Nargol
Encyclopedia
Nargol is a village located in the southern region of the India
n state of Gujarat near the Maharashtra
border. It lies about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north from Mumbai
and around 400 kilometres (249 mi) from Ahmedabad
on the Arabian Sea
coast. Nargol beach is dotted with Casuarina
trees and the waters have a population of sea turtle
s. The nearest town is Vapi
, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi), and the nearest airports are Daman and Surat
. The nearest railway station is Sanjan
, (about 11 kilometres from the village) with frequent train connections to both Mumbai in south and Gujarat in the north.
The countryside surrounding Nargol is typical Indian countryside dotted with small farmhouses. Around Nargol you can see water buffalos swimming in the rivers or quiet landscapes of dry savannah where only a few people have their homes. The beaches are wide and lonely sandbeaches with big tidal water level differences. Out on the sea you can daily spot traditional small fishing boats that patrol the coast in search of fish. In the village the palm trees are high and the temperatures are tropical.
Nargol is a small town with houses mostly not visited by owners. The beach is rarely visited by locals and is not very crowded. It is an interesting holiday destination and sees a few tourists, who come there to enjoy the isolation and peace of mind. The seaside is part of the Gulf of Cambay (Gulf of Khambhat), which has very clouded waters with almost no visibility. This is possibly because of the large rivers that bring their humus to the sea around the bay.
One of the most exciting new archaeological discoveries of the 21st century - an ancient city which is said to be over 9000 years old - has been found 30-40 meters under the sea. This is one of the main findings of the marine archaeology in the Gulf of Cambay. The scientists made this discovery in the year 2000.
The Village has some good surroundings on all four sides. Arabian Sea
to the West, Umbargaon to the south which is separated by a river and you still need a boat/ferry to cross to the other side. To the East is the Village of Sanjan which is known as the place where Parsi
first landed in India and to the North is Saronda. Saronda is a beautiful small village with a population of around 1200 and has a beautiful hill with forest covered all over it. It also has two beautiful Lakes and sea on the other side. Saronda is also home to Shashikant J Patel who is a well known personality in the state of Gujarat for his efforts towards rural upliftment and is also well known as a brave journalist
. Saronda is also very well known for the initiative of Neera
industry set up for the upliftment of backward in the region.
Nargol has experienced problems with the water scarcity as well as salinity problems.
UNICEF has made efforts to teach village leaders about issues concerning child survival and development.
Yatinbhai Bhandari is the 2007 elected Sarpanch (Village Head) of Nargol.
For emergency situatuons the local telephone number is 108. The Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) takes care of road and fire accident victims on a 24-hour basis through the year.
The telephone pin code for Nargol is: 396135 (this is not needed for the emergency calls).
There is also a market every Friday and most necessary items are available there.
As so often in India, different religious communities have their importance in the local area.
The town is especially known for its Parsi (Zoroastrian) population.
Near the beach is an Agiary (or fire temple, which is the place of worship for parsis) often visited by the Parsis who often come to this village from Mumbai and other nearby places to visit the places of worship, like Udwada which is renowned for Iranshah Ātash Bahrām, the oldest and most famous of the Parsi fire temples. In the village there is also a Parsi Association Guest House.
Nargol has great importance for the followers of Sahaja Yoga
. One of the Casuarina trees (or Saru trees) is called "Nirmal Tree" ("Nirmal Briksh") . The tree is a local sight and can be found nearby the beach. According to the founder and holy spiritual leader of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the Sahasrara
chakra was opened in Nargol in the year 1970 under this tree, thus marking the beginning of Sahaja Yoga
. The forest land surrounding "Nirmal Tree" has been declared and inaugurated as "Nirmal Van" ("Pure Forest") in an official ceremony on 2nd march 2009 by representatives of the Indian government and other state authorities. This means that the Casuarina forest surrounding the holy tree will have a status of a protected area.
The authorities protected the area by declaring it as part of the Eco-zone under the Nargol, JFMC (South Valsad Forest Division of Gujarat State) for promotion of environmental awareness, ecotourism and peace project.
In Nargol there is also the Sri Auromira international school (SAIS), which is a base for the followers of Sri Aurobindo
. The school is a boarding school with ideals of finding the learning potential of each and every child in a perfect harmonious environment with Aurobindo's spiritual teachings in mind.
For the local people's medical necessities there 3-4 small scaled clinics. The one majorly favoured is that of Dr. D. R. Vyas, who is serving the people of nargol as well as surroundings since 30 years.
There is also a Shree Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) located in Nargol. The movement is led by Acharya 1008 Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Gujarat near the Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
border. It lies about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and around 400 kilometres (249 mi) from Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
on the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
coast. Nargol beach is dotted with Casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
trees and the waters have a population of sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s. The nearest town is Vapi
Vapi
Vapi Vapi Vapi (IAST: vāpī, Gujarati: , is a city and a municipality in Valsad district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is situated on the banks of Damanganga River in southern Gujarat, India. Vapi falls under the taluka administration of Pardi...
, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi), and the nearest airports are Daman and Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
. The nearest railway station is Sanjan
Sanjan (Gujarat)
Sanjan is the second railway station in Gujarat on the Western railways just inside the Gujarat-Maharashtra border...
, (about 11 kilometres from the village) with frequent train connections to both Mumbai in south and Gujarat in the north.
The countryside surrounding Nargol is typical Indian countryside dotted with small farmhouses. Around Nargol you can see water buffalos swimming in the rivers or quiet landscapes of dry savannah where only a few people have their homes. The beaches are wide and lonely sandbeaches with big tidal water level differences. Out on the sea you can daily spot traditional small fishing boats that patrol the coast in search of fish. In the village the palm trees are high and the temperatures are tropical.
Nargol is a small town with houses mostly not visited by owners. The beach is rarely visited by locals and is not very crowded. It is an interesting holiday destination and sees a few tourists, who come there to enjoy the isolation and peace of mind. The seaside is part of the Gulf of Cambay (Gulf of Khambhat), which has very clouded waters with almost no visibility. This is possibly because of the large rivers that bring their humus to the sea around the bay.
One of the most exciting new archaeological discoveries of the 21st century - an ancient city which is said to be over 9000 years old - has been found 30-40 meters under the sea. This is one of the main findings of the marine archaeology in the Gulf of Cambay. The scientists made this discovery in the year 2000.
The Village has some good surroundings on all four sides. Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
to the West, Umbargaon to the south which is separated by a river and you still need a boat/ferry to cross to the other side. To the East is the Village of Sanjan which is known as the place where Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
first landed in India and to the North is Saronda. Saronda is a beautiful small village with a population of around 1200 and has a beautiful hill with forest covered all over it. It also has two beautiful Lakes and sea on the other side. Saronda is also home to Shashikant J Patel who is a well known personality in the state of Gujarat for his efforts towards rural upliftment and is also well known as a brave journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Saronda is also very well known for the initiative of Neera
Neera
Neera, also called Sweet Toddy or Palm Nectar is a sap extracted from Inflorescence of various species of Toddy palms. It is sweet, oyster white, and translucent. It is widely consumed in India, Srilanka, Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar...
industry set up for the upliftment of backward in the region.
Nargol has experienced problems with the water scarcity as well as salinity problems.
UNICEF has made efforts to teach village leaders about issues concerning child survival and development.
Yatinbhai Bhandari is the 2007 elected Sarpanch (Village Head) of Nargol.
For emergency situatuons the local telephone number is 108. The Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) takes care of road and fire accident victims on a 24-hour basis through the year.
The telephone pin code for Nargol is: 396135 (this is not needed for the emergency calls).
There is also a market every Friday and most necessary items are available there.
Religious activities
The town is especially known for its Parsi (Zoroastrian) population.
Near the beach is an Agiary (or fire temple, which is the place of worship for parsis) often visited by the Parsis who often come to this village from Mumbai and other nearby places to visit the places of worship, like Udwada which is renowned for Iranshah Ātash Bahrām, the oldest and most famous of the Parsi fire temples. In the village there is also a Parsi Association Guest House.
Nargol has great importance for the followers of Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja Yoga is a new religious movement founded by Nirmala Srivastava, more widely known as 'Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi' and affectionately as 'Mother' by her followers . According to the movement, Sahaja Yoga is the state of self realization produced by kundalini awakening and is accompanied by the...
. One of the Casuarina trees (or Saru trees) is called "Nirmal Tree" ("Nirmal Briksh") . The tree is a local sight and can be found nearby the beach. According to the founder and holy spiritual leader of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the Sahasrara
Sahasrara
Sahasrara/ Sahastrara is the seventh primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Sahasrara is either located at the top of the head in that one area, or a little way above it .-Appearance:Sahasrara is described with 1,000 multi-coloured petals which are arranged in 20 layers each of them...
chakra was opened in Nargol in the year 1970 under this tree, thus marking the beginning of Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja Yoga is a new religious movement founded by Nirmala Srivastava, more widely known as 'Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi' and affectionately as 'Mother' by her followers . According to the movement, Sahaja Yoga is the state of self realization produced by kundalini awakening and is accompanied by the...
. The forest land surrounding "Nirmal Tree" has been declared and inaugurated as "Nirmal Van" ("Pure Forest") in an official ceremony on 2nd march 2009 by representatives of the Indian government and other state authorities. This means that the Casuarina forest surrounding the holy tree will have a status of a protected area.
The authorities protected the area by declaring it as part of the Eco-zone under the Nargol, JFMC (South Valsad Forest Division of Gujarat State) for promotion of environmental awareness, ecotourism and peace project.
In Nargol there is also the Sri Auromira international school (SAIS), which is a base for the followers of Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
. The school is a boarding school with ideals of finding the learning potential of each and every child in a perfect harmonious environment with Aurobindo's spiritual teachings in mind.
For the local people's medical necessities there 3-4 small scaled clinics. The one majorly favoured is that of Dr. D. R. Vyas, who is serving the people of nargol as well as surroundings since 30 years.
There is also a Shree Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) located in Nargol. The movement is led by Acharya 1008 Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj
Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Sanatan Dharma Dhurandar Acharya Maharaj Shree 1008 Tejendraprasadji Maharaj was appointed Acharya of the Narnarayan Dev gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday by his father, the late Acharya Maharajshree Devendraprasadji Maharaj...
.
Geography
Nargol is located at 20.2333°N 72.7500°E. It has an average elevation of 5 metres (16 feet).External links
- http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/9/Nargol.html
- http://ignca.nic.in/bibzs004.htm list of Parsi Anjumans (Associations) in India
- MSN Map