navsari is where the Saifee Villa Museum has been established to commemorate the Dandi Salt March. Built in 1961, the museum attracts attention to the pictures and artifacts of Gandhi's life and contribution to the independence of India.

Somnath Mahadev Temple is one of the tallest Mahadev temples in Gujarat. It is situated in the Bilimore Taluk.

Dastur Meherji-Rana Library is rich in literature of the earliest Parsi or Zoroastrian settlements in Navsari and has many pictures of the old town.  It is located at the Tarota bazar. Another important library is the Sayaji Vaibhav Library. Ubhrat a sandy white beach 20 km away is a perfect picnic spot. The Vansda National park has a variety of flora and fauna to see.

Other activities:

The Mota bazaar and the Tarota bazaar of Navsari are known for their jewellery, silk garments and zardosi (intricate embroidery with gold thread). Navsari is one of the major centers for the cutting and polishing of diamonds. Dudhia Talao, once a lake, is now another major market and commercial center.

Lunsikui, the city's main residential area, is named after a large park where the children of the city come to play cricket and eat in the evenings, and is found filled with vendors displaying different kinds of food.

Tourism Info:

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited

Udhyog Bhavan

Block No. 16, 4^th Floor, Sector 11,

Gandhinagar - 382 011

Phone: 91-79-23222523 23222645, 23220002

Fax: 91-79-23222189-23238908

Kheda, a municipality, an administrative hub and major trading town of its district in Gujarat, is also known as Kaira. It is resplendent with a rich history and is known to have played a primary role in the awakening of the nation in its fight for freedom. Among the 25 districts of Gujarat, the Kheda district perhaps houses the largest settlement of Jats, and Rajputs among its Gujjar clans.

The foundations of Kheda date back to the 5^th century, where this community was known in the Mahabharata era as 'Chakravarti nagar'. It then came under the reign of the Babi family from the early eighteenth century until in 1763, when they were overthrown by the Marathas. Kheda surrendered to the British in 1803 and thus comprised a section of the Bombay Presidency of British India. Therefore it is known through history as the military stronghold of that region in the British reign. However, Kheda holds an even more significant place in history for being the birthplace of the well-known Satyagraha movement against the oppressive taxation by the British, started by Mahatma Gandhi.

Located between the rivers Vatrak and Shedhi, Kheda has in and around it, many temples with beautiful carvings, an early 19th Century Town Hall and a church consecrated in 1822 by Bishop Herber.