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Lakhpat City Guide

Lakhpat is the last town situated at the western end of India, on the India-Pakistan border, at the junction of Kori Creek and Rann of Kutch. Lakhpat probably, derives its name from the prosperous maritime trade which generated a daily income of one Lakh (1,00,000) Kori, an old curency of Kutch State. Another legend says that it was founded by Rao Lakha, so it is named Lakhpat.

Lakhpat is fortified town with high walls, several gates and bastions made out of hard stone. After a short period of prosperity, Lakhpat lost is maritime signfincance in 1851 AD, when the Sindhu river changed its course. Once a thriving town with population of 15,000, is today a deserted town with only few families livign here.

The interesting structures at Lakhpat are teh tomb of Gosh Muhammad and Sikh Gurudwara. Gosh Muhammad was a famous saint revered equally by Hindus and Muslims. A beautiful tomb was constructed using local hard black stone, after his death in 1855 AD. It is an octagonal, domed structure with four entrances. The corner pilasters, foliated arches on each side, door jams and niches are exquisitely carved using floral mortifs and the tree of life. Inner walls are decorated with verses from the Koran using beautiful calligraphy.

It is one of teh sacred places associated with life of Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of the Sikh religion, as it is believed that he embarked for Haj to Mecca from Lakhpat. The gurudwara here was constructed to commemorate this event, and it is visited by Sikhs throughout the year.

Other interesting structure at Lakhpat are: the mosque, a structure for keeping Tajia (a Muslim religious float) and number of Hindu temples.

Koteshwar:
Koteshwar is a famous place of Pilgrimage located at the farthest tip of western India at the Kori Creek. A pilgrimage to Koteshwar and Narayan Sarovar is a must for any devout Hindu. The Chinese traveller Hieun-Tsing (640 AD) described the town as a flourishing port, 5 miles in circumference, at the mouth of the Sindhu river. It had 80 monasteries and 5000 monks, out of which nothing survives today.The present day Koteshwar is a fortified town with highwall and gates. The inscription shows that the present fortification and temple were renoveted in 1820 AD by rich merchants-Jetha Shivji and wall at the seashore, the high Shikhara with saffron flags and series of domes make a perfect location for a Shiva Temple. Within the temple there are images of Hanuman, Ganesha, Revati, Parvati and Swayambhu Shiva Linga.

The Kalyaneshwar Temple is situated close to the Koteshwar Temple at the edge of a sacred squared kund. The kund gets filled up during high tide. Hindus bath here and perform shradh (ritual ceremony after the death of ancestors)

Narayan Sarovar: (49 km from Lakhpat)
Narayan Sarovar is one of the five holy lakes of India, the other four being: Mansarover in Tibet, Pushkar in Rajasthan, Pampa in South India and Bindu Sarovar in Siddhapur. It is located 2 km away from Koteshwar on Kori Creek. This lake finds mention in the chronicles of Alexander, the Great. In 1550 AD, the temple priest constructed teh embankmens and ghats on all three sides of the lake (320m X300m) except on east. He also constructed separate compartments for bathing, using carved stone jalis. The wife of Rao desal 1718-41 AD), Vagheli Mahakunwarba, constructed the Laxmi Narayan Temple and Trikamrai Temple in 1734 AD to put the Narayan Sarovar at par with Dwarka. She donated several villages for the upkeep of the temples. Other temples at Narayan Sarovar are: Adi Narayan, govardhannath, Dwarkanath and Lakshmiji.

Travel Information:
Note:A visit to Lakhpat is recommended only to the adventurous traveller, as there are no porper facilities for food and accomodation. Tourists should arrange their own private transport as the State Transport bus frequency is very low.
Air:
Nearest Airport is Bhuj (151 km)
Rail:
Nearest Railway Station is Gandhidham (210 km)
Road:
Ahmedabad (547 km), Rajkot (369 km)
Local transport:
Non-Metered Autorickshaws only at Narayan Sarovar
Accomodation:
Dharamshalas at Narayan Sarovar
Food:
Bhojanshala at Narayan Sarovar



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