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The
Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is situated on
the western coast of India between the parallels of 20o
and 20o25' of latitude north and between the meridian
72o50' and 73o15' of longitude. The territory is
surrounded on the west, north and east by Valsad
district of Gujarat and in the south, and south east by
Thana and Nasik districts of Maharashtra.
the ranges of
Sahyadri Mountains (Western Ghats). The central region
of the land is almost plain and the soil is rich and
fertile.
The terrain is
intersected by the river Daman-Ganga and its three
tributaries. The river rises in the ghat 64km from the
coast and discharges itself in the Arabian Sea at the
port of Daman.
CLIMATE
The climate of the region is warm and humid during the
summer months and humid but less warm during the monsoon
months. The south-west monsoon from June to September
brings copious rain to the territory. The rainfall is
about 250 to 300cm. The winter months are generally
pleasant.
TRANSPORT
Dadra and Nagar Haveli does not have its own road
transport system. It avails of Gujarat and Maharashtra
state transport system. Total road length is about 342
km. Bombay is the nearest airport.
HISTORY
This quiet, magical land of 72 villages has a chequered
history. For a century and half, the fiery Portuguese
were the masters of the land. The Indian nationalist
volunteers liberated Dadra and Nagar Haveli in July 1954
and a pro-India administration was formed. Under the
10th Amendment to the Constitution, the territories of
Dadra and Nagar Haveli became a centrally administered
union territory with effect from August 11, 1961.
TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS
The Tribal Cultural Museum at Silvassa is an
ideal place for those who are too lazy to do some actual
exploring. It houses a good collection of masks, musical
apparatus, fishing gadgets and life-size statues.
The Vanganga Lake
and Island Garden is a beautiful lake garden
situated at a distance of 5 km from the capital city of
Silvassa. The rustic wooden bridges, the flowers,
jogging paths, thatched huts, and paddleboats-all
constitute an ideal ambiance for the honeymooners,
A 20-km drive from
Khanvel is Dudhni where the large waterfront of river
Damanganga provides breathtaking view of the water
spread over Madhuban Dam. The luxurious tents pitched
right near the bank provide a countryside experience.
Tourists may also cook their own meals near the camp.
On Silvassa-Dadra
Road is Hirwa Van, a beautiful garden with
roaring waterfalls, misty cascades, rustic stonewalls,
twin arches, tiny kiosks and springy lawns interspersed
with islands of flowers-truly a visitors delight.
Vandhara Udyan
at Silvassa is a riverside park with sprawling lawns
dotted with exquisite pavilions, an ideal site for
picnic buffs.
There is also a Mini
Zoo and Bal Udyan at Silvassa. The colorful birds,
mischievous monkeys, awesome pythons and sleepy
crocodiles coupled with swings, slides and
merry-go-rounds render this site every kid's dream come
true.
INDUSTRY
Prior to 1965-66, there was no industry in the Union
Territory. There were a few traditional craftsmen who
used to make pots, leather items, viz., chappals, shoes
and some other items of bamboo. Industrial development
started on a low-key with the establishment of an
industrial estate under the cooperative sector by Dan
Udyog Sahakari Sangh Ltd. Thereafter, three Government
Industrial Estates have been developed at Silvassa,
Masat and Khadoli in the U.T. There are more than 1,600
S.S.I. units, which include Cottage, Village Industries
and 430 Medium Scale/Large Scale Industries in Textiles,
Engineering, Plastics, Electronics, Chemicals,
Pharmaceuticals, etc., employing more than 43,100
persons.
FESTIVALS
Normally,
all festivals of Hindus, Muslims and Christians are
celebrated in the territory, while tribals celebrate
their own festivals. Diwaso is celebrated by Dhodia and
Varli tribes, and Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by Dhodia
tribe. Other festivals include Bhawada amongst Varlist,
Koli tribes and Khali Puja by all tribes after
harvesting of crops and Gram Devi before harvesting of
crops |
