Bhuj, Gujarat - Lonely Planet India

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Rising like a phoenix from the ashes,
earthquake-hit Bhuj, the capital of Kutch,
is an interesting town that has been
wonderfully resurrected
WHY GO?
The bazaars in Bhuj sell exquisite Kutchi handicrafts,
and the historic palaces here, such as Aina Mahal and
Prag Mahal, are eerie but beautiful. Textile tourism
attracts visitors from all over the world, but the main
draw is the uplifting prospect of seeing a town that
has picked itself up in the aftermath of a devastating
natural disaster.
WHAT IS THERE TO DO?
MINI GUIDE December 2012
Bhuj,
Gujarat
The main attraction in Bhuj is the walled
complex of Darbargadh, which hosts the
Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal. Visit the
Kachchh Museum, bazaars selling
traditional Kutch handicrafts and
finally, a calm-inducing stepwell. The
great Gujarati thali and the resort
promoting ‘endogenous tourism’
are not to be missed.
Left: Prag Mahal should be a must-see
on your list of things to do in Bhuj
Right: Traditional clothing is bright and colourful,
a sharp contrast to the dull hues of the desert
See & do
BEST FOR PALACES 1
The Italian-Gothic-style Prag
Mahal is located within the
walled complex of Darbargadh.
The Durbar Hall, a room of
decayed magnificence, with
broken chandeliers and classical
statues, is also found here, and
is worth a visit (New Palace; 9am
– 12pm and 3 – 6pm; entry ` 10).
BEST FOR HISTORY
In Darbargadh, also visit Aina
Mahal, or the ‘Hall of Mirrors’,
designed in an Indo-European
style. The museum here has royal
family memorabilia, Chinesestyled tiles, paintings and mirrors
(Old Palace; 9am – 12pm and
3pm – 6pm Sun – Fri; entry ` 10).
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
2
BEST FOR MUSEUMS 3
The Kachchh Museum
is the oldest museum in Gujarat.
It houses the largest collection
of Kshatrapa inscriptions, dating
back to 1AD and dioramas
of Kutch tribal costumes (College
Rd; 10am – 1pm and 2.30pm –
5.30pm Thur – Tues, closed
on 2nd and 4th Saturdays
of the month; entry ` 2).
Sleep
Prag Mahal is as beautiful on the
inside as it is on the outside
BEST FOR TEMPLES 4
Visit the Swaminarayan
Temple for its brightly-coloured
wood carvings that depict
Lord Krishna and Radha. This
temple marks the place where
Swaminarayan sat with local holy
men when passing through Bhuj
(00-91-2832-250231; Tirth Dham).
BEST FOR WELLS 5
For some peace and quiet, head
to the Ramkund Stepwell.
Located across from the Kachchh
Museum, this neatly-designed,
square stepwell has sculptures
of characters from the Ramayana
and the incarnations of Lord
Vishnu along the walls.
Situated south of town,
Hotel Mangalam 6 offers big,
bright, modern rooms (although
there are only 17) and good
views of Bhuj. Sanjeev Kapoor’s
famous Yellow Chilli restaurant
is here, and free airport transfers
are available (00-91-2832-220303;
mangalamhotels.com, info@
mangalamhotels.com; Mangalam
Cross Rds, Sanskar Nagar;
from ` 1,200).
Located near Darbargadh
in the old city, Gangaram Hotel
and Guest House 7 offers a
variety of rooms and a restaurant
with delicious food (00-91-2832254438; hotelgangaram@yahoo.
co.in; Darbargadh Chowk;
from ` 1,400).
Even though the hotel receives
mixed reviews, Hotel KBN’s 8
location in the heart of the town,
15 minutes away from the
airport, is its USP. This 24-room
property has excellent service
and spacious, clean rooms, some
featuring circular beds! (00-912832-227251; hotelkbn.com,
[email protected]; Station
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It’s not diffidult to find reasonable
accommodation in the city
Rd; from ` 1,900 with bed tea)
With stylish wood-panelled
rooms and an angular glassand-red exterior, Hotel Ilark 9
is a good option as a place
to stay in Bhuj. The deluxe rooms
are particularly nice (00-91-2832258999; hotelilark.com, info@
hotelilark.com; Station Rd;
from ` 2,200).
Hotel Prince 10 has excellent
service, smart rooms and good
food. The hotel is located close
to the airport and the railway
station (00-91-2832-220370;
hotelprinceonline.com, info@
hotelprinceonline.com; Station
Rd; from ` 3,000 with breakfast).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
MINI GUIDE
Bhuj, Gujarat
Getting around
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1
Mahadev
Gate
ar
Na
ga
rR
d
12
nR
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Sta
tion
Rd
10
9
THE COST
14
13
LOW
DIFFICULTY OF TRAVEL
Rd
11
WHEN TO GO
The best time to visit is between
September and February
as the temperatures are cooler,
compared to the unbearable
summer months.
Rd
CHINA
PAKISTAN
BHUJ
INDIA
A r a b i a n
S e a
Bay of Bengal
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Eat & drink
HIGH
LOW
Ho
sp
ita
l
6
66
To District
Superintendent
of Police (100m)
‘Authentic’ is the best word
to describe the food at Green
Rock Restaurant 11 , which
is famous for its lunchtime thalis
as well as an extensive allvegetarian menu. The Gujarati
thali is a great option here
(00-91-2832-253644; greenrock
restaurant.com; Chatthi Bari Ring
Rd, near ST Station; 11am – 3pm
and 7pm – 10.30pm; mains from
` 90, thali from ` 120).
Within Hotel Mangalam
is the amazing Yellow Chilli 12 .
A branch of a chain run by
chef Sanjeev Kapoor, this eatery
serves delicious vegetarian
and creative Mughlai dishes
(see Sleep for details; lunch
and dinner; mains from ` 150).
Another quality restaurant
is Sankalp 13 , winner of the
Times Food Award, which offers
authentic South Indian
specialties. Head here for
your fix of southern delicacies
(00-91-2832-254303; hoteloasis
bhuj.com/sankalp,restaurant.
html; Hotel Oasis, New Station Rd;
11am – 11pm; mains from ` 50).
A great air-conditioned
restaurant for vegetarian North
HIGH
8
6
To Hotel
Mangalam
(600m)
‚
tat
io
New
Vegetable
Market
ek
Lal T ari
Bus Stand
3
5
444
444
GETTING THERE
JetKonnect, IndiGo, GoAir and
SpiceJet fly to Bhuj Airport from
all major metros via Mumbai,
1 while there is a direct flight
from Mumbai. Return fares
from Mumbai start from ` 6,800.
To Bhujodi
The airport is located 3km
(7km)
from the city centre.
Andaman
Sea
I n
d
i a
n
O
c
e
a n
The North Indian fare at Noorani
Mahal is spicy and tasty
and South Indian and Chinese
cuisines is Hotel Nilam 14 ,
where you are greeted by
bow-tied, waistcoated waiters.
The famous Gujarati thali
is also available here (Station Rd;
mains from ` 60, thali ` 110).
Noorani Mahal 15
is a rare North Indian, nonvegetarian restaurant in Bhuj.
Most of the dishes here are
chicken, but there’s also
mutton and vegetarian food
cooked either in the tandoor
or in a spicy curry (00-912832226328; Station Rd;
11.30am – 3pm and 7pm –
11pm; mains from ` 55).
A few nights at Shamm-e-Sarhad Village Resort will give you an insight
into Kutchi rural life
Side trip
Located in the Banni grasslands
63km north of Bhuj, the
Shamm-e-Sarhad Village
Resort is a project to promote
‘endogenous tourism’, which
helps visitors understand the
livelihood and culture of Kutch.
Run by the Halepotra community,
the accommodation includes
bhungas (circular mud huts with
sloping roofs and neat interiors),
and luxurious tents. You can
go bird-watching or visit villages
in the area such as Hodka,
or listen to folk songs under the
open sky (00-91-2803-296222;
hodka.in, [email protected];
Hodka Village, Banni; Oct – Mar;
from ` 3,200 all-inclusive).
FIND OUT MORE
Lonely Planet India is great
for information on Bhuj.
Full of useful tips and
suggestions, it also
carries a map.
For more details, log on to
lonelyplanet.com
WORDS: RAGHAV BIKHCHANDANI PHOTOGRAPHS: CORBIS, GETTY IMAGES, ANDREY STAROSTIN, HEINZ LEITNER/ 123RF
Rajendra
Park
Langa
St
6
4
Ne
wS
Hamirsar
Tank
Essentials
To Train
Station
(1.25km)
15
Shro
ff Ba
zaar
Old
Vegetable
Market
Sleep
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To Airport (5km)
2
Eat & drink
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See