Kutch Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Kutch

Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the sanctuaries that has a wide array of wildlife that include 15 species of endangered ones as well. Since only animals well-adapted to the harsh climate can thrive here, some animals that can't be found elsewhere can be found in the sanctuary.

You can find here some rare mammals like wildcats to desert foxes, from spotted deer to wild boar. The honey badger, titled as the 'most fearless animal' in The Guinness Book of World Records, also lives here.

Siyot Caves are dated around the first century AD and have an east-facing sanctum and a walkway. It is believed to be one of the 80 monastic sites reported by the travellers from China during the 7th century at the mouth of the Indus river.

The Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal marshland located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch district of Gujarat. It is the largest salt desert in the world. The Great Rann covers an area of about 7505 sq km and is comparatively larger than the Little Rann of Kutch. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is also the resting place of many migratory birds during diverse climatic conditions.

Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, also known as Lala-Parjan Sanctuary, was established in the year 1992 near Jakhau village in Kutch specifically for the conservation of Great Indian Bustard, the heaviest flying bird belonging to the avian family of Otididae. Great Indian Bustard is an endangered species that can easily blend with the grasslands of the sanctuary and these provide a visual treat to the visitors as well.

Some of the other species of animals found here are chinkaras, jungle cats and nilgais.

Located on the outskirts of the town of Bhuj in the district of Kutch, Gujarat, India, Bhujia Hill or Bhujiyo Dungar is a beautiful and famous hill. The Bhujia Fort built on the hill gives you a mesmerizing overlook view of the town. This is one of the best places in Bhuj to go trekking. The difficulty level of the trek is very easy with steps to climb to reach the top. 

Banni Grasslands is a forest area protected by Gujarat state's forest department. The tourists flock to this place to have a view of wildlife in the forest which includes nilgai, chinkara, black buck, wild boar, golden jackal, Asiatic wildcat and the desert fox among other animals. A rich diversity of avifauna, herpetofauna and invertebrates can also be found here.

Matha no Madh is the place where the well-known temple of Ashapura Mata, the principle deity of Kutch is situated. The Puranas and the Rudrayamal Tantra also mention the location of the temple of the goddess. Two ministers in the court of the father of Lakho Fulani, Ajo and Anagor, built the temple in 14th century. A huge number of devotees visit the temple on foot from various places in Gujarat. 

Lakhpat is a small town and sub-district in Kutch which literally means 'the city of millionaire'. The town is within the four walls of the 18th century Lakhpat Fort. The town has been a very important trading post connecting Gujarat and Sindh. The decline of the town started after the earthquake of 1819 which diverted the flow of the Sindhu river away from the town.

The town still remains as one of the places frequented by tourists. The great walls of 7 km that were erected in the year 1801 by Jamadar Fateh Muhammed are nearly intact after all these years. The night sky in this area is an amazing view due to the extremely clear desert air. The sunrise and sunset are a must-watch in this beautiful landscape.

The Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve is a legally protected wetland conservation reserve situated at the dry grasslands of Banni and the marshy salt flats at the Rann of Kutch. Chhari means 'salt affected' and dhand refers to 'shallow wetlands'. This wetland gets marshy only during good monsoon receiving water from rivers nearby. The reserve is spread over 80kms of land.

The Chhari Dhand is a paradise for bird-watchers and ornithologists as the land has around 370 species of birds, among which water fly, waders and larks can be easily spotted.

The Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary located in Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. With the purpose of protecting the endangered Indian wild ass, the sanctuary was set up in 1973.

The sanctuary covers around 4954 km and has a wide variety of animals and birds, among which a few endangered species like the Indian wild ass and some other species like the chinkara (Indian gazelle), caracals (African lynx) and nilgais (the largest antelope of Asia) can also be found.

With around 3000 of them living in the sanctuary, these animals are usually seen in herds, especially during the breeding season.