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There is enough charm left in Bhuj for tourists to be overwhelmed by this fascinating city-beaches, lakes, crafts and the never-say-die spirit of its people .
While on a photography project in March last year, I visited the district of Bhuj. I landed there only to be bowled over by the simplicity of the people and the relaxed pace of life. The town with its narrow streets and ancient monuments presents a picture of contrast to the planned township of Gandhidham and the nearby modern port of Kandla.
As a vehicle passes through, raising clouds of dust, the landscape of sand mixed with salt seems to roll out for miles, creating an impressionist canvas. Bhuj is a fascinating land, and no visit to Gujarat is complete without a sojourn to this peninsular district.
The people are sturdy, business-minded and sea faring. The district produces some of Gujarat�s most exquisite crafts like embroidery, tie-die fabrics, enamelled silverware and other handicrafts. The area is also the breeding ground of pelican and avocet, and is home to rare Indian wild ass, which is now a protected species.
Every village in the district was linked with a metalled road. Fibre optic cables had been laid in each village, and it was now possible to make STD or ISD calls from even a remote one.
I found Bhuj, one of the most enchanting cities of India. With its old fort walls, intricate carved gates, palaces, chattris of the royal families, lakes, temples, a laidback lifestyle, Bazaars - where villagers come on camels and in bullock carts to unload their produce -and the medieval Bhujia fortress overlooking the city from a 160 metre high hill, it seemed as if the Raj never left Bhuj. Memorial chhatris covering a vast area stand to the west of Hamirsar Lake. The 18th century Maharao Shri Lakhapatji�s chhatri is the most imposing monument. This monument, polygonal in form, has two galleries with two entrances. The roof is stylistically covered with supported pillars. At every corner, the Central Dome Apartment surrounded by a wall has a door on the east. In this room is a stone image of Maharao Shri Lakhapatji (1710-61 A.D.) on horseback with a memorial of his 15 wives around it.
There is a smaller tomb in honour of Rao Shri Rayalhanji (1778-1813). A short distance away from Maharao Shri Lakhpatji�s chhatri, is the tomb of Rao Shri Desalji-a small and impressive quadrangular monument with a chhatri. The side panels depict spirited groups of men and animals. The memorial of Rao Shri Pragmalji is a fine specimen of modern carving. Here too, the Darbargadh complex has palaces from different periods. The 18th century Aina Mahal has a fine interior decor, with beautiful courtyards and fountain-fed pleasure pools and mirror mosaics. The 19th century Pragmahal Palace has a magnificent darbar hall with Corinthian pillars, Venetian-Gothic arches, stained glass, European chandeliers, Victorian furnishings, murals of characters from Shakespeare�s dramas and a clock tower with views.
The nearby Sharad Bagh Palace boasts of relatively recent acquisitions of the Maharajas of Kutch. All three palaces are now museums. The Swaminarayan temple is one of the most colourful sights in Bhuj. I enjoyed visits to the Kutch Museum and the Bharatiya Sanskriti Darshan (folk museum). For shopping enthusiasts, the Bhuj market is a paradise. The tourists can have their fill of embroidered, tie-and-dyed and block printed textiles and woodcrafts.
Mandvi, founded in 1581 and 60 kilometres south-east of Bhuj, has a fortification with 25 bastions. The Rukmavati bridge, built in 1883, is the longest existing one of its kind. Mandvi is also well-known for its beautiful sea beach and the Vijayvillas Palace built in 1935. Narayan Sarovar, one of the five holy lakes of the Hindu faith, is 210 kilometres from Bhuj.
To promote Bhuj as a tourist destination, Gujarat Tourism offers Rann Utsav-a desert festival which is a jamboree of folk dances, music concerts, Sindhi bhajans, Kachchhi food festivals and stalls demonstrating and selling beautiful crafts of Kutch such as embroidery, bandhini tie-and-dye, block-printed fabrics, leather embroideries, wood carving, silver, metalware and shell craft. The festival usually coincides with Shivratri, the day dedicated to Lord Shiva. The auspicious day is celebrated in various Shiva temples of the district.
The Rabaris, the Fakirani, Dhanetah and Garasia Jaths and the Patels add vigour to and form the diverse social fabric of Bhuj. The traditional crafts have more or less remained impervious to outside influences as the district is relatively inaccessible. But there is now a perceptible change and the crafts are getting increasingly popular outside Bhuj. The colourful patterns embroidered by the Rabaris have travelled to Bollywood and the traditional animal and tree motifs are being replaced by aeroplanes and watches!
The earthquake that rocked the Rann of Kutch on January 26 has virtually destroyed Bhuj. The Maharao Shri Lakhapatji�s chattri has totally collapsed. While the monument lies devastated, the plinth of the building has survived. Similarly, the Aina Mahal caved in as the earth shook in Bhuj. The first floor of the Kachchh Museum has also been badly damaged. The most famous temple in Bhuj, the Swami Narayan Temple regularly visited by a large number of devotees every year is in ruins. The temple was one of its kind in India where the deities, the chattris and the singhasan were all made in gold The old fort on the hill in Bhuj also suffered severe damage in the quake. Many portions of the fort have collapsed.
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