VALSAD

also called Bulsar, city, southeastern Gujarat state, west-central India. It lies along the Gulf of Cambay, south of the city of Surat. Valsad is known for its handloomed cloth, dyes, bricks, and pottery, and it also has a castor-oil-extraction industry. Fruit is grown in the vicinity. One of many minor ports of Gujarat, Valsad exports cotton and silk fabrics, grain, timber, tiles, and molasses. It is served by national and state highways and lies on the main line of the Western Railway. Except for a barren coastal stretch, the area around Valsad is intensively cultivated; chief crops include cotton, millet, pulses, and rice. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 57,903; metropolitan area, 111,759.