Kheda is a town in the Gujarat state of India. Kheda, also known as Kaira, is 35 km from Ahmedabad. The National Highway no. 8 connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai passes through Kheda. It forms the administrative center of Kheda District.

History

The town of Kheda passed to the Babi family early in the eighteenth century, with whom it remained until 1763, when it was taken by the Marathas. The Marathas ceded the district to the British in 1803, and it became part of the Bombay Presidency of British India. It was a large military station till 1830, when the cantonment was removed to Deesa .

Kheda District

Kheda District has a population of over 17 lakhs and an area of 3,943 sq. km. Kheda city is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district has over 600 villages. It is bounded by the districts of Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha to the north, Panchmahal to the east, Ahmedabad to the west, and Anand and Vadodara to the south. Anand District was carved out of Kheda District in 1997.

The major towns of the district include Kheda, Nadiad, Balasinore , and Dakor. Dakor houses a temple of Lord Ranchodrai, a form of Krishna.

The main crops include bajra, cotton and tobacco. Commerce in the district includes trade in cotton and tobacco. The district is home to a thermal power station, near Dhuvran .

Balasinore Fossil Park is one of the three largest dinosaur sites in the world.