Ratnal
Encyclopedia
Ratnal is a village near the town of Anjar
and the taluka of Kutch district in the India
n state of Gujarat. It is located at a distance of about 15 km from Anjar.
s. The most influential person among them was named as "Ratna" and thus the name Ratnal. The village was about 0.5 km South-East to its current center. Rabaris first lived here after a sister of Kutchi Royal family who was married to a Jethwa
royal family outside Kutch was donated to rule this village among others. They also lived here with Rabaris. Today, Jethwa Khsatriya people are found in this village and Anjar
in the whole Kutch region. About 500 years ago, Yaduvanshi Ahirs people are believed to enter Ratnal for the first time. Ahirs are the majority in Ratnal now.
Ratnal was founded by Jethwa
Rajput
s of their community, who shifted from Dhaneti
in 14th century to Ratnal Most of the members of Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas moved out of Ratnal during decades of 1850-1870 and today there are very few families of them living in Ratnal, one of the villages founded by them in 14th Century AD.
There are five schools in the village:
1. Ratnal Panchayati Prathamik Shala (Ratnal Primary School for Boys)
2. Shri Krishna Pranami Kanya Vidyalay (Ratnal Primary School for Girls)
3. Vidya Bharati (Primary School managed by Vidya Bharati)
4. Peta Para Shala (Ratnal Primary School for Boys and Girls of Northern side of village)
5. Ratnal Highschool (Teaches 9, 10 ,Arts, Commerece students)
The level of education among girl children is considerably low. The reason is limiting traditions of Ahir community. Child marriage is prominent in the village
Banks in Ratnal
1. Bank of Baroda
2. Kutch District Development Bank
There is no ATM facility here.
, Essar, BPCL, HPCL, IOCL and IBP
.
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
and the taluka of Kutch district in the India
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. It is located at a distance of about 15 km from Anjar.
History
Ratnal was founded by RabariRabari
Members of the Rabari or Rewari live throughout the Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India...
s. The most influential person among them was named as "Ratna" and thus the name Ratnal. The village was about 0.5 km South-East to its current center. Rabaris first lived here after a sister of Kutchi Royal family who was married to a Jethwa
Jethwa
Jethwa is a name of a Kshatriya, Rajput clan that claim descent from Makardhwaja son of Lord Hanuman who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana...
royal family outside Kutch was donated to rule this village among others. They also lived here with Rabaris. Today, Jethwa Khsatriya people are found in this village and Anjar
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
in the whole Kutch region. About 500 years ago, Yaduvanshi Ahirs people are believed to enter Ratnal for the first time. Ahirs are the majority in Ratnal now.
Ratnal was founded by Jethwa
Jethwa
Jethwa is a name of a Kshatriya, Rajput clan that claim descent from Makardhwaja son of Lord Hanuman who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s of their community, who shifted from Dhaneti
Dhaneti
Dhaneti or Dhanetee is village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India. It is at a distance of about 26 km from Bhuj the Taluka and District Headquarter of Kutch...
in 14th century to Ratnal Most of the members of Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas moved out of Ratnal during decades of 1850-1870 and today there are very few families of them living in Ratnal, one of the villages founded by them in 14th Century AD.
Present status
The village was almost completely destroyed in the January 26 earthquake in 2000. It is estimated that 175 people died that day. Bill Clinton visited the village. Some part is relocated as Radha Krishna Nagar, original village site is still very populated. However, civic facilities, bus stops and public amenities at road side near railway station is lacking. Most important political posts in the region belong to Ratnal natives.There are five schools in the village:
1. Ratnal Panchayati Prathamik Shala (Ratnal Primary School for Boys)
2. Shri Krishna Pranami Kanya Vidyalay (Ratnal Primary School for Girls)
3. Vidya Bharati (Primary School managed by Vidya Bharati)
4. Peta Para Shala (Ratnal Primary School for Boys and Girls of Northern side of village)
5. Ratnal Highschool (Teaches 9, 10 ,Arts, Commerece students)
The level of education among girl children is considerably low. The reason is limiting traditions of Ahir community. Child marriage is prominent in the village
Banks in Ratnal
1. Bank of Baroda
2. Kutch District Development Bank
There is no ATM facility here.
Economy
The people are mainly involved in agriculture and transportation. Ahir women of Ratnal are famous for their embroidery and patch-work. According to an India Today survey, Ratnal is the only village in world having more than 1000 trucks. The daily consumption of diesel is more than 15,000 liters. To benefit from it every oil company in India has its stations in the village including RelianceReliance Petroleum
Reliance Petroleum Limited was set up by Reliance Industries Limited , one of India's largest private sector companies based in Mumbai. Currently, RPL is subsidiary of RIL, and has interests in the downstream oil business...
, Essar, BPCL, HPCL, IOCL and IBP
IBP Co. Limited
IBP was originally founded by Abdul Karim Abdul Shakur Jamal under the name of Jamal's oil Company limited and was renamed as Indo-Burma Petroleum Company limited in 1909...
.