Gujarati People (
GujaratiGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family...
: ગુજરાતી લોકો
Gujǎrātī loko?), or
Gujaratis, is an umbrella term used to describe an
indo-aryanIndo-Aryan refers to:* Indo-Aryan languages* Indo-Aryan migration, a supposition that holds that the Indo-Aryans migrated to India.* Indigenous Aryans, a theory that holds that the Indo-Aryans are native to India....
ethnic group that is traditionally
GujaratiGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family...
-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
.
Gujaratis in India
The Gujarati people live in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, in the state of
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
. Many Gujaratis inhabit the states
RajasthanRājasthān is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan...
,
MaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's third largest state by area and second largest by population....
and
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out...
of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
and the Indian capital of
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital of India. It is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and serves as the seat of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi....
as well as the former
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
-ruled territories of
Daman and DiuDaman and Diu is a union territory in India.For over 450 years, these coastal enclaves on the Arabian Sea coast were part of Portuguese India, along with Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
and
Dadra and Nagar HaveliDadra and Nagar Haveli Dadra and Nagar Haveli Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Gujarati: દાદરા અને નગર હવેલી, Marathi: दादरा आणि नगर हवेली, is a Union Territory in western India. Nagar Haveli is wedged between Maharashtra and Gujarat, whereas Dadra is an enclave lying a few kilometres north of Nagar Haveli...
. Additionally, the
Gujarati languageGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family...
has been adopted by communities such as the
KacchisThe Kutchi people traditionally reside in the Kutch region of the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat. Modern day Kachhis have moved out of Kutch to nearby commercial havens such as Ahmedabad, Baroda, and Mumbai, and to neighbouring states such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Punjab.-Language:The...
, who use it as their
literary languageA literary language is a register of a language that is used in literary writing. This may also include liturgical writing. The difference between literary and non-literary forms is more marked in some languages than in others...
, and the Parsis, who had made the Gujarat region of the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
their home.
AhmedabadAhmedabad is a city in India, which is the largest city in the state of Gujarat, with a population of approximately 52 lakhs . Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; the capital...
and
VadodaraVadodara , formerly Baroda , is the third most-populated city in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad and Surat. It is one of four cities in the state with a population of over 1 million, the other being Rajkot and the two cities listed above, although it has a massive population of over 3...
are the cultural capitals of Gujarat.
Genetics
In terms of ancestry, the majority of Gujaratis share similar genes with the rest of the northern Indian populations, but show a significant relationship with west Eurasian groups.
A 2004 Stanford study conducted with a wide sampling from India, found that over 33% of genetic markers in Gujarat were of West Asian origin, the third highest amongst the sampled group of South Asians with Punjabis at 42%, Sindhis at 41% and Kashmiris at 30%.
Haplogroup U7 is found only in Iran, the Near East,Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan; with extremely low frequencies in neighboring countries Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq. Its frequency peaks at over 12% in Gujarat, 9% in Punjab, 6% in Pakistan, 6% in Afghanistan and 9% in Iran. Elsewhere in India, it's frequency is very low (0.00% to 0.90%). Outside of the
Near EastNear East today is an ambiguous term that covers different countries for archeologists and historians, on one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Northwestern Indian states, Haplogroup U7 is non-existant. Expansion times and haplotype diversities for the Indian and Near and Middle Eastern U7 mtDNAs are strikingly similar. The possible homeland of this haplogroup likely spans the coverage of Iran to Northwest India. From there its frequency declines steeply both to the east and to the west. If the origin were in Iran rather than in India, then its equally high frequency as well as diversity in Gujarat favors a scenario whereby U7 has been introduced to the coastal Gujarat either very early, or by multiple founders.
Some preliminary conclusions from these varying tests support some of the highest degrees of west Asian admixture found in India, with a particular close relationship between Iran and Northwest India, supporting a theory of trade contact and migrations out of Iran into India.
Gujaratis in Pakistan
There is also significant community of Gujaratis in neighbouring
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
, many have been settled in
SindhSindh , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after...
for generations. A sizable number migrated after the
Partition of IndiaThe Partition of India was the partition of British India that led to the creation, on August 14, 1947 and August 15, 1947, respectively, of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India...
and subsequent
creation of independent PakistanPakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan has its origins in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh . Muslims there were a minority, yet their Elite had a disproportionate amount of representaion in the civil service and overall influence...
in 1947. These Pakistani Gujaratis belong mainly to the
KhojaThe Khwajahs or officially Khojas are an ethno-religious community that are mainly concentrated in South Asia, but due to migrations over the centuries have spread to many parts of the globe...
Bohra, Charotar Sunni Vohra and Memon groups; however, many Gujaratis are also a part of Pakistan's small but vibrant
Hindu communityFollowing the creation of Pakistan, and the subsequent mass migrations, Hindus today have a much smaller numerical presence. Nonetheless Hindus have played a major role in the history, culture and politics of the country....
. Many Gujaratis in Pakistan retain ties to their relatives in Gujarat, and maintain Gujarati as their native language. However, a growing number are adopting
UrduUrdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
as their native tongue.
Muhammad Ali JinnahMuhammad Ali Jinnah Urdu: , a 20th century politician and statesman, is generally regarded as the founder of Pakistan. He served as leader of The Muslim League and Pakistan's first Governor-General. He is officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-i-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum...
, the founding father of Pakistan, was a notable person of Gujarati ancestry born in
SindhSindh , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after...
.
Gujarati diaspora
Significant
migrantImmigration is the arrival of new individuals into a habitat or population. It is a biological concept and is important in population ecology, differentiated from emigration and migration.-As a political term:...
Gujarati communities exist around the world. The largest expatriate Gujarati population is the former "British East African Asian" community in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. Other major Gujarati communities exist in
SouthSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
and
East AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
(most notably
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
,
TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.The United...
,
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
,
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, Mozambique - a substantial number of Gujaratis from this former Portuguese colony settled in Portugal after its independence) and South-East Asia (
MyanmarBurma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the...
,
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
). Many Gujaratis live in the United States also.
According to the US Census Bureau in 2006 there were 1,417,000 people in the US who spoke Gujarati, Hindi or other Indic languages (e.g. Punjabi, Tamil) at home; Gujaratis comprised 299,000 of these numbers, suggesting approximately 20% of Indian Americans are Gujarati. (This total excludes 325,000 Urdu speakers who it might reasonably be assumed are predominantly of Pakistani origin.) Note that this estimate does not include second or greater generation Gujaratis who report they primarily speak English at home. One text suggests approximately 40% of
Indian American...
s are Gujaratis, but no sourced for this number is indicated. Most East African Asians are Gujaratis.
Food
The majority of
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
and Jain Gujaratis are
vegetarianVegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as...
.
Gujarati cuisineGujarati cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Gujaratis from India, who are predominant in western-India. It is primarily vegetarian. The typical Gujarati Thali consists of Roti , daal or kadhi, rice, and sabzi/shaak...
follows the traditional Indian full meal structure of rice, cooked vegetables, lentil curry or daal and
rotiRoti or Phulka in general, is defined as an unleavened flatbread made from atta flour in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Assamese, Indonesian, Malay, Bengali, Thai, Marathi and Somali languages. Also known as Rotli in GujaratiRoti and its thinner variant, known as chapati, are an integral part of...
. The different types of rotli (breads) that a Gujarati cooks are rotli or chapati,
bhakhriBhakri is a round flat unleavened bread often used in the cuisine of western and central India, especially in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and northern Karnataka. It is coarser than a Chapati and can be compared to a British biscuit with respect to hardness.Bhakri as part of a traditional...
, thepla or dhebara, puri, maal purah and puran-pohli. Ghari and
KhakhraKhakhra is a popular roasted Gujarati Indian bread or snack item made from wheat flour and oil. Added to it are different supporting ingredients such as methi and masala to make the khakhra chunky....
are also eaten as rotli, but they are usually eaten as a snack. Khaman,
DhoklaDhokra is a fast food from the Indian state of Gujarat made with a fermented batter of chickpeas.-Preparation:Chickpeas, or besan in some recipes, are soaked overnight. This paste is fermented for four to five hours, then is spiced by adding chile pepper, ginger, and baking soda.The dhokla is then...
, dhokli, dal-dhokli, undhiyu, fafda, chevdoh, Samosa, papdi, muthia, bhajia, patra, bhusu and
Sev mamraSev Mamra is an Indian snack. It is a mixture of spicy dry ingredients such as puffed rice, savoury noodles and peanuts.It is available in most parts of India, though it is known by different names in different regions....
are traditional Gujarati dishes savoured by many communities across the world.
KhichdiKhichdi is an Indian food preparation made from rice and lentils...
- a mix of rice and toor daal, a type of lentil, cooked with little spices in a pressure cooker - is a popular Gujarati meal. It is found very satisfying by most Gujaratis, and cooked very regularly in most homes, typically on a busy day due to its ease of cooking. It can also become an elaborate meal when served with several side dishes such as a vegetable curry, yogurt, papad, mango pickle, and onions. It is found to be served in Gujarati immigrant families settled abroad even after decades of being outside India.
Use of
GheeGhee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia, and is commonly used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine .-Preparation:Ghee is made by simmering unsalted...
in meals is very common. For example, rice or
khichdiKhichdi is an Indian food preparation made from rice and lentils...
on rotli. The meal is usually accompanied with a sweet and a salty snack (
farsaan) like
VadaVada ; also known as vadai, wada or vade , is a savoury snack from South India.-Description:...
. Gujarati cookbook writers like Tarla Dalal are famous internationally.
Gujaratis are more comfortable cooking with peanut oil (shing tel). However, while living abroad they adjust their cooking method with available canola or sunflower oil. The making of masala is traditionally done on grinding stones. Nowadays, people use a blender or grinder to make masala. Each person makes masala differently, hence cooking tastes differ depending on the household. People from north Gujarat use dry red chili powder, whereas people from south Gujarat prefer using green chili and coriander in their cooking. Gujarati Jains (and many Hindus) avoid using garlic and onions in their cooking. Traditionally Gujaratis eat
MukhwasMukhwas is a colorful Indian and Pakistani after-meal snack or digestive aid made primarily of fennel seeds, anise seeds, coconut, and sesame seeds. They are sweet in flavor and highly aromatic due to added sugar and the addition of various essential oils, including peppermint oil. The seeds are...
or
paanPaan, from the word pan in Urdu, , and Hindi, पान, is a South, East and South East Asian tradition which consists of chewing Betel leaf combined with the areca nut. There are many regional variations....
at the end of a meal. In many parts of Gujarat, having Chhass butter milk or soda after lunch or dinner is quite common. Gujarati families celebrate Sharad Purnima by having dinner with doodh-pauva under moonlight.
there are many great delecacies to try out in Gujarati food. they are most famous for their great cultural diversity
Dress
Indian jewelry like
mangalsutraA mangalsutra is an Indian symbol of Hindu marriage, consisting of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain. It is comparable to a Western wedding ring, and is worn by a married woman until her husband's death.Mangalsutra is one such symbol of marriage...
s, necklaces, nose rings, earrings, bangles and rings, toe rings, bracelets are all part of the Gujarati attire. Most of this jewelry is made in 22 carat gold but cheaper
costume jewelryCostume jewelry is the first jewelry manufactured as ornamentation for the masses to complement a particular fashionable garment or "costume". Costume jewelry came into being in the 1930s as a cheap, disposable accessory meant to be worn with a specific outfit...
is becoming more common. During weddings, Gujarati brides wear a lot of jewelry. It is common to see a Gujarati (Hindu) male wearing a gold chain and a ring.
Years ago, only married Gujarati (Hindu) women wore a red
bindiA bindi is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia, not to be confused with a tilaka...
(red powder worn in a round shape on the forehead also found in the form of stickers). These days, most women, married or not, wear 'bindi' as a fashion accessory when they wear traditional Indian outfits. Modern Bindis are like stickers, and are available in various shapes, sizes, colors and designs. Only married women however , wear red powder, called '
sindoorSindoor is a red powder , which is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along the parting-line of a woman’s hair or as a dot on the forehead. Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in Hinduism. Single women wear the dot in different colors but do not apply sindoor in their mang...
', in a short straight line on the scalp, starting near the hairline and covers the area where the hair is generally parted(middle). During a traditional Hindu wedding, the groom applies 'sindoor' on the bride for the very first time. This act can be compared to a ring ceremony in western weddings.
There are several different outfits that are worn by both men and women depending on the occasion. Generally, men wear pants and shirts or t-shirts and younger women wear normal western outfits like skirts, dresses, jeans, etc. Older women usually wear
sariA sari or saree or shari is a female garment in the Indian Subcontinent. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles...
s or salwar kamiz.
However traditionally, males will wear
dhotiThe Dhotī or Doti in Hindi, called Dhotiyu in Gujarati, Suriya in Assamese, Vaytti or Veshti in Tamil, Dhuti in Bangla, Dhoti or Kachche Panche in Kannada, Dhotar,Angostar,Aad-neschey or Pudve in Konkani, mundu in Malayalam, Dhotar in Marathi , Laacha in Punjabi and Pancha in Telugu is...
s be it everyday or a special occasion and a kurta is worn on top. Females traditionally females will wear sari's or something similar. On special occasions females will wear slightly more expensive saris. These traditional garments are usually seen in India and even outside of India by other Indians. It can be seen in elders, examples include Mohandas Gandhi who shined knowledge on his surroundings as a result of his personality and appearance; a dhoti.
Arts, literature, and entertainment
Fabric designs involve use of
BatikBatik is cloth which traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Due to modern advances in the textile industry, the term has been extended to include fabrics which incorporate traditional batik patterns even if they are not produced using the wax-resist dyeing techniques...
. The embedding of mirrors (called
abhla) in fabric is a favourite among art lovers. Wall hangings demonstrate use of knitting and embedding of mirrors. Gujarati pottery includes different kinds of deeva (lamps) and pots. During the festival of Navratri, youngsters wear traditional dress and go out to play
dandiaRaas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Vrindavan, India, where it is performed depicting scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.-Etymology:...
and sing
garbasGarba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region. It is more similar to Western folk dance than to the presentational style of Indian classical dances such as bharatanatyam and odissi. The name garba comes from the Sanskrit term Garba and Deep . Many traditional garbas are...
. Typically men wear
KediaKedia is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located 15 km south-west of a larger village, Mopipi, and it has a primary school. The population was 793 in 2001 census....
and women wear Ghaghra Cholee to dance in Navratri.
Gujarati theatre owes a lot to bhavai.
BhavaiBhavai is a popular folk theatre form of Gujarat. Veshas or Bhavai plays are also known as swang. The origin of Bhavai dates from the 14th Century. It is said that Hemala Patel's daughter Ganga was kidnapped by a Muslim Subedar...
is a musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored artistic use of bhavai in films such as
Bhavni BhavaiBhavni Bhavai is a 1980 Gujarati film directed by Ketan Mehta. Ketan Mehta's debut film is a successful adaptation of folk idioms into cinema. The film is dedicated to Bertolt Brecht, Goscinny and to the inventor of the Bhavai, Asait Thakore, who was a Brahmin outcast and lived among the lower...
,
Oh Darling! Yeh Hai IndiaOh Darling! Yeh Hai India is an Indian film starring Shahrukh Khan, Deepa Sahi, Jaaved Jaffrey.- Synopsis :Don Quixote is a Bombay-based gangster. His dream is to take control of India, and sell it at a well-attended and much publicized auction...
and
Hum Dil De Chuke SanamHum Dil De Chuke Sanam is a Hindi film made in 1999. It was released in the English-speaking world as Straight from the Heart. It was filmed throughout the Gujarat-Rajasthan border region, in addition to Budapest, Hungary, which was used to represent Italy...
. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature.
Gujarati literature has come a long way since being pioneered by Narmad. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like K. M. Munshi, Suresh Dalal, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi,
Pannalal PatelPannalal Nanalal Patel is a Gujarati author. He was the recipient of Jnanpith Award in 1985.-Works:* Jeevan Ek Natak * Melo...
, Prahlad Brahmabhatt, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Makarand Dave, Kalapi, and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.
A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the
SwaminarayanSwaminarayan , also known as Sahajanand Swami, is the central figure in a modern sect of Hinduism known as the Swaminarayan Faith, a form of Vaishnavism...
paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like
VachanamrutThe Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered on of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
and poetry in the form of bhajans.
Gujarati films have made artists like Upendra Trivedi, Snehlata, Raajeev,
Mahesh Kumar KanodiaMahesh Kumar Kanodia is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Patan constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.-External links:*...
, Naresh Kanodia,
Aruna IraniAruna Irani is an Indian actress. An accomplished actress and dancer of her time, Aruna Irani has acted in about 300 movies, with many memorable acting performances to her credit. Irani is the sister of film-maker Indra Kumar and actor Adi Irani...
and
AsraniGovardhan Asrani , popularly known simply as Asrani, is an actor in Indian films whose Bollywood career has spanned over 35 years. He came to Poona and studied the Acting course there. Later on he became director of the same Film Institute. He started career in films like Umang in which Paintal and...
popular in the entertainment industry. In the U.S., Bali
BrahmbhattBrahmbhatt is an Indian surname and subcaste traditionally related to the Brahmin caste. Brahmbhatt is derived from the Sanskrit roots Brahm, meaning to grow, increase, and Bhatt, meaning Priest and possibly indicating the subcaste's position in both the Brahmin and Kshatriya varnas...
came up with the hit song "Patel Rap", referring to changing values of Gujarati culture.
There are dedicated
television channels airing Gujarati programs.
There are very few well known Gujerati painters one of whom is now based in the UK is Kamal Koria. His work often dipicts traditional Gujerati village life.
Some Interesting facts about Gujarat and Gujaratis
The world's largest ship breaking yard is in Gujarat near Bhavnagar at Alang.
Reliance Petroleum Limited, one of the group companies of Reliance Industries Limited founded by Dhirubhai Ambani operates the oil
refinery at Jamnagar which is the world's largest grass roots refineries.
Gujarat ranks first nationwide in gas-based thermal electricity generation with national market share of over 8% and second nationwide in nuclear electricity generation with national market share of over 1%.
In recent Forbes magazine list of 10 richest Indian people four are Gujarati - Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Azim Premji and Tulsi Tanti
Gujarat has the longest sea shore compared to any other Indian state
Gujarat has the highest no. of operating airports in India.
Gujarat has the highest no. of vegetarian people compared to any other state in India.
Ahmedabad – The commercial capital and largest city of Gujarat is also the seventh largest city in India.
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad(IIMA) is Asia's 1st and world's 45th ranked management college located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Operation WHITE FLOOD (MILK) was initiated in Gujarat by Dr. Kurien which took India in 1998 (may be 1999) to become highest milk producer in the world.
Forbes Magazine published list of Top 20 Self-Made Business-Men from Asia. The list includes 6 men from India and out of 6 three are
Gujarati - Tulsi Tanti, Gautam Adani and Uday Kotak
Politics
- Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
(Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)
- Ahmed Patel
Ahmed Patel is a senior leader of Indian National Congress party. He is the present political secretary to Congress President and Leader Sonia Gandhi. He is among the core think tank of the INC today. He is one of the crucial leaders in the decision making process of the party at national level...
- Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat since 7 October 2001....
- Morarji Desai
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the Prime Minister of India from 1977-79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
- Feroze Gandhi
Feroze Gandhi was an Indian politician and journalist. He was a member of the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of India's parliament. In 1942 he married Indira Nehru and they had two sons Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi.Feroze Gandhi was born in Mumbai into a Parsi family...
- Savjibhai Korat
Savjibhai Korat was an Indian politician, a cabinet minister of Gujarat state. He was born into a farmer’s family in an Indian village near Jetpur....
- Mahadev Desai
Mahadev Desai was an Indian independence activist and nationalist writer; he was most famously known for being the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi.-Career:...
- Kasturba Gandhi
Kastürbā Gāndhi , affectionately called Ba, was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, marrying him in an arranged child marriage in 1883.-Early life and background:...
- K. M. Munshi
Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi was an Indian freedom fighter, politician, writer and educationist from Gujarat state. A lawyer by profession, he later turned to literature and politics.-Life:...
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Patel was a political and social leader of India who played a major role in the country's struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation...
- Praful Patel
Praful Patel is a member of the Lok Sabha of India. He currently holds the title of Minister of State for Civil Aviation. He belongs to Gondia, a district in Maharashtra.- Political career :...
- Vithalbhai Patel
Vithalbhai Patel was an Indian legislator and political leader, and co-founder of the Swaraj Party.-Early life:Born in Nadiad, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Vithalbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was the third of five Patel brothers, four years elder to Vallabhbhai Patel, raised in the village of Karamsad...
Business
- Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, also known as Dhirubhai, 28 December, 1932, - 6 July 2002, was a Indian rags-to-riches business tycoon who founded Reliance Industries in Mumbai with his cousin...
- Gautam Adani
Gautam Adani is an Indian businessman. He is the chairman of the Adani Group, a leading trading and export company of India...
- Uday Kotak
Uday Kotak [b.March 15, 1959] is an Indian businessman. He is the vice-chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. He owns a 50% stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank, which he founded and runs. Forbes estimated his wealth to be $2.2 bn in 2007, up from $1.1 bn the year earlier...
- Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani is a Indian engineer and businessman. He is the chairman, managing director and the largest shareholder of Reliance Industries, India's largest private sector enterprise and a Fortune 500 company, which he got funded by purchasing large standby letters of credit, which were monetized...
- Anil Ambani
Anil Ambani is an Indian billionaire and a major shareholder in Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Anil's elder brother, Mukesh Ambani, is also a billionaire, and owns another company called Reliance Industries....
- Ratan Tata
Ratan Naval Tata is the present Chairman of the Tata Group, India's largest conglomerate founded by Jamsedji Tata and consolidated and expanded by later generations of his family...
- Tulsi Tanti
Tulsi Tanti is the chairman and managing director of Suzlon Energy, the US$10 billion worth wind power based company. He, along with his three siblings, own 70% of the company. He is from Gujarat where he started his first venture which was in textiles, then he moved into wind energy production...
- Azim Premji
Azim Premji , is an Indian engineer and businessman. He is the Chairman of Wipro, one of the largest software companies in India...
- Jagdish Bhagwati
Jagdish Natwarlal Bhagwati is an Indian-American economist and a University Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University...
- Hari Punja
Mr. Hari Punja is Chairman of Hari Punja Group of Companies. Hari Punja and Sons Limited is a very diversified company in Fiji.-Biography:...
- Hasmukhbhai Parekh
Hasmukhbhai Parekh was an Indian industrialist, writer, and philanthropist. He played a role in the development of ICICI Bank, founded the Housing Development Finance Corporation, and in 1992 was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the finance industry in India...
- Karsanbhai Patel
Dr. Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel is an Indian industrialist, founder of the Rs. 2500 crore Nirma group with major interests in detergents, soaps and cosmetics. In 2005 Forbes listed his net worth as USD $640 million. He has interests in education, and founded a leading engineering college, the...
- Ramanbhai Patel
Ramanbhai B. Patel was an Indian chemist who founded the operation that eventually became the Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company Cadila Healthcare....
- Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Kasturbhai Lalbhai was an Indian industrialist. He was widely perceived as a nationalist businessman akin to G. D. Birla.- Early life :...
- Sam Pitroda
Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, better known as Dr Sam Pitroda is an inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. Currently chairman of India's National Knowledge Commission, he is also widely considered to have been responsible for India's communications revolution.He is the Chairman of World-Tel...
- Ambalal Sarabhai
Ambalal Sarabhai was a leading industrialist of Ahmedabad and also played an important role in India's freedom struggle.He was educated at Gujarat College in Ahmedabad and joined his family business as the direcor of Karamchand Premchand Private Ltd. He was the owner of Sarabhai Chemicals in...
Religious Leaders
- Swami Sachhidanad Paramhans
- Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Shastri Nārāyanswarupdās , commonly known as Pramukh Swāmi Maharaj, is a Hindu sadhu, Indian social worker, and spiritual Guru of an international Hindu organization known as the BAPS Swāminārāyan Sansthā...
- Morari Bapu
Morari Bapu ' , is a popular Hindu kathakaar , who has been giving 9 day-long sermons in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—including in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling...
Bollywood Actors
- Jackie Shroff
-Early life and background:Jackie Shroff was born in Mumbai to Gujarati speaking father Kakubhai Shroff and Rita Shroff. His elder brother, Hemant Shroff, drowned when Jackie was ten years old.-Career:...
- Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor from Bollywood, Mumbai of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles....
- Satish Shah
Satish Ravilal Shah is a Hindi film and television actor best known for his comedy films. He is presently a judge in the reality show Comedy Circus II.- Filmography :-Television:* Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi* Sarabhai VS Sarabhai* All the best...
- Sharman Joshi
Sharman Joshi is an Indian film and theatre actor. He has worked on various stage productions in English, Hindi and Gujarati, though is mostly known for his work in Hindi movies.-Personal life and education:...
- Amarjeet Shukla
Amarjeet Shukla made his debut in Bollywood in a lead role in K.Ravi Shankar’s Iqraar By Chance . It was a romantic comedy. His next movie due to release in 2009 is Runway, which also stars Tulip Joshi and Lucky Ali.-Movies:* Runway ... Allan...
- Vinay Pathak
Vinay Pathak is an Indian actor and a theater person. He is known as a new revolution in Indian Cinema along with Ranvir Shorey, Rajat Kapur, Abhay Deol, who are tagged as actors of a new genre...
- Upen Patel
Upen Patel is a British Indian model and Bollywood film actor.- Early work :After winning Zee TV's supermodel hunt in the year 2002, Patel began signing modelling assignments such as Hugo Boss, Paul Smith and Zegna....
- Ashmit Patel
Ashmit Patel is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood movies.-Early life:Ashmit Patel is the son of Amit Patel and Asha Patel, younger brother of Amisha Patel and the grandson of the famous Indian lawyer Rajni Patel. Ashmit's name is derived from his parent's name...
- Sohrab Modi
Sohrab Modi was an Indian Parsi stage and film actor, director and producer. His films include Khoon Ka Khoon , a version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Sikandar, Pukar, Prithvi Vallabh, Jhansi ki Rani, Mirza Ghalib, and Nausherwan-e-dil . His films always carried a message of strong commitment to...
- Saurabh Shukla
Saurabh Shukla is a Star Screen Award and Zee Cine Award nominated Indian film and television actor, director and screenwriter.-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
- Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Hashmi , is a Filmfare Award-nominated Indian actor. He has delivered musical, critically acclaimed and commercially hits.- Early life :...
- Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is a National Film Award-winning Indian film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:Naseeruddin Shah was born...
- Manoj Joshi
Manoj Joshi is an Indian journalist and author. As of 2009, he is Comment Editor with the Mail Today newspaper in India.After an undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Joshi studied history at Lucknow University and earned his M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the School of International...
Bollywood Actresses
- Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh is a Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973 and is said to have starred in more hit films than any other actress.-Early life:...
- Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai is a well-known activist and performer from Gujarat in India. The daughter of classical danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. She is also known for her contributions in the fields of...
- Tulip Joshi
Tulip Joshi is an Indian model and actress. She was born in Mumbai, India, on September 11, 1979-Biography:Tulip is half Gujarati and half Armenian. Her mother was born in Lebanon and later moved to India. Tulip was brought up in Mumbai, and attended the Jamnabai Narsee School, and later Mithibai...
- Deepika Chikhalia
Deepika or Deepika Chikalia is an Indian actress who rose to fame playing Sita in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Ramayan. She met with limited success in films in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- Hrishitaa Bhatt
Hrishitaa Bhatt , born on May 10, 1981 into a Bengali-speaking family in Mumbai, India. She is a Bollywood actress and model. She debuted in the film Asoka opposite Shah Rukh Khan. It was Haasil that brought major turn into her career...
- Shilpa Shukla
Shilpa Shukla is an actress known for playing the role of Bindiya Naik, a member of the Indian women's national hockey team, in the sports-oriented movie Chak De India, starring Shahrukh Khan...
- Nethra Raghuraman
Nethra Raghuraman is an actress and model from Vadodara, Gujarat India. She has been selected as Look of the Year contest winner for Femina magazine in 1997. She also won the Best female newcomer title at Star Screen Awards in 2000. Her most notable films include Thakshak by Govind Nihalani...
- Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh is a Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973 and is said to have starred in more hit films than any other actress.-Early life:...
- Tina Munim
Tina Munim was an Indian film actress who had a successful Bollywood career during the late seventies and early eighties. She is married to the industrialist Anil Ambani, now one of the richest men in the world....
- Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamourous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 80s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan.-Personal life and education:Babi was born in Junagadh and did her early schooling in...
- Rakhi Sawant
Rakhi Sawant is an Indian dancer, Hindi film and television actress, item girl, model and television talk show host...
- Kashmira Shah
Kashmira Shah is an Indian actress and model. She has appeared in number of Hindi and Marathi films. She is a half Maharashtrian and half Gujarati. Granddaughter of famous Hindustani classical singer Anjanibai Lolekar. She has appeared in films like Yes Boss and Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha. She appeared...
- Pooja Bhatt
Pooja Bhatt , is a retired Indian film actress, currently devoting time to film production and direction. She is the daughter of Indian film director Mahesh Bhatt.-Early life:...
- Twinkle Khanna
Twinkle Jatin Khanna an Indian film actress particularly Hindi films and also Telugu, popular in the 90s. She is now an interior designer and co-owner of The White Window store.- Career :...
- Rinke Khanna
Rinke Khanna is an Indian actress.She is the daughter of Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna, sister of Twinkle Khanna and sister-in-law of actor Akshay Kumar. She is also the niece of actress Simple Kapadia....
- Karishma Modi
Karishma Modi is an Indian model and actress from Gujarat.She was born on 26 December 1980 in Ahmedabad. She won the Femina Look of the Year in 1999 and was awarded 'Miss Talented' at the Elite Model Look '99 in France. She regularly models for top Indian designers, appears in music videos and...
- Vaishali Desai
Vaishali Desai is an Indian model and actor. She won the Indian title of Miss International 2005.- Early life and career :...
- Gayatri Joshi
Gayatri Joshi is a model turned Bollywood actress. Her first and only film, is the 2004 released, Swades.- Early life :...
- Anuradha Patel
-Early life:She was born in Mumbai. She is the maternal grand daughter of famous Hindi actor Ashok Kumar.-Personal life:She is married to actor Kanwaljit Singh. They have two sons Sidharth and Aditiya and a god-daughter, Mariam, who resides in the United States....
- Dina Pathak
Dina Pathak or Deena Pathak was a veteran Gujarati theatre and film actress, a woman activist and President of the 'National Federation of Indian Women'...
- Supriya Pathak
Supriya Pathak Kapur is an Indian actress hailing from a long line of performers. She is famous for her role in the Indian sitcoms Khichdi and Idhar Udhar.-Family:...
- Divya Desai
Divya Desai is an Indian actress. She has acted in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, Manipuri and Bhojpuri movies.Her credits include the Assamese movie Kanyadaan, in which she appeared alongside Jatin Bora, and the Bhojpuri movie Kab Hoi Gauna Hammar, in which she appeared with Ravi Kishan.Her Hindi...
- Zubeida
Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir was an Indian film actress, who was the First Talkie Actress of India, as she acted in first Indian talkie Alam Ara...
- Nisha Kothari
Nisha Kothari , is an Indian Bollywood actress and model. She was born on November 30, 1983.-Biography:Sagittarian Kothari was born in Kolkata, and grew up speaking English, Gujarati, Bengali, and Hindi. She moved to New Delhi while in grade 10 and got her degree in Chemistry from Delhi University...
- Brinda Parekh
Brinda Parekh is an Indian film actress and model known for hundreds of ads, South Indian films and many more item numbers in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
- Dimple Kapadia
Dimple Chunnibhai Kapadia is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. She was known for her glamorous looks, and challenging roles...
- Simple Kapadia
Simple Kapadia is an actress in Bollywood. She was a 1970s bollywood actress and is now a costume designer. Her older sister is the actress Dimple Kapadia. She is the aunt of Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna and Sister-in-law of Rajesh Khanna.-Career:She started her career in 1976 in Anurodh...
- Asha Patel
Asha Patel is the mother of actors Amisha Patel and Ashmit Patel, and the wife of Amit Patel. She made a special appearance in Rakesh Roshan's movie Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai , in which she played the mother of Raj .-Filmography:...
- Amisha Patel
Ameesha Patel is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa.....
- Pallavi Joshi
Pallavi Joshi is an Indian film/television. She is a one time National Film Award winning actor.Pallavi, born into a highly creative family, started performing on Marathi stage at an early age. She acted in Hindi & Marathi films like Badla & Aadmi Sadak Ka as a child artiste...
- Ketki Dave
Ketki Dave is a Gujrati Film and Bollywood supporting actress.-Career:Ketki Dave is primarily a Gujrati Theatre and Film Actress who has roughly 75 films to her credit in Gujrati and around 40-50 plays.Though she acted in earlier serials like Hum Sab Ek Hai in the 1990's, she became best known to...
- Prachi Desai
Prachi Desai is an Indian film and TV actress. She is best known for her role as Bani Walia in the Hindi television drama Kasamh Se which aired on Zee TV. Prachi is the endorser, spokesperson, brand ambassador and the face of Neutrogena products in India.-Biography:Prachi Desai was born in...
- Karishma Tanna
Karishma Tanna is an Indian television and theatre actress. She is well known for her role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as Indira 'Indu' Gandhi...
- Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani is an Indian dancer and actress. She is known for her stylistic and difficult dance performances. She has also starred in some Bollywood films.- Early life :...
- Ayesha Takia
Ayesha Takia Azmi born as Ayesha Takia on April 10, 1986 is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies.-Career:Ayesha started her career with the "I am a Complan Girl!" advertising campaign and she also appeared in a music video, Falguni Pathak's Meri Chunarii Udd Udd Jaye, when she was...
- Priyanka Trivedi
Priyanka Trivedi is a Kannada actress who has acted in the Tamil and some Tollywood and Tollywood Bangla films. She is widely popular in Kollywood and is regarded as one of the top actors in the field....
- Sujata Mehta
Sujata Mehta is an Indian actress of Gujarati origin who has acted in plays and Bollywood films.Sujata started her acting career by participating in Gujarati stage plays wherein she played small cameos and alter on sheer hardwork and perseverance graduated to playing lead roles.Her first big break...
- Swaroop Sampat
Swaroop Sampat, born on 3 November, is a Bollywood actress who has acted in several Hindi language films such as Naram Garam. She won the Miss India contest in 1979 and represented her country at Miss Universe 1979....
T.V. Series Actors
- Karan Patel
Karan Patel is an Indian actor. He is a Gujarati. And from a Gujarati background, but he was born in Calcutta, India . He stars in the STAR Plus series Kasturi, where he plays the character Robbie Sabarwal. He is also a dancer in Nach Baliye 3 with his partner Amita Chanderkar who is also an...
- Vikas Sethi
Vikas Sethi is an Indian actor on the hit Indian soap opera Kasautii Zindagii Kay where he plays the role of Prem. He appeared in the forth season of Nach Baliye performing along with his wife, Amita.- Soaps/Serials :Appeared as...
- Parmeet Sethi
-Personal life and education:He is married to Archana Puran Singh, a film and television actress. They have two sons.-Career:His claim to fame has been Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge....
- Manav Gohil
Manav Gohil is an Indian television actor and anchor. He was one of the presenters in the Indian television show, Fame Gurukul which ended on 20 October, 2005.He is married to TV actress Shweta Kawatra.Official Website :...
- Dilip Joshi
Dilip Joshi is a well-known Indian film and television actor. He has appeared in a number of tele-serials as well as films. He is also a noted actor in the Gujarati theater circuit, appearing in successful Gujarati plays such as Bapu Tamey Kamal Kari and Jalsa Karo Jayantilal.He has acted in films...
- Deven Bhojani
Deven Bhojani is an Indian TV serial actor/director. He is a very prominent Theatre actor who is best known for his Gujrati and Sindhi plays and dramas. While he is usually associated with comedic roles, he has also known to portray supporting characters to a certain extent.-Early Life:Deven...
- Manoj Joshi
Manoj Joshi is an Indian journalist and author. As of 2009, he is Comment Editor with the Mail Today newspaper in India.After an undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Joshi studied history at Lucknow University and earned his M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the School of International...
- Kamlesh Oza
Kamlesh Oza is an Indian television actor. He became famous by playing the role of Hemal Thakkar in Hats off production's Baa Bahoo Aur Baby which is aired on STAR Plus, and has also taken roles in Pakistani television....
- Deepak Parekh
Deepak Parekh is the Chairman of HDFC, the India's leading housing finance company. A pioneer in mortgage finance, he has enabled scores of Indian middle class people owning their houses or apartments through affordable loans....
T.V. Series Actresses
- Prachi Desai
Prachi Desai is an Indian film and TV actress. She is best known for her role as Bani Walia in the Hindi television drama Kasamh Se which aired on Zee TV. Prachi is the endorser, spokesperson, brand ambassador and the face of Neutrogena products in India.-Biography:Prachi Desai was born in...
- Disha Wakani (Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is a comedy serial that airs on SAB TV since 28 July 2008. The show is produced by Neela Telefilms. It is based on the column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma written by Indian columnist and journalist Taarak Mehta. The television series bears various issues faced by the...
)
- Divyanka Tripathi
Divyanka Tripathi is an Indian actress most popular for her role as Vidya now Divya in Banoo Main Teri Dulhan.-Biography:...
- Karishma Tanna
Karishma Tanna is an Indian television and theatre actress. She is well known for her role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as Indira 'Indu' Gandhi...
- Rucha Gujarati
Rucha Gujarati is an Indian actress. Gujarati started her career as a child artist in movies like Dancer, Shabzade, Hum Hain Kamal Ke, Kanyadan, Shikari. She has featured in Music Albums by Gurdas Man, Pankaj Udas, Vaishali Samant...
- Divya Desai
Divya Desai is an Indian actress. She has acted in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, Manipuri and Bhojpuri movies.Her credits include the Assamese movie Kanyadaan, in which she appeared alongside Jatin Bora, and the Bhojpuri movie Kab Hoi Gauna Hammar, in which she appeared with Ravi Kishan.Her Hindi...
- Pallavi Joshi
Pallavi Joshi is an Indian film/television. She is a one time National Film Award winning actor.Pallavi, born into a highly creative family, started performing on Marathi stage at an early age. She acted in Hindi & Marathi films like Badla & Aadmi Sadak Ka as a child artiste...
- Muskaan Mehani
Muskaan Mehani is an Indian television and film actress. She has worked in many serials, and films like Heyy Babyy which was a hit. She was recently working in Dill Mill Gayye, as Dr. Sapna Shah, but walked out of the show because she did not find the role meaty...
- Purbi Joshi
Purbi Joshi is an Indian Television Actress.-Biography:Though born and brought up in Mumbai, Purbi says that she follows Gujarati traditions quite closely...
- Sarita Joshi
Sarita Joshi is an Indian stage, television and film actress. She is the daughter of esteemed Gujrati Actress Jamnaben Thakkar and Marathi Stage Director Haribabu Joshi...
- Ketki Dave
Ketki Dave is a Gujrati Film and Bollywood supporting actress.-Career:Ketki Dave is primarily a Gujrati Theatre and Film Actress who has roughly 75 films to her credit in Gujrati and around 40-50 plays.Though she acted in earlier serials like Hum Sab Ek Hai in the 1990's, she became best known to...
- Apara Mehta
Apara Mehta is a popular television supporting actress who is best known for her role of Savita Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.-Early life:Apara Mehta was born on 13 August 1960 to Hanslal Mehta in Saurashtra Gujarat...
- Shruti Seth
Shruti Seth is an Indian television, VJ and film actress.- Career :Shruti Seth started her career with modelling but eventually moved to television. She has acted in many serials such as Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand & Shararat with actress Farida Jalal.She has starred in a few...
- Neha Mehta (Mamta
Mamta may refer to:* Mamta , the title of at least five films spanning 1936 to 1966* Mamta * Mamta * Mamta * Mamta * Mamta ...
& ShakuntalaIn Hindu mythology Sakuntala is the mother of Emperor Bharata and the wife of Dushyanta who was the founder of the Paurav Dynasty. Her story is told in the Mahabarata and dramatized by Kalidasa in his play The Recognition of Sakuntala.-Etymology:The term Shakuntala means one who is brought up by...
)
- Sanjeeda Sheikh
Sanjeeda Sheikh is an Indian television and Bollywood actress best known as the winner of Nach Baliye 3 and for her award winning portrayal of Ayesha, a negative character, in Kayamath...
- Tina Parekh
-Early life and career:Tina Parekh Hazara . She is a Gujarati. Tina hails from Jaipur in Rajasthan but she is brought up in Mumbai. She grew up watching films and television but never dreamt of being an actress. She is the only person from her family to make a career in acting.She graduated in...
- Neha Mehta (Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is a comedy serial that airs on SAB TV since 28 July 2008. The show is produced by Neela Telefilms. It is based on the column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma written by Indian columnist and journalist Taarak Mehta. The television series bears various issues faced by the...
)
Bollywood/Hollywood/T.V. Series Child Actors & Actresses
- Amey Pandya
Amey Pandya, is a Indian child actor active in Indian television and cinema. He is also sometimes credited as Ameya Pandya.-Career:...
- Tanay Chheda
Tanay Hemant Chheda is an Indian young actor. He has worked in the critically acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire , for which he has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and received a nomination for Best Ensemble at the Black Reel Awards of...
Indian-American/British Actors & Actresses
- Sheetal Sheth
Sheetal Sheth is an American actress. She made her movie debut in ABCD, playing the role of Nina. She has starred in several feature films since, perhaps best known for starring opposite Albert Brooks in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, in 2006.Sheth was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey...
- Kal Penn
Kalpen Suresh Modi , best-known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an American film actor and politician who was serving as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement in the Barack Obama administration....
- Dev Patel
Dev Patel is an English film and television actor as well as a martial artist. As an actor, he is known for his performances as Anwar Kharral in the teen drama series Skins and as main protagonist Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's critically acclaimed and multiple Academy Award-winning film Slumdog...
Models
- Upen Patel
Upen Patel is a British Indian model and Bollywood film actor.- Early work :After winning Zee TV's supermodel hunt in the year 2002, Patel began signing modelling assignments such as Hugo Boss, Paul Smith and Zegna....
- Vaishali Desai
Vaishali Desai is an Indian model and actor. She won the Indian title of Miss International 2005.- Early life and career :...
- Nethra Raghuraman
Nethra Raghuraman is an actress and model from Vadodara, Gujarat India. She has been selected as Look of the Year contest winner for Femina magazine in 1997. She also won the Best female newcomer title at Star Screen Awards in 2000. Her most notable films include Thakshak by Govind Nihalani...
- Brinda Parekh
Brinda Parekh is an Indian film actress and model known for hundreds of ads, South Indian films and many more item numbers in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
- Preeti Desai
Preeti Desai is a model and was Miss Great Britain 2006.A British Indian, she made history by becoming the first woman of colour to ever win the title.-Early life and background:...
- Karishma Modi
Karishma Modi is an Indian model and actress from Gujarat.She was born on 26 December 1980 in Ahmedabad. She won the Femina Look of the Year in 1999 and was awarded 'Miss Talented' at the Elite Model Look '99 in France. She regularly models for top Indian designers, appears in music videos and...
Singers
- Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Bollywood film songs. She is credited with over 2000 songs.Chauhan began to sing at the age of four, and was discovered by a local TV anchor...
- Kunal Ganjawala
Kunal Ganjawala is an well-known Indian singer, known primarily for his work as a Hindi playback singer, Marathi and Kannada film industry. His breakthrough hit, Bheegey Hont from the film Murder, won the 2005 Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer...
- Mona Bhatt
Mona Bhatt is one of the finalists of Fame Gurukul, one of the most watched Indian reality television shows. She was chosen from among thousands of Indians who auditioned....
- Alisha Chinai
Alisha Chinai is a singer of pop music in India.Alisha Chinai is a leading pop singer of India. Her songs often intermix sentences in Hindi and English.-Career:...
- Aishwarya Majmudar
Aishwarya Majmudar , living in Ahmedabad, India, was awarded a title of "Chhote Ustaad" on 5 April 2008 at a musical reality show Amul STAR Voice of India of STAR TV, an Indian main stream TV channel. She was selected by voting of viewers of the show...
- Mauli Dave
Mauli Dave was a finalist on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 and also recently crowned Miss Teen India Texas 2007. Dave is also a professional dancer who was a finalist in Sony Entertainment Television's "Boogie Woogie Chalo America" in 2003 . She has also appeared in one episode of the Zee TV...
- Nihira Joshi
Nihira Joshi was a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 finalist achieving 5th place with public votes. Joshi was a member of Ismail Darbar's "Yalgar Ho" Gharana.Nihira Joshi is 22 years old Arts graduate from Mithibai College, Mumbai...
- Manhar Udhas
Manhar Udhas is Hindi and Gujarati language singer. He has given voice for many Hindi movies as playback singer. He is the elder brother of singer Pankaj Udhas and Nirmal Udhas and has worked with Pankaj on albums and Live Shows. Manhar has worked with all the composers of the film world and has...
- Pankaj Udhas
Pankaj Udhas is a preeminent Ghazal singer from India. He is credited with bringing this unique singing style where Urdu verses of poets are set to music to the mass audience across the country along with other musicians like Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz...
- Shruti Pathak
Shruti Pathak is a Filmfare Award-nominated Indian playback singer and lyricist working in Bollywood films.-2008:*Fashion - "Mar Jawaan" - Nominated, Filmfare Best Female Playback Award*Money Hai Toh Honey Hai...
- Tanvi Shah
Tanvi Shah is a popular playback singer for films in India. She is a Gujarati. She has a versatile voice and can sing in Arabic, Latin, Spanish and sings a wide range of music with her band, Zahrra...
- Falguni Pathak
Falguni Pathak , born March 12,1964, is a singer and performing artist from India, based in Mumbai. Her music is based on traditional musical forms from the Indian state of Gujarat. Since her professional and private debut in 1998, she has developed into an artist with a large fan following across...
- Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik is an Indian singer and seven-time winner of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award. She has done playback singing for over 500 Indian films, and is ranked among the best-known Hindi playback singers of all-time.-Early life and background:Alka Yagnik was born in Kolkata to a Gujarati...
Bollywood Music Directors/Composers
- Ismail Darbar
Ismail Darbar is a composer of music for Indian films also known as an Indian film music director.-Career:He is from Surat, Gujarat.Ismail Darbar worked for several years as a session violinist for leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan,...
- Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer based in Mumbai. This singer, lyricist, musician shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene for his critically acclaimed work in Aamir and the more popular Dev.D .-Career:...
- Shravan Rathod
Shravan Rathod is an Indian musician. He is the brother of playback singers Roop Kumar Rathod and Vinod Rathod. His father Pandit Chhaturbhuj Rathod was a classical musician...
- Kalyanji Virji Shah
Kalyanji Virji Shah was Kalyanji of Kalyanji-Anandji duo. He and his brother, Anandji Virji Shah have been famous Indian film musicians.-Birth and early life:...
- Anandji Virji Shah
Anandji Virji Shah was a famous Indian musician. Together with his brother he formed the Kalyanji-Anandji duo.- Birth and early life :Kalyanji and Anandji were born to Virji Shah in 1933. Their father was a Gujarati businessman who had migrated from Kutch to Mumbai to start a Kirana...
Bollywood Choreographers
- Vaibhavi Merchant
Vaibhabhi Merchant is a well-known Bollywood dance choreographer, the granddaughter of pioneering choreographer Shri B. Hiralal, her maternal grandfather. She is a Gujarati. She was rumored to be dating director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whom she became involved with during the shooting of the movie...
Directors & Producers
- Saurabh Shukla
Saurabh Shukla is a Star Screen Award and Zee Cine Award nominated Indian film and television actor, director and screenwriter.-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a highly acclaimed Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...
- Sajid Nadiadwala
Sajid Nadiadwala is an Indian film producer.-Personal life and education:Nadiadwala was born in Mumbai to Suleiman Nadiadwala. Many of his family and relatives including A.G. Nadiadwala and A.K. Nadiadwala were successful film producers in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Firoz A...
- Firoz A. Nadiadwala
Firoz A. Nadiadwala is a Bollywood film producer. Many of his relatives such as A.A. Nadiadwala and A.K. Nadiadwala have been producers in the industry for over 4 decades. His father is producer A.G Nadiadwala. Sajid Nadiadwala, another successful film producer is his cousin. Firoz is known for...
- Sanjay Gadhvi
Sanjay Gadhvi November 22, 1965 is an Indian writer and director.He made his directorial debut with Tere Liye which went un-noticed. His first film with Yash Raj Films was Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai . The film enjoyed moderate success....
- Ketan Mehta
Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta was educated in Delhi and graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Maharashtra and has eight feature films, seven documentaries and a television serial to his credit. His repertoire of themes include comedy, satire,...
- Deepa Mehta
Deepa Mehta is a Genie Award winning and Academy Award nominated Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter...
- Abbas-Mustan
Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla are a Hindi Bollywood director duo. They are known for directing films in the thriller and action genres. They have frequently cast Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in their films...
- Shimit Amin
Shimit Amin is the director of the Hindi films Ab Tak Chappan and Chak De India. He was born in Uganda. He grew up in Florida, US. Ever since he was a kid, he was a big film buff. He admits to having watched lots and lots of films. When he went to college, his passion for films eventually took...
- Vikram Bhatt
Vikram Bhatt is a Bollywood director, producer and screenwriter.He is the grandson of Vijay Bhatt, who was one of the pioneer of Indian films and the son of cinematographer Pravin Bhatt. He has more than 21 films to his credit and at present he is the creative head of a conglomerate called ASA...
- Manmohan Desai
Manmohan Desai was a producer and director of Indian movies.- Background :His father, Kikubhai Desai , was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios , from 1931-41. His productions, mainly stunt films, included "Circus Queen", "Golden Gang", "Sheikh Challi"...
- Sohrab Modi
Sohrab Modi was an Indian Parsi stage and film actor, director and producer. His films include Khoon Ka Khoon , a version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Sikandar, Pukar, Prithvi Vallabh, Jhansi ki Rani, Mirza Ghalib, and Nausherwan-e-dil . His films always carried a message of strong commitment to...
- Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt , is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed art parallel films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam and Naam....
- Abbas Tyrewala
Abbas Tyrewala is an Hindi film storywriter, screenwriter, dialogue writer and director . After making his mark as a screenwriter and dialogue writer in early 2000s, with award winning films like Maqbool , Munnabhai M.B.B.S...
Writers
- Hasmukhbhai Parekh
Hasmukhbhai Parekh was an Indian industrialist, writer, and philanthropist. He played a role in the development of ICICI Bank, founded the Housing Development Finance Corporation, and in 1992 was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the finance industry in India...
- Umashankar Joshi
Umashankar Joshi is an eminent poet, scholar and writer, received the Jnanpith Award in 1967 for his contribution to Indian, especially Gujarati, literature.-Works:* Nishith - The God of Midnight...
Sports
- Nari Contractor
Nariman Jamshedji "Nari" Contractor was a left-handed opening batsman whose international career was ended abruptly by a serious injury....
- Karsan Ghavri
Karsan Devjibhai Ghavri is a former Indian cricketer who played in 39 Tests and 19 ODIs from 1974 to 1981. He played in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups....
- Vijay Hazare
Vijay Samuel Hazare was an Indian cricket player from the state of Maharashtra. He captained the Indian cricket team in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953...
- Ajay Jadeja
Ajaysinhji Daulatsinhji Jadeja was born on 1 February 1971 in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He was a regular in the Indian cricket team between 1992 and 2000, playing in 15 Test matches and 196 One Day Internationals. His cricketing achievements were later overshadowed by a 5 year ban for match-fixing...
- Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan , is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm Fast bowler, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test score by a No. 11...
- Vinoo Mankad
Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad , better known as Vinoo Mankad, was an Indian cricketer. An effective batsman and slow left arm orthodox bowler, he played in 44 Tests for India, and made 2109 runs at an average of 31.47 including five Test centuries with a top score of 231...
- Nayan Mongia
Nayan Ramlal Mongia was an Indian cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper. Currently, he is a cricket analyst....
- Jasu Patel
Jasubhai Motibhai Patel was an off-spinner who played Test cricket for Indian cricket team. His fame lies entirely on a single match against Australia where he took 14 wickets....
- Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Ajay Patel is an Indian cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman, and former member of the Indian national cricket team...
- Munaf Patel
Munaf Musa Patel is an Indian cricketer who has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team....
- Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan , born Irfan Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since late 2003...
- Raj Bhavsar
Raj Bhavsar is an American artistic gymnast of Indian descent. He was a member of the 2001 and 2003 World Champion U.S. team. He earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, becoming the third Indian-American ever to medal at the Olympics, after Mohini Bhardwaj and Alexi Grewal...
- Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf Khan Pathan is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a hard hitting right-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His half-brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer...
Other
- Kamlesh Patel, Contestant on Dance India Dance
Dance India Dance is a reality dance show that airs on the Indian satellite television channel Zee TV. The show has been produced by UTV Software Communications and has become India's largest dance-based reality show. The show is to be choreographed by some of the most popular Indian...
- Khushboo Purohit, Contestant on Dance India Dance
Dance India Dance is a reality dance show that airs on the Indian satellite television channel Zee TV. The show has been produced by UTV Software Communications and has become India's largest dance-based reality show. The show is to be choreographed by some of the most popular Indian...
- Bhavana Purohit, Contestant on Dance India Dance
Dance India Dance is a reality dance show that airs on the Indian satellite television channel Zee TV. The show has been produced by UTV Software Communications and has become India's largest dance-based reality show. The show is to be choreographed by some of the most popular Indian...
- Prince Gupta, Contestant on Dance India Dance
Dance India Dance is a reality dance show that airs on the Indian satellite television channel Zee TV. The show has been produced by UTV Software Communications and has become India's largest dance-based reality show. The show is to be choreographed by some of the most popular Indian...
- Yash Shah, Contestant On SVOI Mummy Ke Superstars
Amul Voice of India – Mummy Ke Superstars is an Indian television talent show for child singers on the Star Plus channel. A feature of the show is that all of the contestants are accompanied by their mothers. The show is hosted by Akriti Kakkar and Ali Asgar, with Shubha Mudgal, Vishal Dadlani and...
- Soham Naik, Contestant On SVOI Mummy Ke Superstars
Amul Voice of India – Mummy Ke Superstars is an Indian television talent show for child singers on the Star Plus channel. A feature of the show is that all of the contestants are accompanied by their mothers. The show is hosted by Akriti Kakkar and Ali Asgar, with Shubha Mudgal, Vishal Dadlani and...
- Anoop Desai
Anoop Desai is an American singer who was a contestant on the eighth season of American Idol, placing 6th. Desai has credited his decision to audition for American Idol to the death of a friend, Eve Carson, who was murdered...
, Contestant on American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
- Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams is a United States Naval officer and a NASA astronaut. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15. She holds the record of the longest spaceflight for female space travelers...
, Astronaut of NASA
- Malaika Parekh
Malaika Parekh is married to Zayed Khan. Her sister-in-law, Sussanne Khan, is married to Indian actor Hrithik Roshan....
, Zayed KhanZayed Abbas Khan , is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.-Early life:Khan's parents are former Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan and interior designer Zarine Khan. Khan is the youngest of four children...
’s Wife
- Bharat Shah
Bharat Shah is a diamond merchant and notable Hindi film financer. He is most noted for producing the superhit film Devdas starring Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai. In 2001, he was convicted for his links with mafia don Chhota Shakeel and was sentenced to one year in prison....
, Film Financer
- Vasant Rai
Vasant Rai was one of world's most acclaimed performers of Indian music and virtuoso of the Indo/Persian/Afghani instrument Sarod.-Personal life and education:Rai was born in Unjha, Kutch, Gujarat and studied music in India...
, Musician
- Saurabh Shukla
Saurabh Shukla is a Star Screen Award and Zee Cine Award nominated Indian film and television actor, director and screenwriter.-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
, Screen Writer
- Nahush Patel, Star Programmer
- Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi is an Indian lyricist, screenwriter and advertising copywriter. A prolific Writer-Poet who's first book of 3 books "Main aur Woh" was published when he was 17 years of age, an internationally acclaimed Indian advertising professional, Bollywood film songwriter, as well as a...
,Bollywood Lyricist
- Naushil Mehta, Bollywood Screenplay & Dialogue
- Amit Mistry, Bollywood Dialogue
- Tapan A. Bhatt, Bollywood Dialogue
- Piyush Shah, Bollywood Cinematography
- Nitin Chandrakant Desai
Nitin Chandrakant Desai, is a noted Indian art director and production designer of Indian cinema turned film and television producer, most known for his work in films like, Lagaan , Jodhaa Akbar , Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam...
, Bollywood Art Director
- Nimesh Shah, T.V. Series Screenplay & Dialouge Writer
- Renish Delvadia, Aerosol scientist
- Aniket Rawal, Pulmonary Drug Delivery Scientist
- Harilal Upadhyay
Shri Harilal Upadhyay was a Gujarati author, considered as one of the all-time great authors in the Gujarati language. He wrote more than a hundred books, including historical novels, social novels, short story collections, biographies, the great Mahabharat series, children's literature, poems and...
, Author & Astrologer
- Meena Shah
Dr Meena Shah is an Indian healthcare consultant. A doctor by profession, she is the founder of Medico-Media - India's largest Health & Media company. Her Motto is "Health by Choice, not by Chance"...
, Owner of India’s Largest Health & Media Company
- Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan
- Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was an Indian physicist. He is considered to be the Father of the Indian space program.-Early years and education:...
, First head of the Indian Space Research Organization
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Patel was a political and social leader of India who played a major role in the country's struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation...
, the founder of modern United India
- Bhagvatsingh of Gondal
Maharaja Bhagvatsingh Sahib was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Gondal from 1869 till his death in 1944, in whose reign the state was raised to 11-gun salute state...
, Creator of BhagavadgomandalBhagavadgomandal is a Gujarati Encyclopedia and Gujarati to Gujarati dictionary.Conceived by King Bhagvatsingh of Gondal in 1928, this dictionary spreads over 9500 pages in 9 volumes and includes the meaning and description of over a 281,377 words.-History:The motivation behind this Gujarati...
- Bakul Harshadrai Dholakia
Bakul Harshadrai Dholakia is a professor in Economics area at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He was the 9th Director of IIM A from October 2002 to October 2007.-Education:...
, Director of IMA A
- Heenal Raichura
Heenal Raichura is believed to have become the youngest ever medical doctor in the United Kingdom, aged 22. She graduated from St George's, University of London in June 2008.-Biography:...
, UK's youngest ever medical student at age of 16
- Manibhai Desai
Manibhai Bhimbhai Desai was an Indian social activist and pioneer of rural development.Under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi he settled in 1947 in the backward village of Uruli Kanchan near Pune, Maharashtra to begin a programme of rural development...
, Gandhian who helped to transform Indian Agriculture & Dairy Industries
- Santprasad. R. Bhatt, Founder of Gujarat Navnirman and MahaGujarat Movement (Which led to Formation of Gujarat State from Maharashtra)