Vadnagar

Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. It is located from Mehsana. Its ancient names include Anartapura (the capital of Anarta) and Anandapura. It was a location visited by Xuanzang in 640 C. E. The founder and the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Alexander Cunningham, had identified Anandapura with the town of Vadnagar. Vadnagar is also the birthplace of Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India.

The archeological excavations presented sequence assigned from 4th 3rd century BCE to the present period. Recent excavations, in six trenches, consider the beginning of the site to be around 800 BCE, (ca. 2754 calibrated years before present). Archaeologists found seven cultural periods of continuous human presence: 1) Pre Mauryan, (ca. 800 320 BCE), (contemporary to Late Vedic/pre Buddhist Mahajanapadas or oligarchic republics), 2) Mauryan (ca. 320 185 BCE), 3) Indo Greek, 4) Indo Scythian or Shaka Kshatrapas (ca. 35 415 CE), ('Satraps', descendants of provincial governors of the ancient Achaemenid Empire), 5) Hindu Solankis, 6) Sultanate Mughal (Islamic) to Gaekwad British colonial rule (ca. 318 years before present), and 7) Recent. Several ancient inscriptions and literary sources mention a town called Anartapura or Anandapura, identified as the area in and around the present day Vadnagar. The epic tale Mahabharata mentions the Anarta Kingdom in the northern part of present day Gujarat. The oldest Puranic legend about Gujarat is about a king named Anartha. The town is mentioned in the Tirtha Mahatmya section of the Nagara Khanda of the Skanda Purana, by the name of Chamatkarapura. The Junagadh rock inscription (dating from 150 C. E.) of the Western Kshatrapa King, Rudradaman I, mentions a region called "Anartha" (meaningless) in northern present day Gujarat. The Maitraka rulers of Vallabhi (505 648 C. E.) issued land grants to the Brahmins of Anarthapura or Anandapura. The Harsola copper plates (949 C. E.) of the Paramara king record the granting of two villages in Gujarat area to the Nagar Brahmins, who originated from Anandapura. which is also identified with Vadnagar, and is associated with the Nagar Brahmins. In 2009, archaeologists discovered a 4 km long fortification near Vadnagar, which they believe could be the historical Anartapura.

Vadnagar is located at It covers an area of about and has an average elevation of above the mean sea level. It lies in a relatively flat and dry region, as compared to the rest of Gujarat.

The climate in Vadnagar is generally cold during winters and hot in summers, with temperatures varying from to as high as The average annual rainfall is about 670 mm. Relative humidity is generally high, especially in the monsoon and post–monsoon months, because of the interiorly location of the town.

As of Census 2011, Vadnagar's population was 27,790, including 14,097 males and 13,693 females. Its female sex ratio is 971 compared to the state average of 919. Moreover, Vadnagar's child sex ratio is around 937 compared to the 890 state average. In Vadnagar, 12.26% of the population is under 6 years of age. Vadnagar's average literacy rate is 80.53%, higher than the 78.03% national average: male literacy is 90.41%, and female literacy is 70.42%.

Almost the entire population of Vadnagar is engaged in agriculture and primary sector, because it is relatively isolated from the rest of Gujarat, as compared to other towns and cities like Mehsana, and developmental stages related to secondary and tertiary sectors are yet to be done. The primary sector accounts for around 40% of the total workforce. Another important industry on which the population is dependent is tourism, because in and around the town, there are many tourist attractions. Thus, it has a large potential yet to be tapped.

Gujarati, being the state language of Gujarat, is spoken by most of the people in Vadnagar. Hindi and English are other common languages.

The Gujarat State Highway 56 (SH 56) passes through Vadnagar, that connects it directly with Mehsana, Visnagar and Ambaji.

The Vadnagar railway station lies on the Mehsana Taranga line, that directly connects Vadnagar with the rest of the state and beyond through Mehsana Junction railway station.

The Vadnagar bus station is located within the centre of the town. Buses are available from here to all major towns and cities in Gujarat and neighbouring states, that operate under Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), private and tourism operators.

The nearest airport is Mehsana Airport, located south west from Vadnagar at Mehsana. However, currently, the airport is only used for private and government purposes, not for civilian or passenger services. Hence, the nearest operational airport is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, located south from the town at Ahmedabad.