Eklera

Eklera is a small Muslim farming village located in the district of Surat, Gujarat, India. It is about 15 km from the Arabian Sea coast and less than 4 km from Surat City Municipal Boundary. Its nearest railhead is Bhestan, Surat City about 5 km distance from the village. The adjoining smaller village of Bhanodra is a continuation of Eklera and hence counted within it. Eklera has a population of about 1200 people, the vast majority being Sunni Surti Vohra and a small number of Tribal Hindus. Most of the families are engaged in agriculture.

Approximately a quarter of the population is settled abroad including UK mainly London and Batley, Botswana, Panama, South Africa, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand. The Muslim population has many families, the more prominent being the Patels specifically those residing in the Dabi Mollah Street of the village. Sharing a common relative and tracing their roots from village Baleshwar (Surat District) these early pioneers are said to have settled in the village in the late 1800's and established it. The Patels have traditionally dominated the villages politics as well as owning the vast majority of land and were among the first to settle abroad. The family is very large and today the majority members of the Patel family are settled in London, UK and are now in their Second Generation and third generation. Other Muslim families include Bhana Patel, Rawat, Kola, Vesamiya, Boda, Hafejee, Mutvalli, Aswat, Hafez, Natali, Rangooni and others. Some families have their own history of migration from other villages prior to settling in Eklera.

Many ex residents of Eklera reside in Vancouver, New York, Panama, Jo'berg, Cape Town, New Zealand, Leicester (England), London(England), Batley(England), Dewsbury(England) and Birmingham(England) Some of the largely Vohra Muslim populace and especially the Patels of this area and ancillary Muslim villages in its vicinity were known to be of High Hindu/Brahmin caste (see also Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins) and land owners before adopting Islam sometime during the rule of the Zafar Shah and the Gujarat Sultanate. During British rule Eklera was part of the Nawab of Sachins domains.

From persons settled abroad Eklera has produced lawyers, doctors as well as successful business people.

Eklera (incorporating Bhanodra) also possesses two mosques, two school, a water works, a mill and a dairy. There are also some small shops supplying essentials to the villagers and also to the passing trade. In 2007 both Eklera and Bhanodra embarked on a major mosque construction project including a four-storey madressah (Islamic supplementary school) which will also include a pharmacy and a multi-function hall. The finances for the project were raised mostly from NRIs.

In more recent times it has also seen much development both in the village itself and in its immediate proximity with the rise of new houses with modern facilities, construction of roads, infrastructure, townships and residences on land previously belonging to the village largely due to its proximity with Surat City. Growth has been further fueled by the conversion of Agricultural land belonging to the village to the Residential zone category.

There are three major roads connecting the village with nearby Unn, Sachin and Bhestan. The relative prosperity of the village has also increased substantially within recent times due to the high land prices in the village and because of the return of many former NRI's (Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin) and thus their contributions to the village's welfare. The NRIs play a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the two villages. Regular remittances to families and the wider community enables the village 'punchaayat' to carry out infrastructure improvements. Both villages have set up many funds providing vital assistance to poor villagers, regardless of their background, who can not afford to pay for their medical care.

It is also widely expected that Surat City boundaries next increment will take Eklera into its boundaries thus facilitating further development.