Rajkot (Rājkot About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) is the fourth-largest[7][8] city in the state of

Gujarat, India, after Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Rajkot is the centre of the Saurashtra region of
Gujarat. Rajkot is the 35th-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population more than 1.2 million
as of 2015.[9] Rajkot is the eighteenth-cleanest[10][11] city of India, and is the 22nd-fastest-growing city
in the world.[12] The city contains the administrative headquarters of the Rajkot District, 245 km from
the state capital Gandhinagar, and is located on the banks of the Aji and Nyari rivers. Rajkot was the
capital of the Saurashtra State from 15 April 1948 to 31 October 1956, before its merger with Bombay
State on 1 November 1956. Rajkot was reincorporated into Gujarat State from 1 May 1960.

Contents

1 History

2 Geography

2.1 Climate

3 Demographics

4 Culture

4.1 Landmarks

4.2 Awards

4.3 Performing arts

4.4 Music

4.5 Sports

4.6 Festivals

5 Economy

5.1 Real estate

5.2 Industry

6 Law and government

7 Transport

7.1 Roads and highways

7.2 Rail and internal transport

7.3 Aviation

8 Media and communications

9 Education
10 See also

11 References

12 Further reading

13 External links

History

Further information: History of Rajkot

See also: Rajkot State

Young Mohandas Gandhi (right) and his school friend Sheikh Mehtab (left) in Rajkot

Rajkot has been under different rulers since it was founded. It has had a long history and had a
significant influence in the Indian independence movement. Rajkot was home to many personalities like
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Rajkot is in a transition period of growing cultural, industrial and
economical activities. Rajkot is the 26th largest city of India and the 22nd fastest growing urban area of
the world.[12]

Rajkot was the capital of the then Saurashtra state from 15 April 1948 to 31 October 1956 before
merging in bilingual Bombay State on 1 November 1956. Rajkot was merged into Gujarat State from
bilingual Bombay state on 1 May 1960. Thakur Saheb Pradyumansinhji died in 1973. His son,
Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji, who has carved out a political career at the provincial level, succeeded
him. He served as a Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly for several years and as the state
Minister for Health and Finance. Monoharsinhji's son, Mandattasinh Jadeja has embarked on a business
career.[citation needed]

On 26 January 2001 the 7.7 Mw Gujarat earthquake shook Western India with a maximum Mercalli
intensity of X (Extreme), leaving 13,805–20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.

Geography

An Aerial Image of the Aji River that flows through the city of Rajkot

Rajkot is located at 22.3°N 70.78°E.[13] It has an average elevation of 128 metres (420 ft). The city is
located on the bank of Aji River and Nyari River which remains dry except the monsoon months of July
to September. The city is spread in the area of 170.00 km².[14]
Rajkot is situated in the region called Saurashtra in the Gujarat state of India. The significance of Rajkot's
location is owing to the fact that it is one of the prime industrial centres of Gujarat. Rajkot has a central
location in the area called the Kathiawar peninsula. The city is located within the Rajkot district in
Gujarat. Rajkot city is the administrative headquarters of the district of Rajkot. The district is surrounded
by Botad in the east, and Surendranagar in the north, Junagadh and Amreli in the south, Morbi in the
northwest and Jamnagar in the west and Porbandar in the southwest.

Climate

Rajkot has a semi-arid climate, with hot, dry summers from mid-March to mid-June and the wet
monsoon season from mid-June to October, when the city receives 590 mm of rain on average. The
months from November to February are mild, the average temperature being around 20 °C, with low
humidity.

One of the most important weather phenomena that is associated with the city of Rajkot is the cyclone.
The cyclones generally occur in the Arabian Sea during the months after the rainy season. The region
experiences a lot of rainfall and high-speed winds during the time of the year[citation needed] after the
monsoon season as well as the months of May and June. However, June experiences lesser amount of
rainfall and winds than the post-monsoon time. Thunderstorms are another important part of the Rajkot
weather in the months of June and July. During summer time, the temperature ranges between 24 °C
and 42 °C. In the months of winter, Rajkot temperature varies between 10 °C and 22 °C but on a whole
winters are pleasant.[15]