Kot Lakhpat is situated at the mouth of the Kori creek, overlooking the Great Rann of Kutch, at a distance of 160 Km from Bhuj in State of Gujrat.
It was an exciting experience to drive towards the extreme north-west part of the country the last village in that direction. The deserted straight road passes through never-ending barren land devoid of habitation.
Before a long 135 Km, from Bhuj in Gujrat to Ghost town “Kot Lakhpat”, we decided to have breakfast. From a road side traditional street vendor’s food thela, a quick desi naashta of Aalu and Pyaz Pakoras, soft Dhoklas, Aalu Banda with chatni, sweet and hot Jalebis with a garam chai, was a start to wander in history.
We were entering
just as Camel caravans once did centuries ago, laden with goods destined to be
shipped from the Lakhpat port to far corners of the Indian Ocean. This entrance
gate in the southern portion of the fort wall on the road from Bhuj was open
with a gate on the road just inside the walls.
Four other gates service the town along with
pedestrian Bari, a "window". Here, a toll booth stood ready to
collect tolls and customs from visitors and traders before they were allowed access
to the rest of the town. Bhungas housed Arab guards nearby, who were employed
by the town for protection.
“Tropic
of Cancer is passing from here”
About 40-45 kilometers prior to Lakhpat,
another sensational surprise was waiting to accrue the thrill of our journey. A
large board on our left was displaying, “Tropic of Cancer is passing from here”
and I immediately stopped and stepped out to capture the moment in my camera.
A few
steps from the display board were a white line drawn on the road to indicate
the probable imaginary line. Unbelievable, am I really witnessing the imaginary
line, about which we have read only in our geography books during school days!
Hereafter, we didn’t find a single vehicle
or any habitat on the way except occasional sighting of monitor lizards and
mongoose shying away into the bushes, until hitting the dead end at the ruined
magnificent fort.
Looked out through the window of Taxi: all
was barren wilderness and a straight road passing through the middle of it.
And
finally reached at “Ghost Town Lakhpat”:
The
place of my dreams, since I have seen Hindi movie “Refujee”, of Abhishek
Bachhcan and Kareena Kapoor, shot in Lakhpat. The deserted straight road passes
through never-ending barren land devoid of habitation.Trust me, if you don’t
get yourself a car or a taxi, you’ll be a sitting duck under the scorching sun.
In one of India's remote corners (Bhuj, state of Gujrat) on India-Pakistan border lays a deserted village of hardly a few hundred populations within a sprawling fortification. The village is no other than Lakhpat, once a thriving port with daily revenue believed to exceed one hundred thousand (one lakh) koris. Hence its name is Lakhpat.
The straight road ended at the fort gate.
There was nobody around. The car drived past the fort’s entrance gate that
opened out to a vast barren expanse with a few abandoned shacks. Inside too,
not a single soul in sight.
History
of Ghost Town
As I approach the now deserted ghost town
Lakhpat, a hushed breeze redolent with countless stories—some fact, some
legend—sweeps over the crumbling ruins.
The
literal meaning of Lakhpat is the city of millionaire as historically town was
bustling with port activities and had daily revenue of one lakh Kori, the
former currency.
Lakhpat
was founded by Rao Lakhpatji (1752-61) the ruler of the State of Kutch. The
settlement was later fortified in 1801 by Jamadar Fateh Muhammed, a Kutch
General, to defend the kingdom from the Sindhis across the river.
The 7
kilometer long fortification, much of which still stands, was at one time
manned by 50 Arabs and 150 Kutch soldiers. Within it was a populace of
millionaire merchants, predominantly Muslim, with a spattering of Hindus,
trading in opium, rice, ghee, silk and perfumes with Sindh.
How
Lakhpat: A port and fertile land, was abandoned and
turned as a Ghost town.
And
then, when it was merely half a century old, an earthquake with an estimated
magnitude of 7.7 to 8.2 occurred on the evening of 16 June, 1819. And
everything changed.
This earthquake changed the course of the
Indus River on whose banks the town had been built, moving it 150 kilometers
away.
Lakhpat’s
fortunes, as both a port and fertile land, dwindled almost overnight. The town
was abandoned to be replaced with thorny acacia trees and dusty desert sands.
Where formerly over 10,000 inhabitants had lived in luxury within the fortified
walls, the number dropped over the following centuries to a few hundred
struggling to subsist.
Today it is ghost town, a city of ruins of
buildings and a magnificent fort surrounding them. The population was 463 in 87
households 2001 which increased to 566 in 108 households in 2011.
Inside
Ghost Town Lakhpat
The straight road ends at the fort. There is
nobody around. The car drives past the fort’s entrance gate that opens out to a
vast barren expanse with a few abandoned shacks. Inside too, not a single soul
in sight. It was about 12.30 P.M, Sun was just over our heads in sky.
A small tea stall was located at the corner
of the main entrance-- It seemed unbelievable, that we had reached the
extremely distant part of the land. The display boards at the entry points were
boasting about the glorious past of Lakhpat, now a protected place. Looking
around, we didn’t find anybody.
Our car entered inside the gate. Here I
clicked some memorable shots. Taxi driver was telling us about the glorious past
of this place, while driving inside on soily lanes .The silent inhibited
buildings were mook evidence of their rich past.
Inside
fort we saw a broken Custom House, which was the chief administrative office
for trade in the mid 19th century. It was known as the Chowk Bazaar. Just close
to it is Akbani Mahal, which was home to an affluent trading family of Lakhpat.
The Akbanis are Muslims of the Memon community and also are well known to this
day for their far reaching trading empire, mostly centered now in Bombay.
Tomb
of Sayyed Pir Ghaus Muhammad Shah
Taxi driver stopped Innova car at a
place. Being a local man he was well informed about the history and local folk
tales of this place. He told: This is Pir Ghaus Muhammad tomb.
He was a
Sufi saint of Lakhpat, was believed to have supernatural powers. After Pir’s
death in 1855, his brother Shah Saheb began to build a tomb locally known as
Kubo. Pir's body rests here along with other members of his family.
This tomb is constructed over a palatiform by
black stones, octagonal in shape, with four side doors arched and richly
carved. The walls are decorated with patterns of flowers and leaves. The grave
inside tomb is covered with a white marble canopy. 
Opposite the tomb is a water tank which is
believed to have healing characteristics for skin diseases. Ravi told that water
of these tanks changes its color by every day of week.
In one corner of this water tank, was stone stairs leading to fort wall top. I couldn’t stop my curiosity to climb over the stairs. Climbing up a few stairs over the Fort wall, we could see 360 degree views of Kori Creek, Marsh land, Sand and Rann of Kachh.
Further
ahead is said to be Pakistan: As we couldn’t see any establishment on the end of
our vision, we exactly do not know where it was.
So yes, Lakhpat is a place where once upon a
time people resided. It’s a place where Muslim mosques and tombs exist
alongside the temples and the Gurudwaras. 
Langar
at Lakhpat Gurudwara Sahib:
It was around 1.45 P.M, when driver stopped
at door of Gurudawara. A Sikh Gyani (priest) welcomed, and asked for Langer.
After the darshan. The Langar had daal, roti, rice and halwa. All cooked in pure
ghee. we had langar with home type cooked prasad and food. Free langar and tea
are served to the visitor around the clock.
You need to wash your own utensils at
Gurudwara.The langar had daal, roti, rice and halwa. The food tasted good.
I especially loved the halwa made with desi
ghee. Few Sikhs who run the place were extremely helpful and smiling, willing
to answer many of my questions. You needs to cover your head if you wish to
enter the prayer room at a gurudwara. Somewhere ahead, there is an old Shiva
temple too.
History
of Gurudawara at Lakhpat: Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi
Gurdwara
Pehli Patshahi meaning the "Gurdwara of the first master" is situated
at Lakhpat. Guru Nanak Devji Sahib stayed here 40 days during his second and
fourth missionary journeys to holy places of Islam, Mecca and Madina, in 1506-1513
AD and 1519-1521 AD respectively.
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib has been built to preserve the memory of these visits of Guru during the early 1500s. A few rare personal possessions of his are retained here.
It will come as a surprise to Sikhs, that
the Gurdwara was restored to its present immaculate state by the strenuous
efforts of United Nations volunteer programme during a seven month period
between February and September 2003.
Several rare treasure are preserved in this
Gurudawara. It includes the “Charan Paduka”-Khadvas (wooden footwear) of Guru
Nanak Devji’s. It houses relics such as decorative carved wooden cradle.
Soldiers
of the Border Security Force (BSF)
We saluted these real life heroes. The real
job is done by those who put their lives in danger every single day on their
job. The BSF jawans overlook the Rann and the Pakistan border straight, with the
air distance not being more than 20 kms.
They protect our borders in all conditions,
from cold to dry and hot conditions of the Rann. Realized degree of difficulties
of this border place “The Lakhpat”, where even water is scarce and ration of
vegetables are limited.
Coming
out of the nostalgic tranquility of the fortified ancient ruined settlement. No
basic infrastructure, no petrol pumps, no accommodation facilities around
hundreds of miles and not even a public transport beyond Dayapar. Totally
discriminated, ignored, neglected, isolated and disconnected place. Is it due to infiltration prone zone!
Here I spent most memorable few hours of my
life and clicked few most beautiful clicks from camera.
The End
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