TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KUTCH

Having been novel created after the earthquake, Kutch has become ready new to attract the industries of heritage tourism , more than 200 industries and new roads, new cosmopolitan population along with new buildings (houses) and new villages have arrived in newly created Kutch is Gujarat’s biggest district. Which is colourful region of rural culture? The culture of Kutch and heritage of the story attract the tourists. The desert is its peculiarity bravery and humanity is the wealth of Kutch. There is tradition of saints in Kutch unlike Saurashtra. There are many pilgrimages at many places in Kutch also there are many temples in Kutch. The pilgrimage like the Narayan Lake is a peculiarity of Kutch. The historical Shiva temple of Koteshwar is beside it. The Bhujiyo dunger (mountain) bears its unique peculiarity.

Bhuj:

It is the head quarter of Kutch. It is connected with railway, air and road way. Aina Mahel (mirror place), museum Chhatardi etc sightseeing place of Kutch were been harmed in the earthquake. But bhuj has become a new city with new roads, and large and huge hospital Bhujiyo dungar is a beautiful place nearly. The Hamirsar and the Deshalsar in the middle of the city are important ponds. It is an ideal place for the purchase of handicraft items.

Anjar:

Anjar city, 40 km a why from Bhuj was named after Ajaypal. This city got fame for Jesal- toral’s samadhi (burial place).Though the earthquake had greatly damaged this historical city. The newly created city is worth seeing the sudi-knives are famous here.

Kandla-Gandhidham:

The Kandla port was developed in an alternative of Karana: This is an important port. The industries have developed in a great number in Kandla and Gandhidham and the hotel industry also has developed were here.

The Narayan Sarovar- Koteshwar:

160 km away from Bhuj it is a famous pilgrimage in the classics. It is included among five holy lakes in India in Hindu classics. It is believed to be the holiest and ancient among the pilgrimages of Kutch. This is a sweet water lake in between salty water and salty land around. Here is a temple of lord Trikamrayji besides it. There is other temple of gods. And there is a facility of dinning and accommodation. Koteshwar is 2 km away from the Narayan Sarover which is a sea coast. This pilgrimage is opposite Kara-nchi and near Pakistan an according to mythological story; it is a famous shiv temple.

Matano madha-Ashapura:

99 Km away from bhuj, mother Ashapura’s garah (fort), who is goddess of Kathie’s dynasty .Ashapura’s temple is believed to be very ancient. It has been greatly damaged in the earthquake mother Ashapura is believed to be royal dynasty’s goddess. Thousands of people come here in Navratri and on foot. This is an important pilgrimage of Kutch.

Lakhpat:

Lakhpat the western interior of Kutch was once an abundant (very rich) port. Fatemohamad, the police constable built a fort around Lakhpat village in 1801 A.D. Once the population of Lakhpat was ten thousand and its income was Lakhpat of rupees so it was named as Lakhpat now it has become barren. The Gurudwara (the temple of sheikhs) here is one of the worth seeing places. There are about five thousand monasteries of Buddhism around Lakhpat and Loteshwar, and also there were caves of Buddhism. Such report is found in Chinese traveller hu- en-sung’s description.

Kala dunger: (Black Mountain)

One can climbs 1515 high black mountain from Bhuj via Khavda. The foot prints of lord guru Dattatreya are on the top (peak) of the mountain, and it is a holy temple. The big desert of Kutch is seeing from the top of the mountain. It is a great joy to water sunrise and sunset from this place.

Dholaveera:

Dholaveera are residues one of the harappiyan culture of world’s old culture 250 km away from Bhuj, this historical place in Khadirbet area of Vagad, the importance of Kutch has increased in Kutch after the excavation of Dholaveera. Dholaveera was an urban area in old time. It is believed that its population might be about ten thousand at that time. Even today these residues have been preserved and the foreigners come to visit Dholaveera but being a border area its development could not be done and the tourist also have to face hardships for the journey here. It is an important role of Dholaveera in Kutch’s tourism development.

Mandavi and Mundra:

Mandavi and Mundra were famous and rich ports of Kutch in ancient time. The Vijay villas place of royals of Kutch near Mandvi is worth seeing. It’s some part is in hotels heritage. The sea coral here attracts the tourists. But the facility of accommodation has not been set here. The wind farm is an attraction for the tourists. Mundra is famous for black print and handicraft. The temple of 72 Jinalayar situated near Mandvi is a centre of attraction for the tourist and there is a famous pilgrimage here.

Abdasa: jain temple and bhadreshwar:

The Panchtirthi (five pilgrimage) means Jakhan, Tera, Naliya, Kothara, Suthari etc. place the famous Jain temple are in these village where native Jain of Kutch come here from Bombay, and Gujarat and other parts of the country during ‘Paryushan’ (the holy festival of Jain) worship and do not here being Jain pilgrimage place the pilgrims visit round the year.

Here the temple also is ancient. The facility of dyning and accommodation is nice. The famous Jain temple of Bhadreshwar is reconstructed after its destruction in the earthquake the Jain temple in Godhra, Sandhan, Bhujpur etc. village also are the centres of visit for the pilgrims. Tera has become a heritage village since the Indian govt allotted a big sum of rupees fifty Lakhs for different types of work under rural tourism and heritage tourism as it bears historical place beside Jain pilgrimage palece .

Dhorodo- hodko- heritage village:

Hodko is situated near Khavda while going be Banni, 53 km away from Bhuj. Which is famous for its handicraft, folk life and etc? The central govt has developed Hodko an heritage village for years. They have done facility of accommodation here in for the tourists visiting the place and they can enjoy traditional food and drinks and rural life here. Many Indian as foreigners have visited Hodko for last some years. Hodko is famous for mirror work, embroidery work, clay work, wood work, Metal work, leather work etc. All kinds of work the nearby village Ghordo, Bhirandyara, Nakhatrana, etc. are famous for traditional life style of local people, Handicraft, folk-art and they were centres of attraction for the tourists. Thus folk art and culture have remained alive even after the earthquake in Kutch. As a result, heritage tourism and heritage village of Kutch have become centre of attraction and enjoyment for the tourists. Kutch has got popularity and fame at tourism field become of harad festival and other programmes being arranged by the govt. At the time of vibrant Gujarat in Kutch for last some years. Handicraft of Kutch in the country and foreign country. This handicraft art having got developed for the last 30years, the Kutch artists have earned fame and wealth in country and foreign country.

The tourists are attracted as come here mainly only to see and buy handicraft items of Kutch. It is necessary to developed shop and markets of handicraft in around Bhuj area. There are possibilities in which other ten villages like Hodko can develop as heritage village.

Kutch has got much popularity by Kutch festival being done in Kutch for the last ten years, but no unit have happened of new tourism policy even after is years in which heritage hotels, multiplex, water park, shopping malls. A lot of development has occurred become of multiplex and has become a centre of attraction for both local people. The development of this facility has not occurred in Kutch yet. Accommodation centre like resorts and Bhunga are made a few in numbers. It is necessary to raise facility of heritage village especially at sea- coast and rural area where the tourists can enjoy traditional rural life style, culture of Kutch folk art and food and drinks. In the same way, modern hotels, shopping mall and multiplex also are necessary. Finally the world of birds of Kutch must be mentioned. The main attraction for the migrating here from foreign country different kinds of birds become tourist visitors in winter in a large number at the sea west of Kutch and Hamirsir lake in Bhuj in which Flamingo and other birds are included. Surkhabnagar, bird’s accommodation of Kutch is very famous situated in big desert. Though it is rather difficult to reach there the tourists arriving in Kutch in the winter can see beautiful birds near Rapar or Bhuj or other sea west.

Many fairs take place in Kutch in which the fair of Dhrang, the fair of goddess Ashapura Mata in Navratri the fair of Kakadbhik yaksha and the fair of Ravechi are chief fairs. The fair taking place at the village Ravechi near Rapar in the month of Bhadrapad and it is the centre of attraction for the tourists. People arrive in tradition dresses from farther places. Here one can experience the rural culture of Kutch. The tourists from foreign countries also are attracted to see this fair.

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RASHMI KUMARI GAUTAM
MTM, PGDDE, MADE, LLM
FROM NIRMA UNIVERSITY
E-MAIL-rashmigautam21@lawyer.com
PHONE NO-7567837443, 9374020612