Demographics and culture of Bhat

According to the 2011 national census, the population of Bhat, Daskroi was declared to be 5,858. ^[1] There were 3037 are males while 2821 are females in 2011. Bhat had a literacy rate of 74.08 percent in 2011. Out of this, male and female literacy are 84.05 and 63.53 percent as of 2011 census.^[1]

The majority of residents of Bhat are native Gujaratis and speak Gujarati. There is also a population of Sindhis, and Marwaris who bring in their native language and culture to the village. The village's population has increased in a major way following increasing economic expansion and modernization.

Owing to the religious and cultural influence of many Hindus, there is widespread vegetarianism across the village.

Culture

Bhat is known for its diversified culture and the celebration of various festivals with great zeal which transcends demographic and religious lines.

The people in Bhat are predominantly vegetarians. Large chains, pendants and other heavy gold jewellery are a common sight during marriages, festivals and family functions. The attire changes with the season and approaching festivals. The ladies normally wear the Gujarati flavour of the Sari and men wear kurtas and for formal wear shirts and trousers.

Bhat observes a wide range of festivals. Popular celebrations and observances include Uttarayan, an annual kite-flying day on 14 and 15 January. Nine nights of Navratri are celebrated with people performing Garba, the most popular folk dance of Gujarat, at Garba Chowk and various places of the village. The festival of lights, Deepavali, is celebrated with the lighting of lamps in every house, decorating the floors with rangoli, and the lighting of firecrackers. Krishna Janmashtami (Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी kṛṣṇa janmāṣṭamī), also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti or sometimes simply as Janmashtami, is an annual celebration of the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.^[2] Villagers celebrate Janmashtami by fasting and staying up until midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. Images of Krishna's infancy are placed in swings and cradles in temples and homes. At midnight, devotees gather around for devotional songs, dance and exchange gifts. Some temples also conduct readings of the Hindu religious scripture Bhagavad Gita. The festival of Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in Very early morning, Dudheswar Mahadev temple is flocked by devotees, young and old, who come to perform the traditional Shivalinga worship (puja) and hence hope for favours from the Lord Shiva.People clean and paint their houses and purchase new clothes to wear on New Year's Day. Dhuleti is the colour festival and other holidays are Ganesh Utsava, Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti etc.

One of the most popular forms of meal in Bhat is a typical Gujarati thali. It consists of roti , dal, rice and shaak (cooked vegetables, sometimes with curry), with accompaniments of pickles and roasted papads. Drinks include buttermilk and tea; sweet dishes include laddoo, mango, and vedhmi. Dhoklas, Theplas and Dhebras are also very popular dishes in Bhat.^[3]

Holi Dhal is an open square near the centre of the village that functions as a vegetable market in the morning and a cloth market in the afternoon. However, it is better known for its food stalls in the evening, which sell local street food. It is named after the Hindu ritual of Holika Dahan. The residents of Prajapati pol sell fresh vegetables, while the ice-Cream shops sell various flavors of Ice Cream.

Garba Chowk is a second prominent town square in village. The Chowk is hardscapes suitable for open markets, music concerts, political rallies, and other events. Being centrally located, chowk is surrounded by small shops such as vegetable shop, Grocery shop, and clothing stores.

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