Koteshwar Temple In Kutch

Koteshwar is a tourist-place that is situated in the Kori Creek of the Arabian Sea on the western end of Kutch just opposite to Karachi-Pakistan. It is about 165 kms away from Bhuj and 2 kms from Narayan Sarovar.

As stated in a legend, when Lord Shiva was delighted with the worship and forfeit of Ravan, he gave him a Ling-full of religious power. Lest Ravan should become endless as a result of this advantage, all the Gods united together and conspired to gain the Ling from Ravan through dishonesty and installed it as Kotilengeshwar. Then, the village came to be known as Koteshwar. It is invented to be Hieu-en-Tsiang’s “Kie-tsi-fa-lo on the western border of the country close to the river Indus and to the great ocean of Kutch.” According to Hieu-en-Tsiang, Koteshwar port is five miles in boundary near the mouth of the river Indus. There were 80 monasteries with about 5000 monks in them. In the middle of the completion were thirteen temples of which Mahesh Mandir was full of good monument. Koteshwar shows us a few signs of its former greatness. It stands as amazing on the sea-shore, rising courageously from the sea that washes its western parts and temples are enclosed by prepared walls, the gate approached by three flights of steps.

The writing on the left side of the gate shows that the present fort and temple were constructed in 1820 by Sheth Sundarji and Jetha Shivji Brahmakshatriya. In the middle, a beautifully built stone temple of Mahadev called Koteshwar is situated. Its terrace has three domes. Under the central dome, there is a large and beautiful cheek pull presented by Rao Desalji. In the right dome, there is a large stone image of Hanuman and in the left dome; there is a large stone image of Ganpati. Inside the porch, there is a hall Mandap with a large central and two side domes. At the internal end of the hall, the holy places are available and on the other side; figures of Ganpati and Hanuman. In the screen wall of the holy place, there are two inscriptions referring to the redecoration of the temples in 1820.

A small temple is close to the chief Koteshwar holy place which was built by the same men and about the same time in honour and memory of Kalyaneshwar. A tetragon pool filled by every high rush is just near the small temple where the Hindus bathe and finish the Shraddha ceremony.

Koteshwar is related with Bhuj through Narayan Sarovar by S.T. bus services.