Home to socialism, reforms, and cultural legacy, Bhavnagar is considered a city of education and culture, and is known as the cultural capital of Saurashtra. People of Bhavnagar are considered to be easy-going, and art-loving. The artists and literary luminaries of Bhavnagar have immensely contributed to the culture of the city. Gujarati is the language of normal life, although Hindi is commonly understood. Knowledge of English is limited to the more educated population of the city.
Bhavnagar has produced many reformists, thinkers, socialists, poets, writers, artists, educationists, and freedom fighters. A few of these luminaries are mentioned below:
Narsinh Mehta - a poet-saint and exponent of Hindu devotional religious poetry, author of the famous bhajan 'Vaishnav Jana To', was born in the village of Talaja in Bhavnagar district.
Ganga sati - a medieval Gujarati saint and poet who wrote many bhajans on devotional themes, hailed from Samadhiyala village of Umrala Taluka of Bhavnagar district. The Holy place of Ganga Sati & Panbai is situated on the riverbed of the Kalubhar river.
Kavi Kant - a well-known poet who served as the royal poet of Bhavnagar, was born in Chavand village of Bhavnagar district.
Nanabhai Bhatt - Founder of Lok Bharti, educationist, creative writer, thinker.
Gijubhai Badheka - Educationist and reformer.
Jhaverchand Meghani - one of the greatest Gujarati poets and writers of Gujarati folk literature, worked as a teacher in Bhavnagar and produced most of his literary works while living in Bhavnagar.
Kalaguru Ravishankar Raval- a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist, and essayist, was born in Bhavnagar.
Manubhai Pancholi "Darshak": an educationist, writer, and politician, who wrote many books on history and on education and other subjects lived at Lok Bharti 44 km away from Bhavnagar. His famous books are 'Socrates', 'Jher to pidha chhe jani jani', 'Itihaas kathao-
