Bilimora
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 linked to Surat by SH 6 and SH 88.
Bilimora | |
|---|---|
city | |
  Bilimora Location in Gujarat, India  Bilimora Bilimora (India) | |
| Coordinates: 20.75°N 72.95°E | |
| Country |  |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Navsari |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9 km2 (3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 57,583 |
| • Rank | 62nd in Gujarat |
| • 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 | |
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 20.75°N 72.95°E.[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:Dena Bank, Bank Of Baroda, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, IOB, Punjab National Bank, State Bank Of India and the Union Bank of India. 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, such as Shri Jalaram Mandir, Shri Gayatri Mandir, Shri Dwarkadhish Mandir, Swaminarayan Mandir, Ganga Mata Temple, Shri Ramji Mandir (at Talodh), Somnath Mahadev Mandir and a Sikh Gurudwara on Gandevi Road. The new inclusion is Sai Mandir on Somnath Road.
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:
| Temple | Place | Distance(km) |
|---|---|---|
| Somnath Mahadev | Bilimora | 0 |
| Andheshwar Mahadev | Amalsad | 05 |
| Kameshwar Mahadev | Gadat | 08 |
| Mallikarjun Mahadev | Majigam | 08 |
| Gangeshwar Mahadev | Kachholi | 14 |
| Shukleshwar Mahadev | Anaval | 32 |
| Mokshmargi Vallabh Ashram[3] | Anaval | 32 |
| Barumal Mahadev | Barumal | 65 |
| Tadkeshwar Mahadev | Valsad | 32 |
| Vighneshwar Mahadev | Mahuwa | 54 |
| Kedareshwar Mahadev | Bardoli | 60 |
Jayantibhai L Mistry -Udyog Ratan, Former Chairman and Managing Director of LMP Precession and Engineering Ltd an enterprise inaugurated by India's first Prime Miniater Jawahar Lal Nehru
- 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
- Vikram B Naik - Shipping
Education
Colleges
Bilimora Kelavni Mandal includes:
- A V PATEL Commerce College. (B.Com)
- V S PATEL Arts & Science College. (B.C.A, B.B.A, B.A., B.Sc.and M.Sc.)
These colleges are built on 25 acres of land donated by late Mr. Noshir Manchershah Bilimoria (Mengusi) as per the wishes of his late father Mr. Manchershah Burjorji Bilimoria (Mengusi) who had in his lifetime built and donated the Mengusi Sarvanajik Hospital.
Schools
- Shree Shreeji English Medium School
- Bright Star International School
- B. S. Patel School
- J. J. Mehta Sarvajanik High School
- K. B. Patel School
- LMP Reva Experimental High School
- MCZ Shah Higher Secondary School
- St. Joseph E.T. High School
- M & R Tata High School
- Kundanba nmp Higher Secondary School
- Multi Talent Academy [Address: Moti Devsar, Gandevi Road, Bilimora]
- Vaniyamill high school Antalya
- Aspee kanya vidhyalay girls school Antaliya
- Wood paper prathmik shala Antaliya
Hospitals
- New Atrik Hospital, Navjivan Colony
- Arpan Hospital, Nursery Road
- Snehal Hospital, Navjivan Colony
- Panchal Orthopedic Hospital, Tower Rd, Maruti Nagar Society
- Littlestar Children Hospital, Sankalp Society
- Vidya Nursing Home, Maruti Nagar Society
- Adarsh Hospital, Somnath Road
- Gupta hospital, Near Railway Station
References
- "280 years ago, Baroda had its own Navy". The Times of India. 27 September 2010.
- Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Bilimora
- http://mokshmargdharm.org