An unusual hot water fountain is talk of the town in south Gujarat’s Vansda region. The locals have asked government to send geologists to check this phenomena.

When a bore well was being dug for Water supply board’s mini tank on Tuesday, there was sudden eruption of hot water fountain from 100 ft deep in the earth.

Hundreds of villagers from Unai and Khambhalia villages gathered at this place to watch, touch and taste the water. It should be mentioned that the flow of water is coming out from 100 meter deep with extra ordinary force, without any submersible pump or motor. Local leaders have asked government machinery to send geologists to check this.

According to Sarpanch of Unai Shri Anant Patel, this area is traditionally known as Padamdungari. Shri Sarbhangeshwar Rishi had set up his ashram here. Shri Ram and Mata Sita had walked from Padamdungari to Unai. Shri Ram shot arrow on earth here which created hot water stream at that point. When Mata Sita took bath in that stream and said ‘Hu Nahi'(means ‘I took bath’ in Gujarati language), this place was named as Hunahi(now known as Unai).

The wellknown Unai hot water stream is 800 meters away from the place called Janata High School Compound, which is witnessing a new hot water fountain since yesterday.

Our view

It is scientifically proved that natural hot water stream contains sulfur, and taking bath in such water is good for health. If there’s plenty of hot water available naturally in wide area on government land, then the government should seriously think about development of good bathing facility with all amenities needed for development of tourism. Presently Gujarat has hot water bath facilities at Tulsishyam, Tunva, Dholera, and Unai. But none of these facilities are tourists friendly. As the government has plan to create Ramayana tourist circuit in Dang(with inclusion of Unai), and development of Saputara as a redefined tourist destination, the government must take this opportunity and acquire a land that has natural water under the ground to develop tourists facility.