Tourist Places To Visit In Bhuj

Bhuj is the gateway to Great Rann of Kutch and is the westernmost city in India. Located at a distance of 300 km from the state capital, Bhuj is a treasure trove of heritage and culture. It offers unimaginable hospitality to its travelers previously unseen in modern times. Famous for its historic structures, majestic palaces, small-rambling streets, and temples Bhuj has a lot in store to mesmerize visitors, especially if they are visiting the place for the first time. Within the city, it has many places of interest and the outskirts are famous for their traditional handicrafts and embroidery.

The Swaminarayan Temple is a socio-spiritual Hindu organization based in Bhuj. It was originally built by Swaminarayan himself in around 1822. Knowing more about the Swaminarayan Sampraday before visiting this place will add more value to your visit. It has the largest audio, kirtan and spiritual discourse collection suitable for all Vaishnav followers globally. Unfortunately, the original temple got a major hit by the earthquake of 2001, which destroyed the temple almost completely. The sparkling new temple has been built not that long ago through the contributions (money and time) of numerous devotees of Swaminarayan from across the globe.

The great Rann of Kutch is probably the best tourist place around Bhuj. The amazing white desert is the world’s biggest salt desert which is strikingly famous for Rann Mahotsav. The Mahotsav is held between November and February. The sunrise and sunset are just amazing to watch if you are here. During the monsoon season, the desert is completely immersed in water. This invites flamingos from different parts of the country and world and it becomes the best breeding ground for them and other migratory birds. When the water dries up, you see the real magic of the Rann. As a result, this place is also a preferred destination for shooting movies. So don’t miss visiting this place.

The Bhujia Fort is an alluring fort located in the outskirts of Bhuj in the district of Kutch, Gujarat. Built on the top of the Bhujia Hill, this picturesque fort was constructed around 1715. Presently, this fort is under control of the Great Indian army. The fort was majorly damaged due to an earthquake which hit the region around 2001. Since then, the government of Gujarat has been working on restoring the fort under the supervision of the archeological department of India. Another exciting spot to be at.

The Prag Mahal is one of the architectural marvels situated on the outskirts of Bhuj. Designed by Colonel Henry Saint Wilkins, the Prag Mahal had involvement of the Indian as well as foreign artisans. Some Bollywood movies have several shots of Prag Mahal and it features heavily in regional Gujarati movies. The Mahal was built in the 19th century, next to the popular Aina mahal, and located in the city center which makes it accessible easily for tourists and sightseers. Something that you should not miss at all during your trip.

One of the ancient structures in Bhuj, the Aina Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors is an ideal place for history lovers. It was built during the 18th century by Maharao Lakhpatji who was a big advocate of literature, music, art, and architecture which led to the development of this famous building under the craftsmanship of Ramsinh Malam, the famous architect of his time. Ramsinh converted the king’s dream into reality in the form of this palace. The palace is a two-floor building with darbar hall, suites, and pleasure pool built exclusively for the royal family.

The major hall of the palace is full of mirrors and that’s how it got its name, Aaina Mahal. The palace walls are embraced with gilded ornaments, white marbles, and mirrors. Moreover, the floor of the hall has tiles with a podium over it, encircled by numerous fountains. The best attraction of the hall is the chandelier which is made of Venetian glass, which looks simply stunning.

Considering the overall attraction of the town, one of the most prominent natural beauties with immense extreme historical and natural importance is Bhujia Hill. People often associate the Bhujia Hills with the legendary victory of Bhujarang against Beria Kumar. The Bhujia fort is located at the top of the hill where the scenic view of the town adds and completes the perfect aesthetic appeal of the fabulous and magnificent hill. Numerous visitors trek to reach the topmost point, which can turn out to be quite an adventurous activity. So if you are traveling in a group, trekking could be one of the best things that you can do here.

Dedicated to Maa Ashapura, the temple Mata no Madh is situated about 138 kilometers from the Bhuj city. The worship place offers a serene, peaceful, and pleasant ambiance for the pilgrims. A virtuous illustration of ethnic Indian architecture can be observed here. With great gusto, the traditional Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navaratri, etc. are celebrated here.