The district consists of the six talukas of Chhota Udepur, Pavi Jetpur, Kawant, Naswadi, Sankheda and the newly created Bodeli taluka. The district headquarters is located at Chhota Udepur. The district was created to facilitate decentralisation and ease of access to government services. Its creation, announced in the run up to the Assembly elections in Gujarat in 2012, was also seen by the media and political analysts as a government strategy to attract tribal votes.
Description
Chhota Udaipur shares its borders with the state of Madhya Pradesh. Chhota Udaipur district has a forest area of 75,704 hectares and has deposits of dolomite, fluorite, granite and sand all of which are mined. The district is also home to a large dairy industry. Chhota Udaipur is a tribal dominated district, and the district headquarters is located 110 km away from Vadodara. Chhota Udaipur is the third tribal dominated district in eastern Gujarat after the Narmada and Tapi districts. Chhota Udaipur, once a princely state of Gujarat lies in the heart of a tribal area with rich indigenous history and culture which is more representative of the region than palaces. The town is a good base from which to explore the surrounding tribal villages, particularly in the Rathwacommunities. The Rathwa tribals who live here produce the Pithoramural paintings by mixing colours with liquour and milk and then using it to depict intricate motifs and scenes on the walls of their village dwellings. The Tribal Museum here displays a nice collection of people and culture of this place. Every Saturday there is a tribal market which is a hub for local artisans making pithoda paintings and terracotta horses. Chhota Udaipur town sits on the edge of a big lake, with a series of temples along the skyline. Structures from the 1920s such as the Kusum Vilas Palace and Prem Bhavan are also worth visiting, though they need permission from the localroyal family. The Kali Niketan palace, built as the summer residence of the erstwhile royal family is a notable monument in Chhota Udaipur. The Jain temple is an interesting example of the influence of Victorian art on local building styles, which is otherwise rare display in traditional Jain buildings elsewhere.
