What is "ghelani"

Ghelani is an Indian family surname from the Kathiawad, Gujarat area of India. Formally, all members of the Ghelani family are Hindu Leuva Patel, although some have since chosen other religious beliefs. The Ghelani surname came from the name of an ancestor, Ghela. Kali Mata serves as the family goddess. The Ghelani family were originally settled in Vahiya, a village near Barvala, where they worked as subsistence farmers.

Today, members of the Ghelani family have moved to Surat, Mumbai, Kolkata, UAE, United States, UK as well as South Africa and Canada. As family members have moved away from their original birthplaces and heritage, they have also found various other occupations, such as diamond cutting, construction, medicine, teaching and finance.