​Koteshwar Mahadev Temple - The Top Place to Visit in Rann of Kutch

Koteshwar Mahadev Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at the western tip of India in Kutch district of Gujarat. Situated near Narayan Sarovar, it is one of the sacred pilgrimage sites in Gujarat and among the top places to visit in Rann of Kutch.

After traveling over the expanse of desert in western Kutch, you discover the Koteshwar Temple, at a place where the immensity of dry land meets the incomprehensible vastness of the sea. After so much a lot arid ground, the sight of the ocean will awaken your spirits; although the sea is less hospitable to humans, a sobering thought. The only point that breaks the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west is the point of the Koteshwar Temple, the last outpost of human construction at the western most limit of India. Not overrun by tourists just like the temple at Dwarka, Koteshwar is contributory to considering emptiness, ruminative the place of humanity on earth.

The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana, who won a boon from Lord Shiva for an excellent show of piety. This boon was the gift of a Shiva linga of great soiritual power, but which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To penalize Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical copies. Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around that Koteshwar Temple was built.

Built by stone, this temple stands on a raised platform and fortified against the sea by a wall. In past, the temple was almost entirely cut off from the mainland by tidal creeks but now is connected by road. The temple is encircled by the walls while the gate can be approached by 3 flights of stairs. The terrace has 3 domes of which the central dome is exquisitely constructed. The presiding deity is in the form of linga at the sanctum of the temple. The shrine has images of Lord Ganapati, Hanuman and Parvati. One can also see a brass Nandi Idol, presented by the Rao Deshalji I of Kutch State.

Visitors can see the temple, walk along the beach and on a clear night, even see the glow of light from Karachi, Pakistan, on the northwestern horizon.

How to reach there?

By Road

From Bhuj, 154 kms away, buses go to Narayan Sarovar twice a day (morning and evening). However, that is the only public transportation available. Koteshwar Temple is a mere 2 km from Narayan Sarovar, on the coast, but visitors to Lakhpat (28 km further) or Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary (15 km) will need a private vehicle; this can only be hired in Bhuj.

By Train

Two daily express trains, the Bhuj Express and the Kutch Express, go from Bhuj to Ahmedabad (8hrs) and on to Mumbai (16hrs.) However, both trains pass through Ahmedabad in the middle of the night, as the schedules are designed to depart and arrive and reasonable hours from Bhuj and Mumbai, not Ahmedabad.

By Air

The Bhuj airport lies 4km from the city and has ample domestic flights from major destinations in India.