Kutch in Gujarat will take you to the heart, cultural roots, and traditional era with sweet, simple, and entrepreneurship mindset people in general. As a tourist, you can expect a marvelous experience with charming sites of old-world charm. Kutch region is a centuries-old paradise for handicrafts. The Rann Utsav from December to February is a must-witness event at the Indo-Pakistan border. Kutch finds historic references in Hinduism texts and also Greek books during Alexander the Great era.

Bhuj is the capital of the Kutch district known for handicrafts and retail lanes of vintage jewelry, embroidery textiles, and dye work. 8 km from Bhuj city is the Bhujodi village that habitats internationally recognized and honored Vankara community which is traditionally into textile weaving. They make excellent shawls, traditional blankets like dhabda, bhablas, and wollen dhurries. Marwada and Rabadi embroideries are another specialty of Bhujodi village. Dhamadka is one of the significant hubs for ajrakh block printing and you will admire the attention to detail and highly trained skills of the artisans here. 65 Km away from Bhuj is the quintessential Kachchi village Hodka at the edge of Rann of Kutch and the homes here are made in traditional round huts with mud and grass known as bhungas.

The ancient Harrapan civilization site of Dholavira island at Rann of Kutch is 220 Km away from Bhuj city. It is the fifth largest excavation of Harappan sites dating back to 4,500 years ago. You will admire the town planning, architecture, and infrastructure development of our forefathers at this archeological site.

Kutch Museum treasures the traditional collection of coins, textiles, extinct scripts, silverware, weaponry, folk art, and artifacts and takes you back in history. Swami Narayan temple is one of the beautiful landmarks of Bhuj and you should visit it if you admire Lord Krishna and Radha.

Ramkund Stepwell’s crisscross stairs lead down to 56 feet. The walls of the stepwell are sculpted with icons of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Lakshmana along with 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Aina Mahal is an elegant 18th-century monument dedicated to MaharaoLakhpati built by Holland-returned craftsman Ramsingh Malam. Pragmahal Palace was built by Colonel Henry Saint Wilkins in 1860 for King Pragmanl in an Italian Gothic style. After the 2001 massive earthquake, Pragmahal Palace was devastated and still has a charm of its own and you can view the city from its bell tower. Sharadbaugh Palace was built in Italian décor style and is currently a museum and also has lush gardens.

80 km from Bhuj is the wetland conservation reserve ChhariDhand. In monsoon, this lake fills up and attracts over 50 species of waterfowl. Dhorda is a nearby village of the Mutwa community. The lively Rann Utsav is held here annually and attracts tourists from varying parts.

Around 70 km from Bhuj is the Vijay Vilas Palace. It is built with a red sandstone palace in a heterogenous style décor of Bengal Umbrella Domes, Mughal cupolas, Rajput jharokhas. Today as a private property it has luxurious tents and a private beach.

111 km from Bhuj is Kutch Bustard Sanctuary near Jakhau village. The reserve also hosts wolves, desert cats, jackals, hyenas, and chinkaras. Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the largest saline wetland areas. This place has fossils of dinosaurs and animals from the Dinosaur period and Tertiary period.The sanctuary consists of a variety of water birds and mammals. Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary Banni Grasslands Reserve, and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve are the other wildlife sanctuaries in the region.

Narayan Sarovar is one of the five holy lakes of Hinduism having references in ancient Hindu texts. This holy place is around 155 Kms from the Bhuj and has a holy temple of Lord Shiva named Koteshwar nearby.

At Koday, which is 50 km from Bhuj, is a dazzling white-marble temple complex of Jainism. The Jain temple houses 72 marble shrines craved with splendid accuracy. KaloDungar, which means Black Hill, is the highest point in the Kutch region and has Dattatreya Tempe. This spot is 90 km away from Bhuj and has a scenic view from the top.

Bhuj is well-connected by road, train, and air. It can be a budget-friendly trip too if you smartly plan in advance. The city has local taxis and rickshaws. Kutchi is the local language that is hundreds of years old. Kadi-khichdi, bajra, bajaranarotla, curd, buttermilk, and tea are popular local food. Salt production and processing are one of the major businesses in the region.

About Devesh Purohit:

Devesh Purohit is a Mumbai-based 7-year experienced PR Practitioner. He likes traveling and sharing his navigation experiences.