Gadra Road

Gadra Road
गदरा रोड
Town
Gadra Road
Coordinates: 25°44′38″N 70°38′29″E / 25.7438°N 70.6413°E / 25.7438; 70.6413
Country India
StateRajasthan
DistrictBarmer district
TehsilGadra Road (tehsil headquarters)
Elevation
161 m (528 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
8,290
PIN
344501
Telephone code02987
Vehicle registrationRJ-04
Websitebarmer.rajasthan.gov.in

Gadra Road is a town and the administrative headquarters of Gadra Road tehsil in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, India. It is located approximately 80 km north of Barmer city by rail[1] and about 5 km from the India–Pakistan border.[2]

History

The town takes its name from the former settlement of Gadra in Pakistan’s Sindh province; after the Partition of India in 1947, it was resettled by Sindhi Hindu refugees, many of whom established Nehru Nagar (Sindhi Colony) and other localities here.[3]

Role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Gadra Road served as a forward logistics base for the Indian Army; on 8 September 1965, elements of the 30 Infantry Brigade under 11 Infantry Division entered West Pakistan through the Gadra Road–Munabao corridor.[4] Pakistani Sabre jets repeatedly attacked the base, and on 9 September a railway goods train was struck near the station, killing ten railway employees[5].[6]

Geography

Gadra Road sits in the arid Thar Desert at an average elevation of 161 m above sea level.[7]

Demographics

As per the 2011 Census of India (Village code 086700), Gadra Road (Gadraroad@Ber Seeng Desar) had a population of 8,290—4,303 males and 3,987 females—with 1,574 children aged 0–6 (18.99 %) and an overall literacy rate of 54.42 % (male 68.26 %, female 39.47 %)[8][9]

Economy

The economy is based on dryland agriculture, livestock rearing and date‐palm cultivation in irrigated pockets. Traditional Sindhi handicrafts—especially embroidery and block-printed textiles—are a vital source of income.[10]

Transport

  • Road: State Highway 40 runs through Gadra Road, linking it to Barmer, Phalodi and Pokharan.[11]
  • Rail: Gadra Road railway station (GDD) on the Barmer–Munabao line lies about 80 km from Barmer; two daily passenger services link it with Barmer in ≈1 h 36 m.[12]

Governance

Gadra Road falls in the Sheo Assembly constituency and is administered by the Gadra Road Gram Panchayat, which comprises 17 wards and 18 elected members.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Gadra Road to Bārmer – 3 ways to travel via train, car, and taxi". Rome2Rio. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Gadra Road – Green Dot Expeditions". Green Dot Expeditions. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Gadra Road – Green Dot Expeditions". Green Dot Expeditions. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  4. ^ "Sector, and Indian troops of 30 Inf Bde under 11 Inf Div entered West Pakistan in Sind on 8 September 1965 from Gadra Road" (PDF). Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  5. ^ "The side-show in the South Western Sector". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  6. ^ "India's only Railway Martyr Memorial in Gadra Road: Where 17 Indian Railway soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country - Niharika Times". 1 February 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Gadra Road topographic map, elevation, terrain". Topographic-Map.com. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Gadraroad@Ber Seeng Desar Population – Barmer, Rajasthan". Census 2011 Portal. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  9. ^ "13 अगस्त 1947- भारत पाकिस्तान अलग हो रहे थे और बस रहा था गडरारोड़ | village Gadra Road left Pak". Patrika News (in Hindi). 13 August 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Gadra Road – Green Dot Expeditions". Green Dot Expeditions. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  11. ^ "STATE HIGHWAYS IN THE STATE (as on 31.03.2014), Table 2.3" (PDF). Transport Dept., Rajasthan Govt. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  12. ^ "GDD/Gadra Road to BME/Barmer – Shortest Rail Distance: 79.96 km". India Rail Info. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Gram Panchayat (ग्राम पंचायत): GADRA ROAD". Indian Local Bodies. Retrieved 2 May 2025.