Karchelia

Geography

Karchelia is a prairie area with plenty of water. There are no rivers near-by but monsoon and irrigation water is plentiful. Karchelia has a small "Katodu" no-name stream in the middle of the town through Hatwaado. Karchelia land is fertile and yield crops year round. Most of Karchelia is not in flood zone. Karchelia and vicinity are irrigated by canals from Kakrapar on Tapti River. Karchelia has not experienced any devastating drought in last 80 years.

Karchelia is connected by roads and public bus transport services to Bardoli, Navsari, Surat, Ahmedabad and Saputara. Karchelia is about 300 km from Mumbai Airport and private taxi travel is about 4 to 5 hours. Nearest Western Railway stations are Navsari about 20 km, Surat about 55 km and Bardoli about 20 km.

Karchelia has public water works, Public Library, and Garbage collection service run by Gram Panchayat. Karchelia garbage recycling center is a model recycling facility in Gujarat. Karchelia did not have public sewer and drainage infrastructure in 2013.

Karchelia and vicinity are populated by smaller Indian Cheetah "Deepdo", pigs, water buffalo, cows, herons, peacocks, crows, sparrow, Indian cobra, "Dhamnu" python snake, bigger rats "Kor", and occasional rhesus monkey.

Karchelia is home to Neem trees, Banyan vad tree, Pipal Pipdo tree, Teak Saag tree, Bawad, aasopalav, Mango, Jambudo, Guava Jamrukh, Bordi, Tamarind Khati aamli, Mithi aamli, aritha soap tree, Gunda tree, and fragrant orange Kesudo tree.

Nearest earthquake faults are more than 600 km near Kutch Bhuj and big one more than 1400 km in Himalayan. Karchelia normally does not experience earthquake above 5 Richter scale. Karchelia is about 60 miles from Arabian Sea and normally does not have heavy hurricanes.

Culture

Karchelia has 85-year-old Jain Temple, Meldi mata temple, BAPS swamininarayan temple, ancient Kalika temple, Hanumaan temple, and nearby shiva mahadev temple. Community of Brahmins, Patel, Jains and other Castes of Hindu lives in peace for generations and many have migrated abroad.

Karchelia Kalika Mata Temple is very old temple where Naldhara Jagirdaar used to hold Mela on Kaali Chaudas. In the 1930s, Naladhara Jagirdaar would come on a horse or elephant paidal troupe, offer pooja to Kalika Mata, donate money to people around mela and celebrate Kaali Chaudas with lot of funfair and Mela. Mela is no longer held at Kalika Mata Temple on Kali Chaudas now a days.

In Vanskui, about 5 km from Karchelia, there is a huge annual mela for Goligat mata called "Goligat Mela". around Tenthousand peoples celebrate Goligat mela funfair with food, music, circus, Death well (Mot no Kuvo) motorcycle acrobats, merry-go-round, ferry wheel, and novelty items are sold there.

Karchelia is a home to a government primary school called "Vardha Rashtrya Prathmik school", semi-private primary school and B.B.S. High School, B.Ed. college and I.T.I training school. Karchelia traders are well known for their business acumen in retail and wholesale business and are well connected with politicians.

Karchelia has weekly open town bazaar (like fresh produce market or farmer's market) on every Tuesday called Hatwado. Hatwado on Tuesday is held long before Jagirdaar days in probable circa 1665 when Shivaji attacked Surat. People gather every Tuesday to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, farm produce, sweets and savory, clothes, and household items. Here are some pics of fresh vegetable shops and grocery shops on Tue hatwado:

Karchelia is a peaceful town blessed with abundant water, good crops (sugar cane, rice, wheat, fresh vegetables), and happy culture. People of this small town loves to cherish fruits of peace and tranquility with good food, music and humor.

In Karchelia, it is a passe to hangout at Bus Stand and enjoy people watching and socialize with friends. Here is a clip of 5 min sight and sound experience at Karchelia Bus Stand on Tuesday Hatwado day for a homesick non-resident :

People

Karchelia native Amarchand Dullabhji Shah was one of the earliest successful Jain trader to do wholesale grain and cotton business with pedhi branches in Mumbai, Rangoon (now Burma) and Karachi (Pakistan now) before Indian independence circa 1930. His wealth and tireless enthusiasm helped small village of then 500 build a Jain temple. He convinced Vijay Vallabh Suri maharaj in Mumbai to do praan-pratishtha of Karchelia Jain Temple. His wealth and business acumen built the best row of five identical houses in the 1910s and they are even present today in Karchelia. Unfortunately, no one from his family lives in Karchelia presently.

Here is a photo of Karchelia Jain Sangh when Jain Derasar was built in 1930 with the blessings of Vijay Vallabhsuri Maharaj:

Karchelia students are hard working and successful in medicine, engineering, commerce, teaching, and science. Many have migrated worldwide to be successful in their field. Karchelia native has studied at Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, IIT-Kanpur, Pune, Mumbai, Chicago, New York, Detroit, London, Australia, New Zealand, and other premiere colleges. Karchelia students have lived in hostels in Navsari, Surat, Baroda, Jagadia, and Mumbai before 1940. Karchelia people are/were settled in Chicago(USA), New York(USA), Detroit(USA), Atlanta(USA), London(UK), Toronto (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Wellington (New Zealand), middle east and Africa.

Kachhchia Patel community in Karchelia predates 1800's and they are avid farmers. They are known for their cultivation of fruits, vegetables, sugercane and other crops. Karchelia Patels and Shia Muslims from nearby towns were early settlers in Africa and UK.

Karchelia Ganchi community operates many good small shops and have specialty in tobacco products. They have vibrant shops for household items also.

Karchelia Koli Patels are good farmers, masons and traditional home builders. Koli Patels are among early settlers in Australia and New Zealand area.

Karchelia Suthar and Luhar families are excellent iron-smiths and wood craftmans. They are known for their agricultural tools.

Karchelia Parsis were licensed taadi liquor sellers and large-scale farmers with more than 300 acre lands. There were four to five Parsi families in Karchelia. However, after independence most Parsis lost their land to ganotiya "share cropper" reform law in the 1950s. Parsis were known to be generous and had European life-style with cooking-maids, wood burning brick oven for bakery, and large group of farm laborers. There are no Parsi living in Karchelia at present.

Kachelia is the headquarter of Dhodiya Samaj, the most progressive tribes of Gujarat State. There are many professionals, teachers and politicians from Dhodiya Samaj.

These are peace-loving, religious, and friendly people in prosperous community that shares good food, music and lasting relationships.

Architecture

Karchelia is a town of row houses built along the main road passing through the village. It has main shopping bazaar, bus stand, BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, Prathmik school, and Hanumaan Temple along the main road.

Before 1970, most of the Karchelia houses were 12 to 18 feet wide and 60 to 125 feet long. Most old houses have similar architecture and room layouts : they are mostly one or two story row houses, they share side walls, they are with three to four rooms down stairs and three rooms upstairs. They were built mostly from wood columns, brick and calcified shells as mortar. Varandah in the front of the house is very common. Back of the some houses had barns for farming animals, milking animals like cows and buffalo and farming tools.

Since the 1990s most tear-down replacement houses are row houses build using reinforced concrete, marbled floors, and stainless steel staircases. They have modern flooring, kitchen and bathroom amenities but still about three room downstairs and three room upstairs.

History

Karchelia is an old town predating 1750 to 1800s. Karchelia was part of Navsari Division of Baroda State before Indian Independence. Original hindus settled there and Jains migrated there in 1850 (?). It was smaller village than Naldhara and Vaniawaad in early days. Hindus contributed to agriculture and Jains contributed heavily to the growth of Karchelia as business center. Karchelia became safer than many surrounding villages due to friendly and peaceful existence of Kachhiya Patel, Jain, Ganchi, Parsi, Koli Patels, Naiks, Suthars, Luhar and various Hindu communities. Safety increased prosperity and growth of Karchelia and helped establish Karchelia as bustling business center in surrounding area since the 1920s. It invited many people to migrante to Karchelia to seek better futures and prosperity.

One of the earliest Jain family to migrate in Karchelia was probably Shri Bhudra Bhagaji Shah. Most Karchelia Jains before the 1920s came from villages near west side of Mount Abu in Rajashthan. Early Karchelia Visa Porwad Jains came from villages in Sihor district on west side of Mount Abu like Revdar, Dhanari, Dabani (also called Damani), Lunol, Anadra etc. These towns are on road from Deesa to Kronti to Sirohi and is near Pavapuri in Rajashthan. Jains brought trading in small shops, money lending, house supplies and grains, metal and ganna shack recycling, and wholesale of agriculture products. Jains were friendly business people believing in non-violence and sharing their wealth for welfare of Karchelia. Jains gave high importance to higher education since 1930.

Naladhara Jaagirdaar invited and encouraged many Jains to settle in Karchelia and develop business and farming. This new business increased mehsul and taxes collection revenue for Jagirdaars in Baroda princely state era. However, Jaagirdaar became envy of success of Jain business community later on and from time to time demanded larger collections. Dhaal or mob robbery across whole town happened twice in the 1920s and 1940s. In those days, tribals would also set houses on fire to settle grievances. Five Jain houses across Karchelia were set on fire on the same ominous day in the 1920s by Bhils from Bartaad to settle their grievances. All five houses were completely gutted by fire and no one was prosecuted.

Karchelia suffered financially after Indian Independence circa 1950-1960 due to Land Ceiling Act (Jamin Toch Maryada) and Share Cropper (Ganotiya) renter reform laws that limited land ownership to 170 bingha and renters of land and house became overnight owners without proper compensation. Circa 1950, Jagirdaars, Parsis, and Jains were big land owners who would rent land to others and collect about one third of crop as rent for land. All property owners overnight lost all their land and houses and became poor with a stroke of pen for Land Ceiling Act. This caused land to become highly fragmented to 2-5 vingha lots. Even today, people are reluctant to rent land and houses in India due to this draconian law. In whole Karchelia, there are hardly any agricultural land lots larger than 25 bingha. Most agricultural land lots are 2-5 bingha. Smaller and fragmented land makes use of modern agriculture with big tractors and columbines not feasible. It is hard to scale agricultural efficiency and deploy modern agricultural farming techniques. All Karchelia land is still tilled by bullocks and recently some small tractors. Agricultural yield per acre has some improvement due to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and improved seeds.

In Vanskui, about 5 km from Karchelia, there is a huge annual mela for Goligat mata. Goligat mata is an Naladhara Jaagirdar heritage. Jaagirdars are not Karchelia native but came to Naladhara as administrator of the area. Not verified but it is believed that Jagirdaars came to Naldhara around 1665 to 1730 invasion of Shivaji at Surat and later winning Songadh from Mughals. Naladhara Jagirdaar probably supported Maratha conquest before Gaekwaad of Baroda State . Jagirdaar's are actually warrior rajputs from Rajashthan. Jagirdaar's got Naldhara as a gift for their war efforts and had right to get a portion of mehsul tax in the Baroda state. Jaagirdars believe more in Mata (female deity) than Dev (male deity) due to war rhetoric traditions and songs of Sati. Jaagirdars worship Kalika Mata, Amba Mata, Meldi Mata, and Goligat Mata in the area.

Karchelia Dhaal in 1940's

During the pre-independence era of the 1940s, one night Karchelia had a tragic incident of Dhaal (robbery across whole town) during which near-by tribals looted the whole town and murdered people. Looter mob went from house to house and demanded jewelery and monetary in-kind. Whole town was terrorized by the mob and this incident changed the mind of many Jain traders forever. Baroda state Fojdaar came and investigated the Dhaal but Jains "forgave" the incident and moved on with their life. No one were prosecuted for Dhaal by then Baroda princely state. Many Jains moved to Navsari for 3 to 5 years after Dhaal for safety but later returned to Karchelia to build businesses.

Vaniawaad Jains

Vaniawaad is 3 miles from Karchelia and was a bustling village with a Jain Temple and a Mahadev shiv temple in the 1850s. Many Patni Jains were settled in Vaniawaad long before Jains migrated to Karchelia circa 1850. Patni jains are mostly from Patan, Gujarat while Karchelia Jains are mostly from west side of Mount Abu. Vaniawaad had 15 to 25 patni jain families during Baroda State and Vaniawaad like Karchelia is another suburb (Faliu) of Naldhara. Most Jains in Vaaniawaad were well to do but were probably not safe. It is believed that for security reasons, most Jains in Vaniawaad died or migrated to Karchelia in 1910. Four to five last Jain families from Vaniawaad migrated to Karchelia as Karchelia Jains were doing well and safe. They had built a Jain Temple with Sambhavnath in Vaniawaad but regretted that they could not bring Sambhavnaath to Karchelia along with them. Every time they tried to bring Sambhavnaath, murti became very heavy, murti carriers became delusional, and they could not cross the river Mindhoda katodu at present day Kupawadi samasaan bhumi. They had to take murthi back to Vaaniawaad temple every time until 1927. Finally, Vijay Vallabh Suri maharaj brought Sambhavnaath murti to Karchelia from Vaaniawaad temple and did praan-prithishtha in Karchelia Jain Temple around 1929.

These Patni Jains had burning desire to move Jain temple from Vaniawwad to Karchelia. Patni Jains were such strong believer in Sambhavnaath that none of them would sell their houses when they died, instead they preferred to donate their houses to Sambhavnaath Jain Temple. Present day Jain Temple land and several other houses under Jain Temple Trust were donated by dying Patni Jains of Vaaniawaad. Some of these Patni Jains are also settled in Mumbai. Manilal Patni and his entourage from Mumbai visits Karchelia Jain Temple once in a while. None of the Patni Jains live in Karchelia or Vaniawaad now.

Prominent people of Karchelia

The first medical doctor from Karchelia is Dr. Arvind Nagindas Shah who got MD from Bombay University in the 1960s. He did not practice medicine in Karchelia. He settled in Chicago, US.

The first mechanical engineer from Karchelia is Rameshbhai Hansraaj Shah, who got BE (Mechanical Engineering) from MS University, Baroda. He settled in Detroit, US

Dr. Madanlal Vyas, born and raised ayurvedic family practitioner in Karchelia since the 1960s, brought benefits of allopathic medicine and antibiotics to the people of Karchelia. He is also a community leader with many social welfare activities.

Dr. Natvarlal Jechand Shah is another early ayurvedic doctor born and raised from Karchelia. He practiced medicine near Valsad since the 1960s.

Rama Vaidya Vaidh and his father had practiced herbal medicine in Karchelia long before Dr. Madanlal Vyas started family practice in Karchelia. Vaidhs are the oldest herbal medicine man of Karchelia.

First Lawyer to practice in Karchelia is Mangubhai Vakil. He was also Koli community leader and a reformer.

Amarchand Dullabhji Shah was the most successful rice, cotton and grain wholesale trader with main Pedhi in Mumbai circa 1930. He was a leader who contributed his largess to build Jain Temple and lead Karchelia jains to commit for Jain temple and Jain way of life.

Govindji Ramji Shah was prominent Karchelia native who donated land for Karchelia Prathmik School and always worked with Fojdaar and Baroda court magistrates. He worked on Dhaal case with Baroda state Fojjdaar in the 1940s.

Panachand Ramji Shah was a Karchelia Sarpanch who helped build water works in 1965, BBS High school and ashram shaala using help of many locals and jains circa 1960. Many Jains and Patels were donors of land, money, time, and business acumen for welfare of Karchelia.

Morarji Desai, then Deputy Prime Minister of India, came to inaugurate Karchelia Ashram Shala. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had then famous question to Morarji Desai : "Where is Karchelia? Morarji, Tell me more about wonderful people of Karchelia who are doing so good"

Sri Nanchand Kasnaji Shah and his two sons Jechand and Manekchand brought first rice mill and cotton thrasher in Mahuwa Taluka powered by England built diesel engine with 6 feet flywheel in 1935. Rice mill was operated by overhead pulleys driven by belts and English diesel engine. They also brought first England built moped motor bike with about 100cc petrol engine in Mahuwa Taluka. They donated land for Karchelia high school. Jechand and his sons donated land for Karchelia Ashram shala. Maanekchand donated money for Karchelia Prathmik school extension in Hatwaado build in the 1970s. They also built three Pani Parab or Public Drinking Water Pubs in Karchelia: one at Prathmik School Bungli, one near bus stand and one near BBS High School.

Sri Mohanlal Kasturchand Shah was a prominent wholesale and retail trader of Karchelia in the 1970s. He supplied to nearby town shops in Mahuwa Taluka.

Shri Bhikhubhai Kesrichand Shah, a social worker of Karchelia, donated for BBS High School expansion.

First female degree engineer from Karchelia is Rashmi Shantilal Shah and settled in US.

Sri Pradeep Shantilal Shah and his two brothers <name_not_known> and Jayesh took Jain Diksa and became triputi Jain monks from Karchelia.

Bankim C Shah was the first Karchelia student to study at IIT-Kanpur and work at IISc-Bangalore.

Shashikant Chimanlal Patel is first Deputy Collector from Kachelia as well as Surat District.

Vijaykumar Chimanlal Patel is first Assistant Electrical Inspector from Kachelia.

Seasons

Karchelia has mild winter (Nov-Mar), Hot Summer (Apr-Jun) and monsoon (Jun-Sept). Winter tempratur are 70 to 90 F, 20-30 C. Summer temperatures are 80-104 F, 30-40 C. Monsoon rain is from June 20 thru Oct and temperature drops but rain can be non-stop for a week at a time. Karchelia does not experience flood, hurricane or earthquake in general. Best time to visit Karchelia is Oct thru March.

Why is Karchelia not shown on the Google or India Maps?

Karchelia is not an incorporated town in Mahuva Taluka and is not registered in Topological and Geographic Survey maps in Mahuwa. Quirk is that Karchelia is registered as a suburb (Faliu) of Naldhara which is an actual town shown on the Google Map. You will find smaller town like Bartaad, Vanskui, Kachhal, Dungri and Naldhara but not Karchelia in any Government Survey maps, Google Maps or India Maps. Naldhara is an old Jaagirdaar village but geographically very large town covering Naldhara, Vaniawaad, Karchelia, and part of Dungri and Kachhal .

Nearby cities: Bardoli, Bartad, Vanskui, Naldhara, Anaval, Vyara, Mandvi (Surat), Navsari, Surat, Gujarat

GPS Coordinates: 20°58'1"N 73°9'58"E

Latitude : 20.9598 Longitude : 73.1872

Template:Coordinates: 20°58'1"N 73°9'58"E