English: UTTARSANDA

Location: Uttarsanda is located at 22°40' North latitude and 72°54' East longitude in the Kheda district, Gujarat, India. It is located along the Western Railway’s Bombay-Ahmedabad rail-line and close to National Highway 8.

History: There is no documented proof but according to folktales, the first establishment Vansol-Tansol in the area was by two brothers, Talasidas and Vanarasidas near the pastureland known as Tarhol no Charo. On the way to Fatehpur there is the temple of Rakseshwar Mahadev and the step well of Rakhial. These may have been built by the traders who used this as a resting place for caravans when they traveled along the trade route from Khambhat, then a flourishing seaport to Patliputra (now Patna). Invaders or natural calamities probably destroyed this establishment and a new village, Uttarsanda, was established nearby. Based on excavations, foundations of houses, pieces of vessels, and many other relics have been unearthed near the current location of the crematory. These relics make us think that there might have been a colony of the Prajapatis in the past. The remains of a guard have been found from the Harijan Vas near the village gate. A sword and a shield were found in the hands of the guard. He may have died while defending the village from the invading hordes of robbers.

The folk tale is that once upon a time, a cow began to give an unending stream of milk. Soon a crowd of cowherds gathered there and seeing the milk going waste the cowherds began collecting the milk in pots. They began to arrange the pots one on the top of another forming columns. Many such columns were formed. The arrangement of pots in the form of columns is known as UTARAD. A Rabari woman, on seeing this, began saying `Utarad, Utarad'. Believing this place to be holy, people began to settle here and the village came to be known as Uttarsanda. A Mahadev temple was built at the place where the stream of milk had flowed. It is said that the temple of Pareshwer is built at the very same place.

This village had been gifted by the British to Seth Sundarji in 1826 AD. In those days the yearly revenue of the village from agriculture was about 10,000 rupees. In the documents, it had been stated that till even one of the seven males of the family was alive, till that time they could collect the revenue. At the end of 1882 AD, the village was returned to the control of the British, under the tenure of Lord Newham, who was Chief Secretary of the Governors Council.

The Brahmins and the Banias formed the majority in the village. The temple of their presiding deity, Kuleshwari Devi is also nearby. The Brahmins and Banias have moved from the place but still the newlyweds come here to untie the knot tied at the time of their marriages. During the famine in 1900 AD, Parvatiben, a Brahmin widow had employed many people to dig a well that provided water to the villagers.

Only Brahmins lived in the Brahmapole and Jadoo Bhatt’s Khadki while the Banias lived in the Baniafali. But these things have become things of the past. The look of Uttarsanda has undergone a drastic change. Dayal Patel, a native of Sojitra, settled here years ago. Thereafter, his generations began to prosper. All the Patidars of the village have the same ancestors. Their places of living were limited to the following areas: Dhanjibhai ni Deli, Valabhai ni Khadki, Bhagat ni Khadki, Tekra Khadki, Chakli Darwajo, Moti Khadki, Chha Anna, Juna Chora, Ambamata’s Falia, Lokhand no Zapo, Dadabhai ni Khadki and Mota ni Khadki.

Western Railway’s rail line was constructed in 1861 where Nadiad was the nearest railway station and later Uttarsanda station was built.

Uttarsanda was the first village to be honored as the GOKUL GAAM, in the Kheda District in 1998 by the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Gokul Gaam award is given to villages in Gujarat the provide quality health and human services funded by the community from private donations.

Population: The village has a population of 12000 within 3.5 square mile area. The local population consists of Harijans, Brahmins, Banias, Prajapatis, Kshatriyas, Muslims and Christians. But still, the Patidars are the majority community of this village. At least one or multiple members of each family live in foreign countries. Mostly the Patidars from Uttarsanda are in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Unites States of America. They also occupy the leading position in business in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Anand, Nadiad and Rajkot in Gujarat. A Large number of persons from Uttarsanda have also settled in major cities such as Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras. These expatriates have contributed significantly to the prosperity of Uttarsanda.

Education: On 23 July 1854, the first primary school was started when the British Government passed an education bill, which funded public schools. The initial response was poor, which resulted in the school’s closing only after three years. However, as time passed, the awareness increased with inspiration from the native sons Shri Shivlal Dhaneshwer, Chief Justice for the State of Kutch; Shri Nathabhai Dajibhai Patel, Deputy Diwan of the State of Jamnagar; Magistrate Zaverbhai Mathurbhai Patel and several others. On October 2nd 1865 a primary school was started which is still in existence. On January 1st 1912 the first high school was started which offered all classes for matriculation in 1936. At this time it was known as the Coronation High School. It was later renamed as Bharat High School in 1950, after India became a republic. A girl’s school was started on December 1st 1872. At present, the Uttarsanda Education Trust manages Kindergarten, primary school for boys, primary school for girls, high school (with a new computer lab) and a vocations ITI school.

The Public Library was established in 1916.

Health and Human Services: In 1933, a public clinic was opened and thereafter, in 1948, Diwaliben Maternity Home was opened. At the Gujarat Pradesh Congess Committee meeting, Charutar Medical Relief Society was established and the Chaturbhai Gangadas General Hospital was opened on January 8th 1956 by the Shri Ganesh Vasudev Mavlangar, speaker of the Indian Parliament. This hospital has benefited not only the people from Uttarsanda but also those from the surrounding villages.

Under the leadership of Sarpanch, Late Shri Ishwerbhai Bhulabhai Patel, a sewage system with a waste treatment plant and paved roads project was completed in the late sixties.

Uttarsanda was connected to the electric grid system in 1951. The water works built in 1933 was upgraded using electrical pumps in 1951 and named as Bhikhabhai Vaghjibhai bin Jethabhai Water Works.

Business and Industries: Uttarsanda is predominantly a farming community. Uttarsanda Peoples Cooperative Bank Limited was established on 9th April 1940 to help the local businesses and farmers. On 1st March 1967, the Bank of Baroda also opened its branch office. To help the milk producers, Uttarsanda Milk Producers Cooperative was started in 1951. Due to the location along the railway line and close proximity to Nadiad and Anand, Uttarsanda has attracted a variety of small industries. There are several Cold Storage houses, Cement spun pipe factories, Ice-crème and papad factories. When tobacco was a very attractive cash crop, there were several tobacco storage warehouses.

Religious and Cultural Institutions: The richness in the educational and economic fields is highly evident and so is the progress in the field of religion. The village has three temples of Lord Shiva, along with temples of Muralidhar, Ranchhodji, Kabir, Ambaji and Lord Swaminarayan. It also has a small temple of Hanuman. It has a mosque and the tombs of Sadnsha Pir and Ramdev Pir. There are two churches and a rest house for travelers. By this way the village has religious prosperity. There is also a temple of Bahucharaji and Dhansi Mata along with three temples of Bhathiji.

Uttarsanda has a cricket stadium and a town hall. There are large three community hall, Hira Vadi, Dada Kacharni wadi and Patel Vadi,. These halls are generally used for large community gatherings, weddings and banquets. Due to the location of Uttarsanda, these venues are widely used by the people from surrounding towns and villages.