CHAPTER—II
THE PHYSICAL BACKGROUND.
INTRODUCTION
Location oj the Village:
The village of Atgam is situated on the eastern
boundary of the Bulsar Taluka, Surat District. To its
immediate west lies Khergam, one of the big villages of
the adjoining Chikhli Taluka, which has a permanent mar-
ket. To its east lies at a distance of about 9 miles Bulsar,
a well known market town, railway station and the ad-
ministrative centre of the Bulsar Taluka. It is connected
with both these places by what is known as the Khergam-
Bulsar road which covers a distance of about 12 miles.
A bye-road to the north at a distance of about 7 miles
from Bulsar leads us to the heart of the village under
enquiry. By the side of the village flows the Bam, which,
though merely a rivulet at this part of its course, gradually
develops into a large river as it approaches the Arabian
Sea to the west.
Its structure:
The structure of this village is characteristic of the kind
of people who form the bulk of its inhabitants. It is
a Kaliparaj village. The Kaliparaj are well known for
their habit of staying in small groups of eight to ten
families in separate areas more or less distant from one
another. These are called "falias." Atgam consists
of ten such falias which lie at different distances from its
centre varying from half a mile to three and a half miles.
These falias are linked with the central place, which is
known as the village site, by means of small fair-weather
tracks.