Kalo dungar which is also known as black hill is the tallest peak in Kutch district of Gujarat. Located at 462 Mt heights, it is the best place for panoramic view of Rann of Kutch. Kalo dungar is located at just 90 KM from Bhuj city and can be easily reach by road. Dhordo village (white runn of Kutch), India bridge (road straight from Khavda) are some of the places you can visit during your trip to Kalo Dungar.
The Mandvi beach is a golden-brown sprawl of sand along the southern tip of Kutch district in Gujarat. It lies south of Bhuj, the main junction. The beach lies along the namesake town that was once a thriving port for India. The fort wall of the erstwhile trading hub still runs along the old part of town. The calm beach is a refreshing addition for travelers to the town. Evenings are particularly great with the sunset and the bustle of snack stalls and balloon sellers. Mandvi city was founded in 1580 by the Rao of Kutch, Khengarji. Being an integral part, the skill of the Gujarati sailors was valued by many at that time. Even Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who discovered the Europe-to-India sea route in 1497, was accompanied by a Gujarati sailor. Mandvi lies 58 km southwest of Bhuj. State and private buses service the city from all major parts of Gujarat.
A sprawling lake on the western most edge of India, Narayan Sarovar has great spiritual significance. This is one of the 5 holy lakes of Hinduism, along with Mansarovar in Tibet, Pampa in Karnataka, Bhuvaneshwar in Orissa and Pushkar in Rajasthan, and is considered a coveted place for a holy dip. An adjoining temple built by the wife of Maharao Desalji features shrines of Shri Trikamraiji, Laxminarayan, Govardhannathji, Dwarkanath, Adinarayan, Ranchodraiji and Laxmiji. A short drive from here, the Koteshwar Mahadev Temple is a grand sandstone structure that overlooks a marshy sea. Shrines dedicated to Shiva and Ganesha are the highlights here. The origin of Narayan Sarovar dates back to the Puranas. It is said that there was a drought in the region, and Lord Vishnu appeared in response to ardent prayers by sages. When he touched the land with his toe, a lake was immediately created, alleviating the locals from their misery. This is one of the holy lakes of Hinduism, along with Manasarovar in Tibet, Pampa in Karnataka, Bhuvaneshwar in Orissa and Pushkar in Rajasthan. Narayan Sarovar lies 153 km west of Bhuj and 144 km from Mandvi town.
Koteshwar Temple is a mere 2 km from Narayan Sarova, Koteshwar Temple, at a place where the immensity of dry land meets the incomprehensible vastness of the sea. After so much arid ground, the sight of the ocean will awaken your spirits; though the sea is even less hospitable to humans, a sobering thought. The only point that breaks the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west is the point of the Koteshwar Temple, the last outpost of human construction at the westernmost limit of India. Not overrun by tourists like the temple at Dwarka, Koteshwar is conducive to contemplating emptiness, pondering the place of humanity on earth (and ultimately, isn’t that what spiritual traditions are about?). The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana, who won a boon from Lord Shiva for an outstanding display of piety. This boon was the gift of a Shiva linga of great spiritual power, but which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To punish Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical copies (some versions of the story say ten thousand, some a million; suffice to say it was quite a lot.) Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around which Koteshwar Temple was built.Visitors can see the temple, walk along the beach and on a clear night, even see the glow of light from Karachi, Pakistan, on the northwestern horizon.
Vijay Vilas Palace palace was built during reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kachchh, as a summer resort for the use of his son & heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji and is therefore, named after him as Vijaya Vilas Palace. The construction of palace started in year in 1920 and was completed in year 1929. The palace is built with red sandstone. It has all the elements of Rajput architecture and draws largely on the plan of palaces of Orchha and Datia. The central high dome on the pillars, the Bengal domes on the sides, the windows with colored glass, carved stone ‘jalis’, domed bastions at the corners, extended porch and other exquisitely stone-carved elements, make the palace worth visiting. The palace is set in the middle of well-laid gardens with water channels and marble fountains. The carved stone works of Jalis, Jharokas, Chhatris, Chhajas, murals and many other artistic stone carvings, colored glass work on windows and door panels all have been done by the architect and craftsman from places like Jaipur, Rajasthan, Bengal and Saurashtra, and local Kachchhi artisan community, the Mistris of Kachchh and Suthars. The mixture and mingling of architect and style of different regions of India, as such, can be distinctly seen in design & architect of the Vijaya Vilas Palace. The balcony at the top affords a superb view of the surrounding area. The tiny intricate windows gives one feeling to be out in open, through which cool sea wind passes out.The campus also houses a Chhatri of Vijayaraji, who died in 1948, to whom this palace was very dear. Vijaya Vilas Palace has its own private beach which offers air-conditioned tented accommodation. The royal families of Kachchh State now reside permanently in the palace, which earlier used it only as a summer resort.
Ashapura Mata Temple, a 14th-century temple, is dedicated to the chief deity of Jadeja Rajputs, Ashapura Mata. The temple was commissioned under the rule of Jadeja dynasty and was constructed by two Karad Vanias- Ajo and Anagor. Ashapura Devi Maa, an incarnation of Annapoorna devi, is popular amongst her devotees as she fulfills desires and wishes of people who pray to her in need. In Gujarat, many other communities worship her as a kuldevi. Origin of the shrine is stepped in antiquity. One can see the references of Ashapura Devi Maa in the Puranas, Rudrayamal Tantra and so on which are all said to point to this shrine in Kutch. As such there are no ancient records that give any indications of the beginning of worship at this temple but it firmly stands out that the deity was very much there in the 9th century AD when Samma clan, Rajputs of Singh region, first entered the north-west Kutch. Later, more communities started following and eventually established them in the region.
At the height of our civilization, our technological development, our social and material complexity, all signs point to progress, we often think. And yet, all is not as it seems and once in a while it occurs to us to look into the past to discover our future. Dholavira is larger of the two most remarkable excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan culture, dating back to 4500 years ago, While the other site, Lothal, is more exhaustively educated and easier to reach, a visit to Lothal only complements, rather than replace, a visit to Dholavira. What this site offers you, in the intense environment that comes with being surrounded by the Great Rann of Kutch, is a unique insight into the pioneering Harappan mind, with one of the world’s first signboards, written in ancient Indus script. The excavation also tells the story of the 7 stage of the civilization, from development maturity to decay, the last of which hints at a strange piece of history, with more questions than answers. After the peak of the civilization Dholavira was temporarily abandoned, after which seems that the settlers returned with a markedly de-urbanized culture. There are hints that they willingly chose to simplify their lives, rather than try to ride the collapse of their once glorified civilization mean and what, if anything is truly permanent.
The Swaminarayan Temple of Bhuj is one of the most magnificent temples you will ever come across in this part of the country! Since its first brick installation ceremony on 7 May 2003, it has taken 7 years for its completion. Based on a grand podium, the new temple faces east and is constructed mainly with pure high quality marble. Expanding a 35,000 sq. feet area, this Temple has 7 sky touching pinnacles. It consists of one central dome, 25 minor domes and 258 pillars. The peripheries, which are beautifully carved into the icy marble of Makrana and Ambaji, give it heavenly beauty, serenity and the divine approach to the temple. The Gujarat Earthquake of January 2001 destroyed much of the city of Bhuj, including the side of the temple facing north which was built by Lord Shree Swaminarayan. Miraculously the divine idols remained as they were, without any damage whatsoever. With the previous temple being destroyed in the earthquake, this newly built temple boasts of massive architecture with beautiful carvings & design. The fact that the entire temple is made of Marble & Gold further adds up to the grandeur of the temple
Kutch Museum is one of the oldest museums of Gujarat. Museum was established in 1877 as School of Arts by Maharao Sir Khengarji III. The present structure of the Kutch Museum was built to exhibit the wedding gifts of Maharao Sir Khengarji III, then it was known as the Fergusson Museum. The stunning building of the museum is constructed in a typical Italian Gothic style of architecture by the mistris of Kutch under the supervision of state Gaidher - Jairam Ruda Gajdhar. There are 11 major galleries in the museum namely picture gallery, anthropological section, archaeological section, textiles section, weapons section, music instruments section, shipping section, and stuffed animals section. Also, there is a section devoted to the tribal community where one can see ancient artifacts, folk arts, and crafts and information about tribal people, who are a major part of Kutch's history and culture. The building of the museum consists of two floors, on the ground floor, a statue of 'Airavata' (mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra) is placed, which was made in Mandvi in the 18th century. Highlights of the museum are the oldest collection of Kshatrapa inscriptions dating back to the 1st century, coins (including Kutch local currency 'Kori') and extinct Kutchi scripts.
At the far northwest corner of Kutch, facing north across the Great Rann towards Pakistan, stands Lakhpat, once an important port city but ow virtually abandoned for almost 200 years. A place where you can imagine the rise and decline of a great port city, and simultaneously condemnable the vast emptiness of the desert and the sea. When the 1819 earthquack sent the Indus River on its present course to the west and the Great Rann dried up, so did Lakhpat. It was left a humble town around the ruins of its former grandness, now only with Kori Creek that still flows into the Rann. Though it requires a long journey to reach Lakhpat, the intrepid traveler will be rewarded. The 7 km for walls, erected in 1801 by Jamadar Fateh Muhammed, are still nearly intact, and offer tremendous view out over the Rann. Due to the extremely clear desert air and remote location, the night sky spectacular (Visit near the new moon for best stargazing) and sunrise or sunset in a landscape of such endless horizons are not to be missed. Lakhpat has religious significance for three of India’s most populous religions: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, reportedly camped here on his journey to Mecca. The site later become a gurudwara, which holds some of Nanak’s possessions; Pir Ghaus Muhammed a Sufi mystic who from the age of twelve devoted himself to spiritual practice and reportedly half as a Hindu and half as a Muslim, is buried here in Lakhpat. His tomb is a stone construction with very complex carving and a water tank that is said to have healing properties for skin problems; Sayyed Pir Shah’s nine-domed mausoleum has intricate carving, doors, windows and jaalis. Lakhpat has very few services for visitors; you can buy tea, coffee, and a basic lunch, but do not count on being able to find any other supplies The only accommodation is in the gurudwara, which is meant more for religious pilgrims than general tourists. Lodging is in the gurudwara dormitory; three are no private bedrooms or bathrooms. For most visitors, spending the night in Narayan Sarovar is recommended, unless you are returning to Bhuj.
A small town just 8 km southeast of Bhuj, Bhujodi is major textile centre of Kutch, with the vast majority of the 1200 inhabitants involved in textile handicraft production. Here you can meet wavers, tie-dye artists and block printers, most of whom belong to the Vankar community. Many will let you watch them work; just ask around. About a kilometer from Bhujodi is the Ashapura Crafts Parks, setup by a corporate non-profit wing to help artisans display and sell their work and organizes dance and music events on weekends. Shrujan is local non-profit setup up 40 years ago to allow women to market their work better and earn a better living from it. The Shrujan is local non-profit set up 40 years ago to allow women to market their work better and earn a better living from it. The Shrujan campus is an interesting place to visit, with embroidery exhibit, a production centre and excellent examples of local architecture with environmental awareness in mind.
The King’s Residence right up to 1991 when he last king of Kutch, Mdansingh died, the palace is now a museum with beautiful gardens of many flowering and medical plants, the palace grounds houses many migrating birds as they step for a rest on their way
Across from the Kutch Museum and behind the Ram Dhun Temple, the Ramkund well is a square stepwell, 56 feet on a side, with sculptures portraying characters from the Ramayana, such as Lord Ram, Devi Sita, Lakshman and Lord Hanuman, as well as the ten incarnation of Lord Vishnu along the walls on your walk down to the water you experience a sudden calm and coolness not to be found on the road above and in the quite, you can pause for a while to reflect on your experience. The Ram Dhun Temple, just in front of the well, is also worth a quick visit.
Bhadreshwar, barely a kilometer from the coast, 69 km east of Mandvi, past Mundra, and 75 km south of Bhuj. The Jain religion, like other religions of Indian origin, places considerable importance on the act of pilgrimage and Bhadreshwar is one of the major centers of Jain pilgrimage in Gujarat. Unreliable reports claim the city was founded in 516 BC, and oral accounts state that the first temple was built “2500 years ago, about 45 years after the death of Lord Mahavir,” but there is no evidence to either support or debunk that claim. The main temple is strikingly beautiful, in all white marble with majestic pillars. Around the central one are 52 smaller shrines, one of which reputedly holds the original Parshavanath idol from 500 BC Non-Jains cannot spend the night in the temple complex, but other lodging is available in town. In addition to the Jain complex, there are also two mosques which are reliably dated to the late 12th century, meaning they predate the well-known Islamic architecture of Ahmedabad by 250 years or so, making them in all likelihood the first mosques built in India. Their existence indicates that Iranian seagoing traders arrived on the coast of Gujarat at least 50 years before Islam swept into Delhi by land. As such, they are much more stark, austere, constructions, without the flowery embellishments of the later period, but they are also the first mosques to incorporate Indian architectural elements into Islamic constructions. According to at least one researcher's extensive study, the style indicates that this blending was not done because they plundered Hindu temple ruins for parts or only employed Hindu craftsmen, but was a more deliberate incorporation of design elements according to the tastes of the builders.
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