Naliya

Naliya is a town, which is also the taluka headquarters of Abdasa Taluka of Kutch District, Gujarat, India. It is located on the western end of Kutch 19 km by road from ancient port of Jakhau.

History :

Naliya was a prosperous trading town in past who had trading ties with Zanzibar and Bombay. It had a population of 5238 in 1880.

Demographics :

In the 2011 census, the village of Naliya had 11,415 inhabitants for a gender ratio of 939 females per thousand males.

Indian Air Force Station :

Naliya is home to the Naliya Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force, which was built here in view of the town’s proximity to Pakistan.

Tourism :

Naliya Jain Derasar

Naliya is a century old town, which has Jain temples & mosques built several centuries ago. It is a famous Jain pilgrimage center and one the famous five Jain temples of Abdasa ni Panchtirthi (meaning five-temples of Abdasa) is in the town. Other Jain temples are in nearby places in Abdasa Taluka. The main architects of these centuries old Jain temples were Mistris of Kutch.

Moolnayak Bhagwaan is Chandraprabha. The main idol of Shri Chandraprabhu Bhagwan is Swet varn(white coloured) of about 72 cm in padmasanastha position.

Bustard Sanctuary

Naliya is also famous for Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary also known as Lala–Parjan Sanctuary, which is located nearby the town. With an area of about only 2 square kilometers, it is the smallest sanctuary in the country. There are approximately 30 great Indian bustards here, second only to Desert National Park, Rajasthan.

How to get there

By Road: Dholavira is 250 km from Bhuj and is reached via Bhachau and Rapar. A bus leaves from Bhuj at 14:00 and arrives at Dholavira at 20:30. It leaves at 05:00 the next morning and returns to Bhuj by 11:30. It is also possible to rent a vehicle.

By Air: The nearest airport is Bhuj. Bear in mind that an on-site guest house allows the possibility of a more leisurely experience, rather than a day trip.