This grassland 74-km north of Mandvi is a superbly maintained
wilderness area. Abode of the endangered Indian bustard and
the monsoon breeding area of the rare lesser florican, this
grassland is also good for seeing Indian gazelle, Indian and
desert foxes, jackal, the endangered Indian wolf and birds
like the black francolin. The coastal marshes between the
sanctuary and the fishing port of Jakhau (known for its excellent
lobsters, crabs and pomfret) attract large flocks of flamingo.
There is an excellent Forest Rest House at Naliya with attractive
rooms and western baths but only Kutchi thalis are available
at the nearby restaurants.
Mandvi is an ideal base to visit the 72-Jinalaya, the Jain
complex at Badreshwar, and the Jain temples of Naliya and
Tera.
The shore temples of Koteshwar
and Narayan Sarovar are among the westernmost points in India
where tourists gathered to witness the last country’s
last sunset during the millennium. Narayan Sarovar is one
of the five major holy lakes of India like Mansarovar in the
Himalaya, Pushkar in Rajasthan, Bhubaneshwar in Eastern India
and Pampasarovar in South India. The fortified town of Lakpath
near the border with Pakistan has a gurudwara believed to
commemorate the place from where Guru Nanak embarked for Mecca.
Ashapura Mata is an important temple near Narayan Sarovar. |
