Khambhat (city)
| Khambhat ખંભાત |
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| State : |
 India
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| State : | Gujarat | ||
| District : | Anand | ||
| Sub-district : | Khambhat | ||
| Location : | 22 ° 19 ′ N , 72 ° 37 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 20 m | ||
| Residents : | 83,715 (2011) | ||
| Postal code : | 388620 | ||
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Khambhat ( Gujarati : ખંભાત , formerly Cambay ) is a city with approx. 85,000 inhabitants on the Gulf of Khambhat in the southeast of the Indian state Gujarat .
geography
location
Khambhat lies at a height of approx. 15 to 25 m above sea level. d. M. on the north bank of the Mahi River just before it flows into the Gulf of Khambhat; the distance to Ahmedabad is about 90 km (driving distance) in a northerly direction; the megacity of Vadodara - the former Baroda - is a good 70 km to the east.
climate
The climate in Khambhat is mostly humid and hot. The early summer daytime temperatures can reach 40 ° C and more; during the monsoon season (around mid-June to mid-September) it cools down to around 20 to 30 ° C. In the winter months, the nightly lows are around 10 to 15 ° C.
population
Official population statistics have only been kept and published since 1991.
| year | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Residents | 76,746 | 80,452 | 83,715 |
Almost 73% of the population are Hindus , approx. 24% are Muslims and approx. 2.5% are Jains ; Sikhs , Buddhists and Christians form small splinter groups. The male population is around 10% higher than the female.
economy
Cambay was already an important place in the Middle Ages for grinding and polishing precious stones (especially agates ); Marco Polo named the place Cambaet in 1293 . Khambhat was once an important port city for the maritime trade in fabrics and other products (e.g. indigo ) between India and Arabia and later with Portugal . As a result of the heavy silting up of the Gulf, Khambhat has been thrown back to the level of a mercantile, craft and service center in a largely agriculturally oriented surrounding area.
history
Khambat was conquered in 1304 by the army of the Delhi Sultanate under Ala ud-Din Khalji . From 1407 to 1573 the city belonged to the Sultanate of Gujarat , which was annexed to the Mughal Empire by Akbar I. During the fall of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century and under British rule , Khambhat was the capital of the princely state of Cambay, founded in 1730 .
Attractions
Despite its long history, Khambhat has few attractions of historical or cultural importance.
- The ancient Hindu temples were destroyed during the Muslim invasion; reusing their stones ( spoils ) which was built around 1325 Friday Mosque ( Jama Masjid ), one of the oldest mosques in Gujarat. The upper part of the rear wall of the mosque hall, which faces west ( Mecca ), is pierced by numerous square Jali windows. The mausoleum for Umar ben Ahmad Gazruni († 1333) , which was formerly covered by a dome, is attached to the mosque . In the mosque courtyard ( sahn ) there are several smaller memorial buildings in the form of chhatris with Hindu toranas .
- A three-arched triumphal gate ( teen darwaza = " three gates ") built by the British near the mosque in the 19th century has a small clock tower on top.
- Another free-standing clock tower ( clock tower ) in the central square Khambhats originated in the early 20th century.
Web links
- Khambhat - Infos ( Encyclopaedia Britannica ; English)
- Khambhat - Photos + Info (English)