Bharuch (formerly commonly known as Broach) in India, is a district in the southern part of the Kathiawar peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston. Bharuch derives its name from the famous Hindu sage Bhrigu. A historical name for Bharuch is 'Bhrigukachchha'. The mythological Bhrigu Rishi was said to be one of the ten sons of Brahma. There is also a story which indicates that Bhrigu along with his kin asked for temporary access to Bharuch which was said to belong to Lakshmi, since Bharuch is located on the banks of river Narmada also known as Rudra Deha. Chanra Mauli Mahadev is the Hindu Kul Devata of Bhargavs of Bharuch. Bhrigu never left the place and the Ashram of Brighu Rishi is located on the banks of Narmada. The Narmada River outlets into the Gulf of Khambat through its lands and that shipping artery gave inland access to the kingdoms and empires located in the central and northern parts of the sub-continent of India. History The city of Bharuch and its surrounds—today's district—has been settled far back into antiquity and was a major shipping building centre and sea port in the important pre-compass coastal trading routes to points West, perhaps as far back as the days of the Pharaohs, which utilised the regular and predictable Monsoon winds or galleys. Many goods from the Far East (the famed Spice and Silk trade) were trans-shipped there for the annual monsoon winds making it a terminus for several key land-sea trade routes and Bharuch was definitely known to the Greeks, the various Persian Empires and in the Roman Republic and Empire and other Western centres of civilisation right on through the end of the European Middle Ages. With the advent of the European Age of Discovery, the presence of deep draft sea going shipping it began a long slow decline in importance as it was a bit too far north to be convenient to shipping not confined to keeping within sight of shore. Divisions Administratively, it contains the talukas (administrative subdistricts) of Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Hansot, Jambusar, Jhagadia, Amod, and Vagra. It also contains the city of Bharuch. Demographics According to the 2011 census Bharuch district has a population of 1,551,019, roughly equal to the nation of Gabon or the US state of Hawaii. This gives it a ranking of 321st