Lord Krishna left Mathura and settled on the west coast of Saurashtra, which later came to be known as Dwarka, the gateway. The state later saw various kingdoms including Mauryas, Guptas, Pratiharas and others. Gujarat witnessed progress and prosperity during the reign of Chalukyas or Solankis. Gujarat also faced some tough times under the Muslims, Marathas and British rule. Before Independence, the present territory of Gujarat was used in two parts namely the British and the Princely territories. With the re-organisation of the States, the Union of States of Saurashtra and the Union Territory of Kachchh along with the former British, Gujarat became a part of the biggest bilingual State of Bombay. The present state of Gujarat was founded on 1 May 1960. It is situated on the west coast of India. 

State Reorganisation Act, 1956

Most states were reorganised along the Linguistic line under the States Reorganisation Act 1956. This act also consolidated Gujarati and Marathi-speaking areas together leading to agitation in both these regions. A local political movement named the Mahagujarat movement demanded a separate state for the Gujarati-speaking people from the bilingual Bombay state of India. And finally, the movement succeeded and Gujarat and Maharashtra states were formed.

A new State Bombay was formed on 1 November 1956 with the enactment of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 comprising the Marathi-speaking areas of the erstwhile Bombay State, Vidarbha region of the erstwhile State of Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada region of the erstwhile Hyderabad State and the erstwhile States of Saurashtra and Kutch. Subsequently, on 1 May 1960, with the enactment of the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960 the former States of Kutch and Saurashtra were taken out from the State of Bombay to form the new State of Gujarat and the State of Bombay was renamed Maharashtra.

About Mahagujarat Movement

In 1948, after the Independence, to integrate the entire Gujarati-speaking population under one administrative body a Mahagujarat conference took place and on 1 May 1960, the Bombay State split into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The 'Mahagujarat' refers to the whole Gujarati-speaking area including Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutchh.

Gujarat: Facts at a Glance

Area: 1,96,024 sq. km

Population: 60,383,628 *

Capital: Gandhinagar

Principle Languages: Gujarati

Other languages:  English, Hindi and other Indian languages

EcoSystem: Ranges from deserts, scrublands, grasslands, deciduous forests, and wetlands to mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries, and gulfs.

Currency:   Indian Rupee

Climate: Wet in the southern districts and Desertic in the north-west region

Transport - Air: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Bhuj

Major Cities: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhuj, Junagadh, Jamnagar

Ports: Kandla, Mandvi, Mundra, Sikka, Okha, Porbandar, Veraval, Bhavnagar, Salaya, Pipavav, Mahuva, Jafrabad, Hazira

To honour Gujarat's culture, heritage, and legacy, grand events are planned. A state-wide event is also in the queue to commemorate the occasion, typically in the capital city.  On this particular day, there will also be a police parade and a number of other events.