Visit Lakhpat Fort in Kutch Gujarat : The Fort Famous for Its Riches (2024)
The Lakhpat Fort is in the Kutch District of Gujarat. It is a popular tourist location and has a special place in the history of Gujarat and India. If you are looking to visit the Lakhpat fort, read this article to know what to expect. The road to the Lakhpat fort is a good drive, and driving enthusiasts will like visiting Lakhpat Fort.
The Lakhpat Fort History
There’s an interesting story behind the name of the Lakhpat Fort. Experts claim that the place was the location for some monetarily high business transactions, so the name for the entire area was Lakhpat. Some say that the name of the fort Lakhpat is an ode to one of the Kings, the King Rao Lakhpat. The term Lakhpat means one who owns millions in Hindi, ‘Lakhpati’. However, the fort and the town went to waste after the 1819 Earthquake that ravaged Gujarat. As per records, the place gained the name because the total transactions that took place every day were equivalent to a lakh of rupees. This aspect is so famous that even documentary series have made episodes about it. 
There’s another legend about the Lakhpat Fort and the ruined village. According to the legend, the rulers looted the nearby town of Pir to fund the building of the fort. The ruler of the looted town, Mosopir, couldn’t handle this and died right after. The myth concludes that the Lakhpat area carried the curse and fell prey to the earthquake. There are some religious structures around the Lakhpat fort, like a Gurudwara, a Temple, and a Mosque.
The Lakhpat Fort Structure and Tourist Experience
The Lakhpat fort is a formidable and pretty tall figure. It’s made mostly of brown bricks. There are steps everywhere to reach the top. Though the inner structures are ruins, you get a great view of the Rann of Kutch from the top of the Lakhpat fort. Kutch is on the Indian border, so you will be able to see Pakistan from the top.
There’s a Border Security Fort post inside the fort, so that tells you of the strategic location of Lakhpat fort. From the top, you get an excellent view of the sea as well. The walls of the Lakhpat fort tell about the lifestyle back then. They have niches all around, which would have been helpful to shoot out any enemy soldiers making their way to the fort. Also, the walls have bastions all over, which the soldiers might have used to look over the entire area.
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In the vicinity, you see a small temple with beautiful carvings and a design on the walls, pillars, and the dome. The other structures inside the Lakhpat fort are the Court House and a palace that belonged to the Akbani family.
The walls of the Lakhpat fort spread for about seven km and are still intact, so you get an idea of how much area it had.
The entire Lakhpat Fort encloses a city, which many say is a Ghost town. The Lakhpat City and fort routinely make the list of the haunted places in Gujarat and India.
Places to Visit Near Lakhpat Fort:
Lakhpat Fort and the village are of historic and religious importance as well. The Gurudwara here was the last stop for Guru Nanak before he moved to Mecca. The Gurudwara has some of Guru Nanak’s final possessions as well.
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Along with this, you will see the tombs of the Sufi Mystics Ghaus Muhammad and Sayyed Pir. All of these structures have intricate carvings and sculptures. The water body near Ghaus Muhammad’s tomb is said to heal skin problems.
The Lakhpat Fort is in the Kutch area, which has several other places of tourist interest that you can visit.
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Near the Lakhpart fort, you will see the Gurudwara, which is an important landmark as well. The Gurudwara allows individuals to stay as well as have food.
The Lakhpat fort and the Kutch area is famous because it is the last place near the border, and one of the few places from where you can see outside India. It is a pretty safe area to visit today, but one should take care while climbing the stairs in the area, as they are old and might get slippery. Also, the Lakhpat fort area doesn’t have a shelter area, and given the harsh weather in Gujarat, you should pack sunglasses and a cap. There’s not a lot of commercial activity near the Lakhpat fort, so make sure that you carry some drinking water and snacks for your outing at Lakhpat.
Lakhpat offers a calming, serene and sometimes surreal experience and is one of the must-visit fort villages in Gujarat and India.
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If you have plans to spend a weekend in Kutch, you can travel around and visit several places of cultural and historical interest nearby. For example, two hours from the Lakhpat fort is the Kutch Museum, the oldest museum in the area of Gujarat. There are several collections that you can see there, including the Ksatrapa inscriptions, the extinct Kutchi inscriptions, etc.
If you can travel for three hours more, you can visit the Chhari Dhand Bird Sanctuary. Another important and exciting location in Kutch is Mandvi Beach in the Bhuj area.
The Kutch area has several hotels, and you will find accommodations for all budgets. The general price for a day’s stay here is about 1100 rupees.
If you are planning to book the hotel online, make sure that you check the services and the amenities that are available. Some hotels might not allow unmarried couples to share a room. While this is the most common issue, others might not allow pets, and others might not have the kind of cuisine that you like. So, it makes sense to contact the hotel before your booking and make these clarifications.
How to Reach Lakhpat Fort?
Lakhpat is in Kutch a prominent tourist location, so it is easy to reach. The nearest airport is the Rudra Mata Airport at Bhuj, which is about 112 KM away. The nearest railway station is the Bhuj railway station, which is about 114 km away.
