Country India State Gujarat | Languages spoken Gujarati, Hindi Population 8,500 | |
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Map of Ratnal
Ratnal is a village near the town of Anjar in the Anjar taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Anjar and 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Bhuj capital of Kutch.
Contents
- Map of Ratnal
- Ronak ahir ratnal
- Kirtidan gadhvi ratnal kutchh ame maiyara re
- History
- Earthquake of January 26 2001
- Economy
- Marriages
- Schools
- Railroad station
- References
Ronak ahir ratnal
Kirtidan gadhvi ratnal kutchh ame maiyara re
History
Rabaris claim that Ratnal was founded by them about 500 years ago. Yaduvanshi Ahirs people are believed to enter Ratnal for the first time. Ahirs are the majority in Ratnal now.
Earthquake of January 26, 2001
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on January 26, 2001, India's 51st Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time (3:16 UTC) and lasted for over two minutes. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of X (Intense) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
The village was almost completely destroyed in the January 26, 2001 earthquake. It is estimated that 175 people died in the village on that day. Bill Clinton has previously visited the village.
Economy
The people are mainly involved in agriculture and transportation. Ahir women of Ratnal are famous for their embroidery and patch-work. According to an India Today survey Ratnal is the only village in world having more than 900 trucks. People are mainly involved in transportation and cultivation of oil-seeds, cotton and other seasonal crops. Other smaller sources of employment are petrol pumps, tea stalls, pesticides sales. Some of the natives also work for the Indian Railways.
Marriages
The village presents a picture of paradox as both orthodoxy and modernity co-exists here. Mass child marriages take place among an influential section among the Ahir community, known as Ahir Paratharia. In 2009 around 235 child couples tied the nuptial knot. These marriages take place traditionally once a year on the thirteenth day of the month of Vaishakh of the indigenous calendar.
Schools
There are five schools in the village: 1. Ratnal Panchayati Prathamik Shala (Primary School for Boys) 2. Shri Krishna Pranami Kanya Vidyalay (Girls School) managed by Pranami sect 3. Vidya Bharati (Primary School managed by Vidya Bharati) 4. Peta Para Shala 5. Ratnal High School 6.RAdhe Krishna Nagar Primary School 7 Ratnal ITI goverment iti 8 kvk ratnal
Railroad station
Ratnal is a railway station on Bhuj – Gandhidham railway line and Bhuj-Palanpur passenger train has a halt here. The station code is RUT.