The villages of the Dholera SIR
The Dholera Special Investment Region is built on the 22 villages that make up Dholera taluka, which was carved out of the former Dhandhuka taluka in Ahmedabad district. These are agrarian Bhal-plain villages with long-standing communities and heritage such as the Swaminarayan temple at Dholera village, though a fully verified named list of all 22 is not reliably available.
Twenty-two villages, one taluka
The Dholera Special Investment Region, usually shortened to Dholera SIR, is founded on the 22 villages that together form Dholera taluka in Ahmedabad district. This taluka was carved out of the former Dhandhuka taluka, meaning these villages were administratively regrouped from an older, larger unit into the Dholera taluka that exists today. The number itself, 22 villages, is well established. What is important to state honestly is that a fully verified, authoritative named list of all 22 villages is not reliably available in open sources. Some lists that circulate online are inaccurate; one commonly shared version wrongly includes places such as Sargasan and Surajbari, which do not belong here. Rather than repeat an unverified list and risk spreading errors, this guide names the count with confidence and treats any specific roster with caution. If you need an exact, official list, the correct route is the relevant government revenue or administrative records for Dholera taluka.
Carved from the old Dhandhuka taluka
Understanding these villages means understanding that Dholera taluka is a relatively recent administrative creation, formed by separating a cluster of villages from the former Dhandhuka taluka. Dhandhuka is a long-established town and taluka in this part of the Bhal region, and the Dholera villages sat within its jurisdiction before the reorganisation. This kind of administrative carving is common in India as regions are regrouped for governance and development purposes. For visitors and researchers, the practical meaning is that older records, maps, and family histories from the area may reference Dhandhuka rather than Dholera, and that the cultural and agricultural life of these villages is continuous with the wider Bhal and Dhandhuka countryside. The villages did not appear from nowhere; they are old rural settlements that were grouped under a new name and framework.
Village life on the Bhal
The villages of the Dholera SIR are, at heart, agrarian settlements on the flat Bhal coastal plain. Life here has traditionally revolved around farming the heavy, moisture-holding soils that the Bhal is known for, with the wider region especially associated with wheat. These are communities shaped by the rhythm of the monsoon, the reach of the Gulf of Khambhat tides, and the open, treeless character of the plain. Homes, fields, temples, and water sources form the familiar fabric of rural Gujarat. As a visitor, the respectful way to experience these villages is to observe quietly, treat farmland and private property as private, and remember that this is a living, working landscape rather than a museum. The dignity of everyday rural life on the Bhal is itself part of the region's heritage.
Heritage at Dholera village
Dholera village, which gives the taluka and the SIR their name, carries a notable piece of religious heritage: a Swaminarayan temple that is counted among the nine temples built by Swaminarayan. This is a durable and well-established part of the village's identity and a meaningful site for those who follow the tradition. Dholera village is also documented in the 2011 Census, which recorded a population of 2,779 people, made up of 1,420 males and 1,359 females, across 576 households, with a literacy rate of 80.29 percent. A traditional claim also holds that Dholera was once a port town on this coast, though that claim is not firmly sourced and is best treated as local tradition rather than settled history. Together, the temple, the census record, and the port tradition sketch a village with real depth behind the modern SIR name.
FAQ
How many villages make up the Dholera SIR?
The Dholera Special Investment Region is built on the 22 villages of Dholera taluka, which was carved out of the former Dhandhuka taluka in Ahmedabad district.
Is there a reliable list of all 22 village names?
Not in open sources. The count of 22 is well established, but a fully verified named list is not reliably available. Some circulating lists are wrong, one even includes Sargasan and Surajbari, so official revenue records are the right place to confirm names.
What heritage can be found in Dholera village?
Dholera village is home to a Swaminarayan temple counted among the nine temples built by Swaminarayan. The 2011 Census recorded the village population at 2,779 across 576 households, with a literacy rate of 80.29 percent.