Dahod, the administrative headquarters of the
Dahod District, is an ancient town situated 200 km from
Ahmedabad, in
Gujarat. It is the second largest wholesale grain market in the State. It is situated at the border with
Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan, hence the name as literally ‘Do’ means two and ‘had’ means border, in the vernacular.
It is estimated that the city has had settlements for the past 1000 years. It was here that the emperor
Aurangzeb was born. Later he built a Dharamshala (free night lodging facility) in the town. It was converted into a fort by the Marathas. Realizing the town’s strategic importance, The British wrested control of it in 1890 from the
Scindias, in exchange for another district.
Major tourist attractions in and around the town include the archaeological wonder of Bawka, built during the reign of
Maharaja of Champaner and the Basket Lake (Talab), built by the Maharaja Siddjaraj Jaisingh's army. It is thought to have been completed in a single night.
Dahod is connected with major cities by rail. The nearest international airport is at Ahmedabad.
