Geography of Bhuj
Bhuj is located in the Kutch District, the Land of Mystery, in the north-west part of India. The total area covered by Kutch District is more than even some of the Indian States. Kutch has many important cities and towns and the most important out of them is the district headquarters Bhuj. Bhuj has hills, sea and desert in and around it thus has got varied vegetation and wildlife.
Location of Bhuj
Bhuj is located at a height of about 110 m. It is located in the center of the Kutch District. The location of Bhuj is strategic as it is having hills on its eastern side and a huge lake Hamirsar on the other side. The city has derived its name from this hill named "Bhujiyo Dungar" which also houses a fort on its top. This fort, Bhujia Fort, separates Madhapar Town and Bhuj City.
Bhuj is located on 23.27 N Latitude and 60.67 E Longitude. Bhuj also houses many small and big lakes. Originally Bhuj City was surrounded by Bhujia Fort that had 5 major gates and a single small gate called Chathi Bari. Due to development and lots of constructions being done in the city, most part of the wall got destroyed. The wall was also destroyed due to 2001 earthquake.
Climate in Bhuj
Bhuj is quite hot during the summer months. The minimum temperature is about 22°C and the maximum temperature is 40°C or more. During summer months, Bhuj tour is not preferred. The monsoon in Bhuj starts in June and continues up to September. During July and August the city gets the maximum rainfall and then the intensity of the rainfall decreases. Many tourists prefer to come here during monsoons. Cyclones are common in Bhuj during the monsoon season.
Winter months in Bhuj are from November to February. This is the best time to visit Bhuj. The temperature ranges between 24°C to 28°C. Summers in Bhuj are very scorching and winters are pleasant. Bhuj has dry climate as it is very close to the desert area.
Flora and Fauna in Bhuj
Bhuj falls into the arid and semi-arid area so vegetation in Bhuj is found accordingly. As Bhuj is near to the desert area (Rann of Kutch) and is also in close proximity with the sea, Bhuj shows bio-diversity in terms of flora and fauna. Varieties of vegetation are found here. The coastal part of Bhuj has vegetation like Saru, Neem, Ber, Neem, coconut etc. The dry and hilly zone has trees of Pipal, Imli, Gugal, Vad, and varieties of Cactus. Bhuj also has grassy areas around it. Many species of grass are found here.
Varieties of reptiles, mammals and fishes are found in Bhuj and its adjoining areas. Crocodile, spiny tailed lizard, monitor lizard, Kutch Rock Gecho, Black Cobra, Black Krait, Sand Boa, Royal Snake, Sand Boa, Python etc. are some of the reptiles found here. Varieties of toads and frogs are found in Bhuj.
The mammals you can get to see in Bhuj and its surrounding areas are Neelgai, Wild Boar, Chinkara, Indian wolf, Jackal, pangolin. Kutch area is also famous for huge population of White Ass.
Water-Bodies in Bhuj
Within the boundary of Bhuj City, there are 30 lakes and the most important is the Hamirsar Lake. Hamirsar Lake is the largest man-made lake located in the central part of Bhuj City. It was built about 450 years ago. It was like an oasis in the arid area of the district. Over the years, many tunnels and canals were developed by the local rulers and water from three different river systems used to get accumulated here to fulfill the water requirement of entire Bhuj. The lake also had recharge aquifers.
During the earthquake 2001, catchments of this lake were destroyed but with initiatives taken by the government and the Area Development Authority of Bhuj, the lake got filled with water which was safe to be used. There are other lakes in Bhuj City which are Dhobi Lake, Chhataradi Lake, Pragsar Lake and Deshalsar Lake.
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