About Viramgam

Geography of Viramgam

Viramgam is situated at 23.12 degrees North and 72.03 degrees East. The average elevation of the town of Viramgam is around 32 meters or 104 feet. The town of Viramgam is surrounded by three great reservoirs on all three sides. The Gangasagar Lake is situated on the south eastern side, the Gustarialake, the Dhunia lake on the south western side. It is also surrounded by the Mansar Lake on the western side.

Demographics of Viramgam

According to the Indian Census of the year 2011, the population of Viramgam is around 55,821. The males are around 28,929 and the females are around 26,892. The rate of literacy of Viramgam is around 84.41 percent which is a lot higher in comparison to the national rate of literacy, which is around 59.5 percent. The rate of literacy of the males are 84.41 percent, and that of the females are around 77.14 percent. The population that is below the age of six years is around 11.65 percent. The official languages that are used here are Gujarati, English, and Hindi. The city of Viramgam is divided into seven wards.

History of Viramgam

Around the year 1090, Minaldevi, who was the mother of JayasimhaSiddharaja, helped in commissioning the Mansar Lake. Siddharaja belonged to the Chalukya Dynasty who was known to rule from the AnhilwadPatan. He also helped in adding a number of temples and shrines later during his rule. The state of Viramgam was founded in Circa 1484. Viramgam was ruled by a great Mandal chief and it was never under the Muslim Sultanate until the year 1530. Kathiawar was the headquarters of the district of Jhalawar. There were many disturbances during the eighteenth century. This place was a witness to a maximum of the struggles.

One of the popular native rulers, who was a Kunbi, fortified the town of Viramgam in the year 1730. Till 1730, Viramgam was being ruled by a strong Muslim Government. In the year 1735, another Desai, Bhavsingh, sought help from the Marathas to overthrow the Muslims. Bhavsingh with the help of the Marathas dislodged the governor, and managed to hold the town until the year 1740. Bhavsingh wanted to be independent and he hoped to gain more power. He wanted to drive the Marathas out of Viramgam. After the Marathas were driven out, they started to gain more and more power and returned to the town of Viramgam. Bhavsingh was not able to cope with the Marathas, he handed over Viramgam to them and it became the Desai Shri of the State of Patdi. The Marathas continued to rule Viramgam for a long time until the British took the town away from them.

Viramgarm Tourism

Fort

Viramgam town is known to be surrounded by a wall made up of brick and stone, which is rectangular in shape. The wall surrounds the town for around twenty-one miles. There are total five gates that the wall has. The Golwadi gate is situated towards the north, and it leads to Patan. The Bharwadi gate is located on the north eastern side, which leads to the railway station. The Raipuri Gate lies towards the east side of the wall, which leads to the district of Ahmedabad. The Gangasagar gate is located on the south western side. The Mansar Gate is located on the western side of the wall. The wall also has two gateways that remain unopened. These two gateways are on the north eastern side and the north western side. On the southern face of the wall, a window has been made, which allows the residents of Viramgam to draw water from the Gangasagar. It is said that this was built in the year 1730, by a famous rule of Viramgam, Viramdev Desai.

Mansar Lake

Mansar Lake was built in the year 1090 by the mother of Siddhraj, Minaldevi. This lake was known as the Mansarovar earlier. Now it has been changed to Mansar. Most people also refer to this lake as the Munsar Lake. The lake has a length of around 220 yards. The lake has a conch-shaped structure, and it also has stone steps leading to the lake. There is a tunnel which allows the water to go in the lake. Over this tunnel, there is a Bahuchar Mata Temple, which was constructed by the Marathas. She is also referred to as the Mansar Mata by the locals. On the northern side of the lake, a number of steps are in ruins. Also, there are many roadways that are broken, and they run to the age of the water. There are many stone shaped shrines. In the shrines, the sides of the Mansarlake are like a round basin or a pedestal, as images for Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna. There is also a large temple on a roadway running down to the edge of the water. The temple is famous for the double porch and the spire.

Gangasagar Lake

Gangasagar Lake is one of the most popular lakes that surround the town of Viramgam. It was built by one of the Muslim Mystics, also referred to as the Sufis, around 800 years ago. His name was HazratAlauddin Shah Chisty. He had taken help from another Sufi saint, HazratIslahuddin. HazratIslahuddin was born to parents who were Hindu, and he was named GanguVanjara. According to the legends that the local people believe, he changed his religion to Islam after watching all the miracles done by the great Alauddin Shah. Later, a lake was built after it was requested by Alauddin Shah. It was named Gangasagar because of the birth name that his parents had given him. Later, the name of the lake was changed to Gangasar.

Transport in Viramgam

Viramgam is one of the greatest cities to visit which is located in Gujarat. Viramgam is connected to the major cities and States with the help of the transportation facilities that are available here.

Rail Transport

The Viramgam Railway Station is the nearest railway station to the town of Viramgam. This railway station is owned by the Western Railways of the division of Ahmedabad. It is situated on the main lines of Gandhidham-Ahmedabad. It connects to major cities which include Rajkot, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Mehsana, and Okha. The station is served by almost forty trains on a regular basis, making communication easy.

Air Transport

The nearest airports to the town of Viramgam are the Ahmedabad Airport, or the SardarVallabhbhaiPatel International Airport, and the Bhavnagar Airport. There are no direct flights available for Viramgam, but tourists can get down in the respective airports and take bus or cabs to reach the town of Viramgam.

Road Transport

Viramgam is connected to the other parts of the town and cities with the help of the buses that are available here. One can even hire private vehicles if they have to visit any place.

Viramgam is a very popular town of Gujarat and is rich in history. It is a must visit place for the ones who are interested in history.