Godhra is the capital town and the administrative headquarters of Panchmahal district in Gujarat. It was an important centre during the Mughal and Maratha periods. Godhra which derived its name from the two words 'Gou' means cow and 'Dhara' means flow, is a developing town with the establishment of several industrial units and educational institutions for higher education coming up. As the nearby towns of Devgadhbaria and Dohad, located north of Godhra forms a tribal and forest belt, it is also a market place and a small trade center for forest products. Dahod, the birthplace of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb, and Godhra are the twin cities in the state of Gujarat. Godhra is widely known for the riots in 2002 which began with the train burning