Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu: Indian Union Territory enclaves

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Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are small Union Territories in India that are technically 3 separate districts bunched together. These districts do not border each other but rather are surrounded by larger Indian states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. These territories are unique in that they have a shared history that makes them culturally and economically diverse from the areas around them.

For other maps on enclaves, see posts about Nahwa & Madha in the UAE / Oman and the proposed 51st US state – Douglass Commonwealth!

Wikipedia Post

See the interactive Google Map at the bottom of the post!

Three key facts about this map

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is a “Union Territory”, not a “State”

The distinction between Union Territory (UT) and State is important. India is a federal republic meaning that each individual state has a significant amount of autonomy in policy and decision-making.

UTs are different due to India’s colonial history – previously the entire country was largely a British colony with smaller areas under both Portuguese, French and Dutch rule. UTs are generally where the non-British colonists settled and are both much smaller in size and distinctly culturally different from the larger states around them. Because of this, UTs were formed to recognize the different history of the residents in these areas.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were separately former Portuguese outposts for trading throughout the Portuguese Empire. The total area of the UT is small – approximately the size of the island of Guam or Singapore – but was strategically important for the Portuguese, and evolved to be distinct from the much larger states of Gujarat and Maharashtra around them. UTs are administered directly by the federal government instead of a state governing body.

The UTs in India include (and high-level reasons for their status as a UT):

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – strategically important islands in the Bay of Bengal
Chandigarh – serves as the capital city of 2 states: Punjab and Haryana
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu – former Portuguese colony
Jammu and Kashmir – territory that is part of an ongoing conflict with Pakistan and China
Ladakh – territory that is part of an ongoing conflict with Pakistan and China
Lakshadweep – strategically-important islands in the Indian Ocean
National Capital Territory of Delhi – which is a UT because it is the seat of the federal government
Puducherry – former French colony

These districts became one full Union Territory in 2020

Since the fall of colonial rule, the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has seen several reorganizations. The most-recent was in 2020 when the UT in its current form was approved and finalized, formally recognizing all 3 districts (Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu) as a collective UT. The main reason for combining the districts into 1 UT was the simplification of administrative resources.

Previously, these territories were organized slightly differently:

1967 – 1987 – Goa, Daman and Diu: Daman and Diu previously were a UT along with Goa – a strategic city/region on the Arabian Sea. Goa split to become a full-fledged state in 1987
1988 – 2020 – Daman and Diu: These two districts remained a separate UT after Goa split off as a state
1961 – 2020 – Dadra and Nagar Haveli: This district was administered as a separate UT. This district does not have sea access and was seen as different from the regions of Goa, Daman and Diu

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will be expanding in size in 2023

The formation of the borders of the UT was due to arbitrary colonial rule which has largely maintained structure since the rule of the European colonists ended. There are existing villages that are technically part of the neighboring state of Gujarat but are enclaves (or de-facto enclaves) within the borders of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

In order to ease travel and administrative restrictions, the Gujarat government has agreed to hand over several villages that are technically within its territory to the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. These include (see Google Map below to view also!):

Madhuban – currently inaccessible to Gujarat due to a reservoir; to be absorbed into Nagar Haveli
Raymal – currently inaccessible to Gujarat due to a reservoir; to be absorbed into Nagar Haveli
Nagar – currently inaccessible to Gujarat due to a reservoir; to be absorbed into Nagar Haveli
Meghval – currently a complete enclave village within Nagar Haveli; to be absorbed into Nagar Haveli
Ghoghla – currently a small part of a larger village that sits within the territory of Diu; to be absorbed into Diu

Due to Gujarat’s “dry state” rules where alcohol sales are forbidden, the increase of territory for Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will mean that alcohol will be allowed to be sold in additional areas.

Additional links and sources

Link on back of UTs and reasons why certain regions are UTs while others are not (link, published in 2021)
Background on villages from Gujarat being absorbed into the UT (link, published in 2022)

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