In the typical sense, a village is not the place where one would expect people there to have bank accounts or even the financial institutions to have branches. But Madhapar village in Kutch district of Gujarat is an exemption. Madhapar is reportedly one of the richest villages in not just India but almost the whole world, having bank deposits worth a whopping Rs. 5,000 crore.

History

Madhapar is among the 18 villages that were created by the Mistris of Kutch community. The village was named after Madha Kanji Solanki who settled there sometime between 1473–1474. Over the years the Patel Kanbi community set up roots in the village in around 1576 AD. Currently, the village has around 7,600 housing structures and a population said to be over 92,000 people. Madhapar itself is around 3 km away from the town of Bhuj and it has gotten some new check dams, lakes and artesian wells along with temples, health centres and more. However, that is not its most unique feature, it is the fact that as per reports it is considered to be one of the wealthiest villages in practically the entire Southern Asia.

Schools

The first government boys’ school was started in 1884. ^{Bhimji Devji Rathod of Mistri Community built and started the first girls’ school in Madhapar in 1900. The first high school, Madhapar Saraswati Vidhyalay High School, was founded in 1968.}

Uniqueness Of Madhapar

But how is this village so different from most other villages in India? This is because most village household members and their kins stay abroad, such as in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Gulf countries, and Africa. All those from the village who have moved abroad send a considerable amount of money to their family and relatives staying in Madhapar. Also, many of these Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) earned a massive amount of money abroad and came back to the country. They started their ventures in the village.

Working

According to reports, in the village, most of the family members and kin living and working in foreign countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Africa, and the Gulf countries. These NRIs, who mostly come from the Patel community, frequently send back large amounts of money to their family members who are still living in Madhapar. Not just that, but in 1968 the Kutch Madhapar Karyalay or Madhapar Village Association was also established in London that works towards connecting people from this region who live outside of India and allow them to have a sense of community. The village itself still has agriculture as a prominent form of revenue with most of the produce being exported to Mumbai. They mostly produce things like sugarcane, corn, and mangoes.