Bharuch, formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District.
The city of Bharuch and its surroundings have been settled since times of antiquity. It was a ship-building centre and seaport in the pre-compass coastal trading routes to points West, perhaps as far back as the days of the pharaohs. The course made use of the steady and predictable monsoon winds or galleys. Many goods from the Far East (the famed Spice and Silk trade) were shipped there during the annual monsoon winds, making it a terminus for several key land-sea trade routes. Bharuch was known to the Greeks, the various Persian Empires, the Roman Republic and Empire, and other Western centres of civilisation through the end of the European Middle Ages.
Bharuch has always been prosperous because of its location on the Narmada River. Although water tends to be scarce in Gujarat, one always finds it easy to get water in Bharuch. As a result, agriculture and other linked commercial activities have flourished in Bharuch. Bharuch is also a central stopping point for many villages spread around its boundaries. People from these small villages come to Bharuch when they want to shop for new clothes or make significant purchases. Lately, many retiring expatriates have been returning to Bharuch and building new houses, boosting the economy.
Raichand Deepchand Library was established in 1858. It is one of the oldest libraries in Western India. It has a collection of about 200,000 books, including some rare manuscripts.
Bharuch is well connected to the rest of India by Indian National Highway 48 (Mumbai to New Delhi) and by the Western Railway Division of Indian Railways.
Local transport is provided mainly by auto rickshaws (3-wheeled passenger taxis running on petrol or diesel). Intra-district and Inter-state buses also serve Bharuch frequently, and services are available to most nearby cities within and outside Gujarat. Private bus operators also offer local services in and around Bharuch.
Several schools and colleges in Bharuch provide education in English and Gujarati mediums. Schools here are either affiliated with Gujarat Board, CBSE Board or the ICSE Board, to name a few Sabari Vidya Peedom, Aditya Birla Public School, AMICUS, Queen of Angels' Convent School, Holy Angels Convent School, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans' Narmada Vidyalaya, DPS, Sanskar Vidya Bhavan, Faith Calvary, J.B.Mody Vidyalaya.
Bharuch has provided health care through hospitals and clinics. The government runs hospitals, private entities, and charitable trusts.
It also has several clinics owned and operated by individual doctors and medical professionals. Pharmacies are also used and run by individual people.