Sinugra
| Sinugra | |
| — village — | |
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| Coordinates | 23°05′47″N 69°58′08″E / 23.096273°N 69.968877°ECoordinates: 23°05′47″N 69°58′08″E / 23.096273°N 69.968877°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District(s) | Kachchh |
| Panchayat | Gram Panchayat |
| Sex ratio | 0.894 ♂/♀ |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 27 metres (89 ft) |
Sinugra or Shinoogra or Sinogra or Sinougra is a village near the town of Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The village is located 7 km from the nearest city Anjar. Villagers enjoy a good drinking water supply, and a steady electricity supply with few power shortages.
Telephones are common, and nearly all of the houses have televisions and cable.
The village entrance has a big Chabutro and welcome gate.
Contents |
[edit] History and heritage
About history of Sinugra, the village is one of the nineteen villages founded by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris. These Mistri community first moved in to Saurashtra in early 7th century and later a major group entered Kutch in 12th Century and established themselves at Dhaneti. Later from 12th century onwards they moved between Anjar and Bhuj and founded the villages of Anjar, Sinugra, Khambhra, Nagalpar, Khedoi, Madhapar, Hajapar, Kukma, Galpadar, Reha, Vidi, Ratnal, Jambudi, Devariya, Lovaria, Nagor, Chandiya, Meghpar and Kumbharia.[1][2][3] [4][5][6] The Mistris of these villages have built and developed the infrastructure around the villages in late 1890.
The village boasted of 200 odd houses made by rich Mistri families, ornate facades, intricate door carvings and metal grill windows and verandah depicting life of Queen Victoria. There were also huge wall and Ceiling paintings depicting scenes from Mahabharata & Ramayana. The village like other Mistri Village was well planned by Mistris, who were master-planners themselves, having wide main roads and streets and other infrastructure, temples, ponds, wells and was unique in its heritage. Sinugra was known as Pride of Kutch for its unique artistic heritage.[7] [8]
However, most of it was destroyed in the earthquake of 2000. Sinugra Village being very near to Anjar also bore the heavy brunt of the quake and almost all old majestic houses built around 100 years ago were completely destroyed. There was also a good number of human casualty. Some of the old buildings, temples, Chabutro have been since re-constructed but the majestic houses with fine workmanship have been lost.
[edit] Notable persons
The Thakor Mandir, Chabutaro, Village Primary School named 'Seth Khora Ramji Prathmik Shala', Mahadev Temple being built by famous Seth Khora Ramji Chawda & brothers and Khoda Ratna Tank. Khora Ramji, Jetha Lira also built a Kutchi Kadia Dharamsala in Mathura. Among the famous railway contractors and colliery owners who hailed from this village and made it big during the early years of railway construction around 1860-1910 and some of them also started their own Colliery business in and around Jharia - Bokaro coalfields are Khora Ramji Chawda, Jetha Lira Jethwa, Khoda Ratna Taunk, Ranchhod Virjee, Premji Virjee, Dhanjee Virjee Chawda, Mulji Akhoy Chawda, Dahya Pachan, Manji Pachan, Mepa Pachan Jagmal Ladhha, Nanji Dossa, Kanji Murji, Kunwarji Nanji, Dahya Nanji, Mavji Nanji Tank, Kala Sava, Jeevan Sava Tank, Narain Veera, Lalji Raja Wadher, Ratna Manji Tank, Laddha Raja,Jeram Nanji, Shivjee Ananda Vadher, Kuvarjee Ananda Vadher, Raghu Pancha Taunk, Jairam Teja Chawda, Narayan Pachan Chawda, Lagdheer Ramji, Chonda Parbat Taunk, Ratanshi Manji Tank, Kalji Raja, Shamji Mepa, Devraj Pachan, Bheemje Mepa,Devshi Ladhha, Raja Mepa, Lalji Jeeva, Govind Ladhha, Jeevan Devraj, Ladhha Jeeva, Premji Karsan, Jairam Nanji, Kanji Manji, Dhanji Veerji, Kalji Raja, Govind Ladhha, Ranchhod Gangu Gohil, Joyram Shivjee Gohil,Seth Vallabhdas Kunwarjee Tank, Karsanjee Jetha Jethwa, Devram Jetha Jethwa, Hemraj Kanji Chawda, Jeevram Jairam Chawda, Balram Madhavjee Vadher.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] For further details see Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas contributions to the Indian railways.
Among the famous personalities of Sinugra Village - Dahya Pachan, Manji Pachan & Mepa Pachan Chawda of Sinugra with Jeevan Naryan Chauhan of Kumbharia were the pioneers, who led the community into Railway Contracts in 1850. Seth Khora Ramji Chawda was given "Paghdi" by Maharao Khengarji III of Kutch. Lifesketch of Khora Ramji Chawda is noted by British in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa. He was the first Indian to break monopoly of British in Coal-mining business in Jharia Coalfields Belt and started Khas Jharia, Fatehpur, Balihari, Jeenagora, Bugathdih and other collieries between 1895-1910 with his brothers Jairam Teja, Jetha Lira Vela, Narayan Pachchan & Mulji Akhoy.[17][18][19][20] Khora Ramji also owned fleet of Ships and used to trade in spice & dry-fruits, etc. with Muscat, Mombasa, etc. Among other famous person - Devraj Daya Chavda,who established himself at Jharsuguda and did magnificent works of Railways & Bridge construction was given title of Rai Sahib by British authorities. Seth Vallabhdas Kunwarjee Tank of village established himself as industrialist in Mumbai & Vapi and was closely associated with Arvind Lalbhai.[21][22]
[edit] Temples
Kuldevi Temples of many clans of these Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya community are also there in this village. For example, Tank clan Mistri community have their Kuldevi Chamunda Mata's temple in village.
The Thakor Mandir of Sinugra built by Seth Khora Ramji Chawra, Pachhan Ramji Chawra, Teja Ramji Chawra, Akhai Ramji Chawra, Lira Velaji Jethwa, Khoda Ratna Tank in 1900 is a remarkable piece of architect with beautiful & colorful carvings of Gods and idols. Further, Jadeshwar Mahadev temple also built by Mistri Seth Khora Ramji is worth seeing. The Swaminarayan Temple & Dharamshala are also there is Village. A small temple of Ramdev Pir is also there in village. After the earthquake of 26 January 2001 all the temples and chabutro have been rehabilitated to their past glory by donations from the Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya community.
Further, a mosque belonging to Mohammedan community is also there.
[edit] Present status
Dhamubhai Vadher, was former Sarpanch of this village. Newly elected Sarpanch, is Bharatbhai Taunk.[23]
| Preceded by Dhamubhai Vadher |
Village Sarpanch 2007 – Till Date |
Succeeded by Bharatbhai Taunk |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Village Talati 2003 – Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Village Aanganvadiben 2003 – Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Village Nurseben 2003 – Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
[edit] References
- ^ History of Kutch Gurjar Kshatiryas, migration from Saurashtra - Dhaneti founded, their Villages, Madhapar founded, Surnames, etc
- ^ Gurjar Kshatriyas, also known as Mistris, came to Kutch from Rajasthan. They are skilled in building construction. They first established themselves at Dhaneti and were granted 18 villages by the rulers of Kutch. They are famous designers and developers of buildings and bridges.
- ^ Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya & other communities of Kutch
- ^ Community website giving brief history and social activities
- ^ Gurjar Kshatriya website giving details of Settelements
- ^ Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj History
- ^ Sinougra houses no longer live-up to their claim to fame : Indian Press Report after earthquake giving details of Mistri of Kutch - Migration to Fiji, Africa & details of artistic houses in their village of Sinougra, Kookma & Pramod Jethi, curator of the Aina Mahal Trust Museum, Bhuj and an authority on Kutchi art says, People from Sinougra were working in the construction of the Howrah Bridge. In fact, many Victorian buildings in Kolkata have been built by the karigars (artisans) of the region. After earthquake, Sinugra the village, one of the 18 of the ‘mistry gams’ or craftsmen villages scattered in Anjar and Mundra Talukas, has now nothing to show that it was once the home to some of Kutch’s finest artisans. The scenario is no different in Kookma, Madhapar, Deoria, Khamara and the other craftsmen villages of the region. When the 1948 earthquake destroyed the village, its residents from East Africa to Kolkata rebuilt it with care, making the walls, facades, the jharokhas of the houses — the entire architecture was some of the finest repository of their ancestral skills. But the post-2001 quake years did not witness any such painstaking effort.
- ^ In shambles lies Pride of Kutch : Indian Press Report after earthquake giving details of Sinogra & other villages of Mistris of Kutch - Rare painting from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Queen Victoria, floors adorned with specially designed tiles of British firm Garlicks & Co. The ceilings of each room in these majestic buildings had been painstakingly hand-painted -- some of which were as big as 30 feet X 30 feet. There were rare paintings of Queen Victoria, Lord Krishna with gopis, floral murals, intricate carving in iron grills and wooden jaalies, besides the exquisite `jharokhas' which made each of these buildings a masterpiece. According to curators of the Kutch Museum in Bhuj, these paintings, jaalis and jharokhas are worth preserving for their uniqueness and rarity. The century-old art and interior design was unique to Sinogra because they have never been painted or created again anywhere else. The entire village belongs to `mistris' and kadias or masons who designed the buildings and the village layout themselves.
- ^ Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi published in Gujarati in year 1999 from Vadodara.It is a diary of Railway Contracts done by KGK community noted by Nanji Govindji Tank of Hajapar/Jamshedpur, complied by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank of Nagalpar/Tatanagar. This book was given Aank Sidhhi award by Kutch Shakti at Mumbai in year 2000. Railway Contractors from Sinugra. Page 91
- ^ Ratna Bhagat ni Chopdi : 1930
- ^ Shree Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Mahasabha Vasti-patrak : 1972
- ^ Kadia Kshatriya Abhudya: 1931
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa, 1920 : Life-sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawra by British Gazzeter.
- ^ Nanji Bapa ni Nondh Pothi, 1999: Life Sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawra. Khoda Ratna Tank. Rai Sahib Devraj Dahya Chawda.
- ^ Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj Mahasabha Vastipatrak : 1972 : Life-sketch of Karsanjee Jetha Jethwa
- ^ Shree Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj: Calcutta Ghtak Vatripartak : 1996 : Life-sketch of Devram Jetha Jethwa
- ^ Diary of Golden Days at Jharia - A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia - written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa of Calcutta/Sinugra complied by Raja Pawan Jethwa (in English) in 1998 with life-sketch Seth Khora Ramji Chawra & Brothers, Jetha Lira, Karsanjee Jeta & Devram Jetha Jethwa, Hemraj Kanji Chawda, Rai Sahib Devraj Dahya Chawda, Khoda Ratna Taunk, Ratanshi Manji Tank, Lalji Raja Wadher, Kunwarjee Andnda Vadher, etc
- ^ Khora Ramji Mines capsized in 1938
- ^ Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa 1917 Khora Ramji Colliries
- ^ Ambalal Khora Ramji Legal 1
- ^ Indian Export Directory - 1965 Naming : Winsol Chemical, Winsol House, Bombay - Company owned by Seth Vallabhdas Kunwarjee Tank
- ^ Sansmurti - A memoir published in 2002: by Nanalal Amarsinh Chauhan from Bagalkot. Life-sketch of Seth Vallabhdas Kunwarjee Tank
- ^ Sarpanch Election result: “Kutch District” by kutchmitradaily.com, Kutchmitra Newspaper
