21-573: Narayan Sarovar or Narayansar is a village and place of pilgrimage for Hindus on the Kori Creek . It is located in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat . The ancient Koteshwar temple lies 4 km away, towards the north-west. The temple is classified among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. The temples, the chief buildings in the place, are surrounded by
42-564: A Council of Regency , headed by Captain MacMurdo and composed of Jadeja chiefs. During his reign Kutch suffered a severe earthquake in 1819 followed by severe famine in 1823, 1825 & 1832. Further, Kutch was attacked by marauding band from Sindh . Rao Deshalji and his Dewan Devkaran with their mediocre power and the support of their brethren defeated Kesarkhan and Sher Bulandkhan the Muslim marauding band. Deshalji although 18 years of age took
63-404: A 5 feet 9 inches high platform, and has three side porches with a large one in the centre, all capped with domes resting on twelve feet high pillars. The central porch is 21 feet square, and each of the side porches 9 feet 9 inches. The 1819 earthquake threw down the central dome, but it has since been rebuilt. The space between the central dome and the shrine is paved with white and black marble. In
84-409: A fortified wall, outside of which cluster the villagers' houses. It was formerly connected with the mainland by a yellow stone causeway, about 3000 feet long and fifteen wide, built in 1863 by a Bhatia of Bombay , named Gokaldas Liladhar Padsha, at a cost of about £2500 (1,00,000 Kutch koris ). Now the new causeway is built. It was in very ancient times famous for its great lake. This, agreeing with
105-480: Is claimed by both India and Pakistan. Ever shifting creeks exit Indian territory, enter Pakistan, reenter India and vice versa, thus creating a hard-to-patrol snake- and scorpion-infested marshy wetland border with no physical barrier or fencing. The Indian military 's Border Security Force (BSF) patrols the Kori Creek and Sir Creek up to the midstream using floating border posts, amphibious vehicles, and foot travel by
126-405: Is simple. The fourth, to Adinarayan, has a black stone pavement in the gallery. Opposite it is a small lately built shrine of Gopalji. The last, to Lakshminarayan, has silver-plated doors and an idol throne and canopy of silver. In a line with these five temples is the temple of Kalyanray built in 1828 (Samvat 1885) by Rao Deshalji II . The stone and wood frames of the entrance are richly carved, and
147-479: Is why this place was and is still considered as one of the five holy lakes by Hindus. Vallabhacharya visited the place during his lifetime as such the site is sacred also for the follower of Pushtimarg . Two yearly fairs are held here, one in Chaitra (April -May) and the other from the 10th to the 15th of Kartik (November- December), when, from western India, thousands of pilgrims come to perform funeral ceremonies on
168-717: The Indian state of Gujarat . It lies just to the west of the Great Rann of Kutch area of India. This region belonging to India is a part of the Indus River Delta , which lies across Gujarat state in India and Sindh in Pakistan . The Sir Creek , laying around 33 km northwest of Kori Creek, is a disputed area between India and Pakistan . On the border of India and Pakistan in Gujarat at
189-810: The Creek Crocodile Commandos. The coastal area of the Sir Creek is manned by the Indian Coast Guard , and the larger open sea beyond is patrolled by the Indian Navy . Deshalji II Badan Kunwarba Hamir Sinhji Maharajadhiraj Mirza Maharao Shri Deshalji II Sahib Bahadur (1814–1860; reign: 1819–1860) was the Rao of Cutch belonging to Jadeja dynasty, who ascended the throne of Princely State of Cutch upon deposition of his father Bharmalji II by British. He reigned during his minority, under
210-543: The Ramgupha, Lakshmangupha, and Sheshgupha caves. From the brittleness of the rock they are of no great size. According to Hindu theology, there are five sacred lakes; collectively called Panch-Sarovar ; Mansarovar , Bindu Sarovar , Narayan Sarovar, Pampa Sarovar and Pushkar Sarovar . As per legends, one of the holy rivers of India, Sarasvati River had an out let in to sea near present-day Narayan Sarovar and waters of lake were filled with holy waters of River Saraswati, that
231-569: The account of the lake found by Alexander , and perhaps lasting till the change of the course of the Indus river (about 1000), was in part renewed by the earthquake of 1819 . Beside the lake, there was, from early times, a temple of Adinarayan in the village. For long under priests of the Kanphata sect, the temple was, about 1550 ( Samvat 1607), wrested from them by a Sanyasi or Atit named Narangar from Junagadh . Narangar made long and broad embankments about
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#1732934219043252-471: The bank of the Narayan Sarovar. Accommodation facilities are available for pilgrims. In 1981, the area around the village is notified as a wildlife sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary . The red antelopes or chinkaras are found in the sanctuary. The nearest airport to Narayan Sarovar is at Bhuj , 150 km away by road. Bhuj is also the nearest railway station for long distance trains. Naliya on
273-441: The doors are plated with silver in which flowers, fruit, leaves, and creepers are carved with much skill. The canopy of the god stands on a pedestal, and is supported on four silver pillars with fine spiral flutes and richly carved friezes, bases, and shafts. The statue is of polished black marble. Besides these built temples, the soft sandstone near the fort has at various times been hollowed into shrines and caves. They are known as
294-461: The east screen wall of the shrine is a marble plate with an inscription. The doors are plated with silver. In the shrine, on a silver throne, stands a black marble image of Trikamray. Under the idol throne is a black marble figure of Vishnu's eagle, Garuda , with clasped hands kneeling on one leg. Over the image of Trikamray are forty gold and silver parasols, the offerings of devotees. The other five temples built by Vagheli Mahakunvar form, along with
315-526: The management of law in his own hands. The trade with Africa especially Zanzibar improved significantly. Slowly and steadily the industrialization in Kutch got a setback which was started by Lakhpatji and Godji. In the period of Deshalji II steps were taken to suppress infanticide, sati and the slave trade in the State. The educational system was also improved. He had eight wives and several sons of which Pragmalji II
336-432: The more lately built temple of Kalyanray, a row of six domes supported by fourteen pillars, and forty-eight pilasters, with carving on the bases, shafts, and capitals. The brackets are scrolled volutes and the side pillars of one dome serve to support the lintel of the next, and the corresponding pillars of the next act similarly for the third dome. The temples at the two ends have screen walls under their domes with doors, but
357-455: The mouth of the Indus River, the Kori Creek is one of the six main creeks on the Indian side. All other five are to the west of it, namely Sir Creek – the westernmost creek, Vian Wari Creek (Vianbari and Viyanbari), Pir Sanai , Pabevari , and Padala 16 km west. All of these creeks are within undisputed territory of India, except for the westernmost creek, namely the Sir Creek, which
378-430: The pool, an oblong sheet of water, 1056 feet by 990, divided by perforated stone walls into a number of bathing places, and furnished on all sides except the east with flights of stone steps, and surrounded by rest-houses. There are seven stone temples in a paved courtyard of 164 feet by 62 1 ⁄ 2 . The temples are approached from the lake by flights of stone steps and surrounded by a strong wall. Vagheli Mahakunvar;
399-467: The recently commissioned Bhuj-Naliya railway line is 60 km away by road. National highway NH 41 connects Narayan Sarovar to Gandhidham via Naliya. State highway SH 49 connects Naliya to Bhuj. National highway NH 754K connects Narayan Sarovar to Bhuj and Lakhpat. Bus service between Bhuj, Naliya and Narayan Sarovar is good. Kori Creek The Kori Creek is a tidal creek in the Kutch region of
420-425: The rest have a common verandah with entrances in the fronts the space on the two sides of each entrance being closed with a screen of wooden lattice. Each of the temples has an inscription. Lakshmiji's temple is without any special feature. Dwarkanath's or Ranchhodji's temple has a small shrine opposite to it with a large image of Garuda , holding a weapon whose point impales a cobra. The third shrine, to Govardhannath,
441-664: The wife of Rao Deshalji I , Rao of Cutch State ; displeased with the priests of Dwarka , after taking counsel with her Brahmans, determined to raise Narayansar to be a place of rival sanctity. Accordingly, in 1734, she first built the temples of Lakshminarayan and Trikamray in the same style as the Dwarka temples, assigning them the revenues of certain villages and the proceeds of certain taxes, and then those of Adinarayan, Govardhannath, Dwarkanath, and Lakshmiji. The temple of Trikamray, in style and shape resembling that at Koteshwar , 72 feet long 68 1 ⁄ 2 broad and 61 high, stands on
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