Sherdi
Encyclopedia
Sherdi ˈʃɛərdi is a village in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India
. It is located in Manavadar
Taluka of Junagadh district
.
is the local village council and a sarpanch
serves as the head of the council, each council serves for five years. Although the village is very politically active on state and national
elections
, the panchayat
is selected with mutual discussions and local elections are very rare.
before independence
of India
and on commercial farming
until late 60s. Agriculture
is still a major employer and a major source of household income as the village greatly benefited from India's green revolution
and white revolution
. India's education reforms
also played a vital part in the last thirty years and now many people from Sherdi are employed in services and industries all over the world. Sherdi Seva Sahkari Mandli is the village cooperative society and also operates as rations distribution centre for subsidised foods and kerosene
. The society also supplies fertilizer
s and lends agricultural loans to its members. There are several vendors and local shops in the village selling vegetables, groceries and refreshments.
and a primary school teaching grade 1 to 8. Grade 8 was granted to the primary school in 2010 with additional staff and two new classrooms.
road to Manavadar
, Bantwa
and Sardargadh and by gravel road
to nearby villages of Indra and Limbuda
. Sherdi is also connected by dirt road
s to Jilana and Zinzri, these routes are not accessible by motorised vehicles
when flooded during monsoon
. Public transport network serving the village is non-existent apart from seasonal bus routes connecting to nearby cities of Manavadar
, Bantwa
and Dhoraji
. Motorcycle
s are used for private transportation with the majority of households owning motorcycles. Three-wheeled Chhakdo rickshaws are also widely used to transport people and goods.
dominates everyday life in the village as it is the only religion practised in Sherdi. Different communities follow different sects of Hinduism
. A Shiva
temple and a Rama
-Krishna
shrine are main places of worship in the village with several other temples
and shrine
s dotted in and around Sherdi. Communities living in the village include Bavaji, Bharwad, Brahmin, Darji, Devipujak, Harijan, Kumbhar, Luhar, Patel, Rabari, Rajput, Soni, Suthar and Vanand. Two main community organisations in the village are Sherdi Karadiya Rajput Samaj and Sherdi Patel Samaj, both operate their own community premises with catering and hospitality facilities.
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...
. It is located in Manavadar
Manavadar
Manavadar is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Accession of Manavadar to India:*1733 Manavadar state founded.*1818 British protectorate....
Taluka of Junagadh district
Junagadh district
Junagadh District is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.-Geography:The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot District , Porbandar District , Amreli District...
.
Local Governance
Sherdi Gram PanchayatGram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
is the local village council and a sarpanch
Sarpanch
A sarpanch is a democratically elected head of a village level statutory institution of local self-government called the gram panchayat in India and Pakistan. He, together with other elected Panchas , constitute the Gram Panchayat. The Sarpanch is the focal point of contact between government...
serves as the head of the council, each council serves for five years. Although the village is very politically active on state and national
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
elections
Elections in India
India has a quasi federal government, with elected officials at the federal , state and local levels. On a national level, the head of government, the Prime Minister, is elected directly by the people, through a general election. All members of the federal legislature, the Parliament, are directly...
, the panchayat
Gram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
is selected with mutual discussions and local elections are very rare.
Economy and Employment
Sherdi was entirely dependent on subsistence farmingSubsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
before independence
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
of 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...
and on commercial farming
Commercial agriculture
Commercial Agriculture refers to a process of large-scale production of crops for sale, intended for widespread distribution to wholesalers or retail outlets. In commercial farming crops such as wheat, maize, tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, cotton are harvested and sold into world...
until late 60s. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
is still a major employer and a major source of household income as the village greatly benefited from India's green revolution
Green Revolution in India
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India...
and white revolution
Operation Flood
Operation Flood was a rural development programme started by India's National Dairy Development Board in 1970. One of the largest of its kind, the programme objective was to create a nationwide milk grid....
. India's education reforms
National Policy on Education
The National Policy on Education is a policy formulated by the Government of India to promote education amongst India's people. The policy covers elementary education to colleges in both rural and urban India...
also played a vital part in the last thirty years and now many people from Sherdi are employed in services and industries all over the world. Sherdi Seva Sahkari Mandli is the village cooperative society and also operates as rations distribution centre for subsidised foods and kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
. The society also supplies fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s and lends agricultural loans to its members. There are several vendors and local shops in the village selling vegetables, groceries and refreshments.
Education
Sherdi has a kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and a primary school teaching grade 1 to 8. Grade 8 was granted to the primary school in 2010 with additional staff and two new classrooms.
Transportation
Sherdi is connected by asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
road to Manavadar
Manavadar
Manavadar is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Accession of Manavadar to India:*1733 Manavadar state founded.*1818 British protectorate....
, Bantwa
Bantwa
Bantwa is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-Demographics:As of the 2001 India census, Bantwa had a population of 15,216. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Bantwa has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average...
and Sardargadh and by gravel road
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
to nearby villages of Indra and Limbuda
Limbuda
Limbuda is a village in Junagdh District in the state of Gujarat, India. As of 2001 India census, there were 2548 people residing in Limbuda. There were 1266 males and 1282 females, thus males constitute 49.7% of population and females 50.3%. Limbuda has an average literacy rate of 74.18%.-...
. Sherdi is also connected by dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
s to Jilana and Zinzri, these routes are not accessible by motorised vehicles
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
when flooded during monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. Public transport network serving the village is non-existent apart from seasonal bus routes connecting to nearby cities of Manavadar
Manavadar
Manavadar is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Accession of Manavadar to India:*1733 Manavadar state founded.*1818 British protectorate....
, Bantwa
Bantwa
Bantwa is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-Demographics:As of the 2001 India census, Bantwa had a population of 15,216. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Bantwa has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average...
and Dhoraji
Dhoraji
Dhoraji is a large and flourishing town on the banks of small river Safura, a branch of the river Bhadar. Dhoraji is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:...
. Motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s are used for private transportation with the majority of households owning motorcycles. Three-wheeled Chhakdo rickshaws are also widely used to transport people and goods.
Religion and Communities
HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
dominates everyday life in the village as it is the only religion practised in Sherdi. Different communities follow different sects of Hinduism
Hindu denominations
Hinduism comprises numerous sects or denominations. The denominations are roughly comparable to different religions. The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism...
. A Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple and a Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
-Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
shrine are main places of worship in the village with several other temples
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
and shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s dotted in and around Sherdi. Communities living in the village include Bavaji, Bharwad, Brahmin, Darji, Devipujak, Harijan, Kumbhar, Luhar, Patel, Rabari, Rajput, Soni, Suthar and Vanand. Two main community organisations in the village are Sherdi Karadiya Rajput Samaj and Sherdi Patel Samaj, both operate their own community premises with catering and hospitality facilities.