Bilimora

Bilimora
city
Bilimora Location in Gujarat, India Show map of Gujarat Bilimora Bilimora (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 20°45′N 72°57′E / 20.75°N 72.95°E / 20.75; 72.95Coordinates: 20°45′N 72°57′E / 20.75°N 72.95°E / 20.75; 72.95
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District	Navsari
Area
• Total	9 km2 (3 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	57,583
• Density	6,400/km2 (17,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Gujarati, Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	396321
Telephone code	02634
Vehicle registration	GJ 21
Website

Bilimora is a city situated on the banks of the river Ambika, in Gandevi taluka and Navsari district of Gujarat state in India. The city comes under the purview of the Surat Metropolitan Region. The city is roughly 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of the city of Surat and is the southernmost point of the Surat Metropolitan Region and the Metropolis of Surat. It is also one the larger cities in the area. It is linked to Surat by SH 6 and SH 88.

In the late 18th century, the Baroda State established a naval station at Bilimora, a port about 40 miles (64 km) south of Surat, known as Bunder Bilimora Suba Armor. A fleet of 50 vessels was stationed here, mostly sailboats, cargo vessels for trading and military vessels to secure the sea from the Portuguese, the Dutch and the French.^[1]

Geography

Bilimora is located at 20°45′N 72°57′E / 20.75°N 72.95°E / 20.75; 72.95.^[2] It has an average elevation of 4 metres (13 ft). Bilimora is the second largest city in the Navsari district after Navsari city. The city is supposed to have been surrounded by three rivers: Ambica from the north, Kaveri River from the south, and Karera River passes close by.

People and culture

Most of the population is of Gujarati, Marathi and other North Indian states particularly that of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

There were also a lot of Parsi in the town; now the Parsi population is not that significant, however there is still a street called 'Agiyari Mahollo' inhabited by Parsi.

Also, a large number of the Sikh community which were stationed there as part of a refugee camp during partition remain in Bilimora. Although Bilimora is situated in the state of Gujarat, it has a lot of cultural influence from Mumbai which is around 220 km away. It takes 3 hours by train and 4 hours by road to reach Mumbai from Bilimora.

Transport

Bilimora is well connected through rail, road and sea. It takes 3 hours maximum by train and 3 to 4 hours by road from Mumbai. The closest domestic airport is at Surat and the nearest international airport is at Mumbai.

Bilimora is the only rail junction in the Mumbai division line of the Western Railway (India), from which a narrow gauge line separates from the broad line to arrive at Waghai in the Dang District. It is said to be that this narrow gauge line is to be converted into broad gauge and will be extended up to Manmad. Bilimora will be well connected through Maharashtra; the survey has been done and the project is to be evaluated for estimate. The town of Chikhli is about 10 km to the east, which is on National Highway 8.

It is directly connected to Saputara - a hill station in Gujarat - by bus. The buses come from Bilimora and also from Surat to Nasik or Pune via Bilimora - Saputara.

The town is about 25 km north of the city of Valsad and about 25 km south of the district headquarters Navsari.

Banks & ATM

Bilimora has all major banks, including: State Bank Of India , Federal Bank, Dena Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank Of Baroda, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, IDBI Bank and the Indian Overseas Bank. There is also one People Bank in Bilimora's name as Gandevi People's Bank. ATM's from these major banks are available in Bilimora.

Popular Places

Bilimora is a small city with lot of temples, viz. Somnath Mahadev Mandir, Shri Jalaram Mandir, Shri Gayatri Mandir, Shri Dwarkadhish Mandir, Swaminarayan Mandir, Ganga Mata Temple, Shri Ramji Mandir (at Talodh) and a Sikh Gurudwara on Gandevi Road. The new inclusion is Sai mandir on Somnath Road.

Bilimora has 6 masjids. Markaz masjid in Gohar Baugh, the centre of Tablighi jamaat near Bilimora railway station, Minara masjid in the west of Bilimora near the railway station, Madina masjid located in Desra, Mohammadia masjid in Waghrech, Jama masjid in the old city and Gausia masjid near the cemetery.

Saputara and Dang District Tourism: Saputara, the only hill station in Gujarat, is around 110 km away from Bilimora. One can visit Waghai, Saputara, Gira Falls in Dang District, India via a one day road trip from Bilimora.

Unai Hot Springs is another popular place. Many local people believe in the Legend of Sri Ram which is linked to the hot springs. Unai is about 40 km from Bilimora. The nearest railway station is Waghai. The narrow gauge rail link connecting Ahwa to Bilimora runs through the park.

Other Temples near Bilimora:

Notable Personalities

• Mehboob Khan (1907-1964) - Pioneer Producer-Director of Hindi Cinema
• A. M. Naik (b. 1942) - Group Executive Chairman of Larsen & Toubro
• Shailesh Nayak(b. 1953) - Former Chairman of ISRO India
• Hashim Amla (b. 1983) - Captain and Batsman of South African Cricket Team

Industry

Bilimora used to be called the Manchester of Gujarat. Although it is now largely a residential area, it was very popular for business. There used to be 37 working companies. LMP was inaugurated by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Other famous factories like Gujarat Chemical, Gaikwad Mill, Woodpolymer (said to be the biggest garage for vintage cars in Asia) and also Vania Mill and the Paper Mill were in Bilimora, which were amongst the top 10 companies not only in the Gujarat state but also in India. Many scenes of the film Mother India were shot here in Vaghrech in Bilimora. Maheboob Khan, the director-producer of the social epic Mother India was born in Bilimora.

Connectivity

Bilimora has cellular towers and land lines for communication. DSL and cable broadband is available from local and regional providers.

Education

References