9 Best Things To Do In Bhuj, India - Updated 2024

things to do in bhuj india
Heena
Heena 
Updated
| 6 min read

Bhuj is a desert city with a very long history of kings. It is one of the most interesting and unique cities. Because of its history of kings and empires, you can find many ancient places in and around the city. In 2001, a lot of Bhuj’s heritage was damaged, but nonetheless, there are many places to keep your interest in Bhuj. Many of the places to see are associated with Mahabharat and Alexander the Great’s march into India. The dynamic history of the area is shown through unique ethnic cultures.

Here is the list of some of the best things you should not miss while visiting Bhuj:

1. White Kutch Desert

A post shared by Vraj Shah (@vraj.shah__02) on Aug 8, 2018 at 8:31am PDT


The white desert, also known as Rann of Kutch, is located in Dhodra Village, which is 92 km (57.1 mi) away from Bhuj. It is one of the largest seasonal saline wetland areas. The salty desert is 15 meters (49.2 ft) above sea level and the view of this area will take your breath away, especially during sunset and sunrise. You can find many Asiatic wild ass species in this area. During the monsoon season, the desert is submerged under water, which makes it a breeding ground for many flamingoes.

In the months of December and January, a renowned festival called Kutch Mahotsav is celebrated for a period of forty days. The festival attracts tourist from all over India and colorfully dressed dancers present Bhuj’s culture in the most beautiful way.

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2. Shree Swaminarayan Temple

Shree Swaminarayan Temple
Source: Pixabay

Shree Swaminarayan Temple was built by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in 1824. The temple was destroyed by an earthquake in 2001, but was rebuilt in 2010. You can find many interesting carvings on the temple pillars and ceilings. I was amazed to see how cool the floor felt under the soles of my feet. The temple has been dedicated to Nar Narayan and Swaminarayan. The idol of Nar Narayan Dev that is placed in the temple was established by Swaminarayan. The complete white structure of this temple will surely give a cooling sensation to your eyes.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple

Website: Shree Swaminarayan Temple

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3. Aina Mahal

Aina Mahal8
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user calliopejen used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Aina Mahal was built during the rule of Lakhpatji in the middle of the 18th century. It is named the Aina Mahal because it has a mirrored hall. Visitors to Bhuj should certainly visit this beautiful palace, which has been turned into a museum. Lakhpatji was very much passionate about art, literature, music, and architecture, which is also shown in Aina Mahal. Ramsinh Malam converted the royal dream into a reality in the form of this mahal. The Aina Mahal is located in the northeast corner of Hamirsar Lake.

Aina Mahal

Website: Aina Mahak

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4. Prag Mahal

Prag Mahal Bhuj
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Nizil Shah used under CC BY-SA 1.0

The Prag Mahal is located next to the Aina Mahal and it was built in the 19th century. The Prag Mahal is tall and stately, with its Gothic style windows that act to attract visitors’ eyes. The whole palace was constructed in red sandstones. The interesting carvings done on walls and amazing art is the best attraction of this palace, and inside there are some yellow pictures, walls of trophies, and deer and lions mounted on the walls.

Prag Mahal

Website: Prag Mahal

Tip from Trip101 local expert

Harshal

Harshal
India

Prag Mahal from outside

The entry fees is Rs 40/head. You can checkout the various chambers of the palace and then also shop for souvenirs within the palace premises 

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5. Bhujia Fort

Mount de bhuj - fort- entrance
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bhargavinf used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Bhujia Fort is not a popular place in Bhuj, but when I heard travelers talking about Bhujia Fort as India’s answer to the Great Wall of China, I could not stop myself from visiting this wonderful place. It is built on a top of a hill and protects the Kutch District from many invasions and is still used by the Indian Army today.

Bhujia Fort

Website: Bhujia Fort

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6. Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park

bandhani #1, bhujodi kutch
Source: Photo by user nevil zaveri used under CC BY 2.0

The Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park is a large crafts village that aims to protect ancient craft techniques and share them with the world. You can find skilled artisans in this village who create tie-dye, embroidery, weaving, block printings, and more. Even if crafts and arts are not your cup of tea, just sitting and watching the excellent artists will be a wonderful experience.

Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park

Website: Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park

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7. Mata no Madh Temple

Ashapura Mata Tempe, Matano Madh, Kachchh
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Raman Patel used under CC BY 3.0

Situated 138 km (85.7 mi) away from the city of Bhuj, Mata no Madh Temple is a historic temple which is dedicated to Jadeja deities. During the earthquake of 1819 AD, the original 1,200 year old temple was destroyed. After that, Sunderji Saudagar constructed a new temple with more wonderful carvings and other artistic details. Gujaratis main festival, Navratri is celebrated here with great pomp and joy.

Mata no Madh

Website: Mata no Madh

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8. Kalo Dungar (Black Hill)

Black Hill (kado dungar) Kachchh
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user HarshalPatel used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Kalo Dungar is the highest point in Kutch at an elevation of 462 m (1,515 ft). From here, the horizon vanishes into the great desert. This is the only place in Kutch from where a panoramic view of Kutch can be seen. The hill is also famous for a 400-year-old temple to Dattatreya — the three headed incarnation of Lord Brahma. It is said that when Dattatreya walked on the Earth, he stopped at the Black Hill and found a band of jackals. Being a lord, he offered him his body to eat and as they ate, his body continually started regenerated. The only way to reach Kalo Dungar is to take a bus from Khavda on weekend evenings and return early in the morning. In the evening, you can enjoy beautiful sunrises here.

Kalo Dungar

Website: Kalo Dungar

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9. Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary

Narayan Sarovar
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Chandra used under CC BY-SA 2.0

The large Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary is one of the distinct wildlife sanctuaries in Kutch. This sanctuary mostly includes desert thorn forests, scrub forests, dry savannah-type vegetation, and seasonal wetlands. You can find different 184 species of birds and 252 species of plants, like gorad, kerdo, and babul, in this sanctuary. This is the home to many mammals such as chinkara, wildcats, desert foxes, and wild boar.

Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary

Website: Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary

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Enjoy your travels in this small, adventurous city

This small city has many hotels and motels that will definitely fit your budget. Whether you are a vegetarian or meat-eater, you can find restaurants catering to your needs. You should not miss a ride on a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaws) if you are in Bhuj, because it is interesting, convenient, and cheaper in comparison to other vehicles. The best season to visit Bhuj is February, November, and December. Catch the beautiful sunset and keep exploring Bhuj, a place with rich history, ancient temples, tall hills, and a sense of serenity.

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Smritivan Earthquake Memorial and Museum

Contributed by Trip101 Local Expert, Harshal Kale

Smirtivan Earthquake Memorial was built after the state of Gujarat was hit by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake (6.9 on the Richter scale) in 2001, which had its epicentre around Bhuj. The memorial and museum were built to remember all the lives lost during this earthquake. It’s one the largest memorials in India and is in close proximity to Bhujiyo Fort.

You can visit the museum and park and they each have their own entry fees. It’s 20 INR (0.24 USD) for the park if you visit between 9am and 11pm, but free if you’re here from 5am to 9am. It’s 300 INR (3.60 USD) for the museum. We opted for the park as it was more budget-friendly. The park has 50 check-dam reservoirs which contain the nameplates of the people who lost their lives to the earthquake. You’ll have to hike up a hill to get to the top of the memorial, from which you can get a view of the entire city of Bhuj.

Bhuj Chhattedi

Contributed by Trip101 Local Expert, Harshal Kale

Chhatedi is near Bhuj’s Hamisar Lake, and it used to be a beautiful structure with umbrella-like ceilings, a picture of which you can find in one of the chambers in the Prag Mahal. Unfortunately, this place is now in ruins, but it still holds the vibe of something belonging to an ancient era. I’d recommend you to visit this place during sunset, as the setting sun’s rays light up the structures with golden hues and bring them back to life. There is no entry fee, so you can spend a considerable time here before returning to your accommodation.

Adiyogi Mahadev Bhuj

Contributed by Trip101 Local Expert, Harshal Kale

Replica of the Adiyogi in Coimbatore. Here there's no entry fee
Source: Harshal Kale

On the outskirts of the city, there’s a temple of Shiva - a deity worshipped in India - where you will see a replica of the Adiyogi statue. Since it’s not yet a well-known tourist destination, you won’t find a lot of people travelling here, and you might also find it hard to get transportation to see it. You can catch a tuk-tuk and ask for the Adiyogi statue and they will take you here. There are no entry fees, and you can stay as long as you want. However, do make sure that you have a means of getting back to the city, as transportation from the temple is not that easy.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Hailing from India, Heena explores the world through information and people's preferences. She sees beauty in every place and excels as a storyteller and expressive writer. Moreover she is an...Read more

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