Kothara is a village situated in Abdasa Taluka of Kutch district of Indian state of Gujarat. Also a Jain pilgrimage center, it is located on the Highway No.8A linking to Bhuj, Gujarat. It lies in hot, arid and dry region of Kutch. The Arabian Sea is on its west and Rann of Kutch on north. Kothara village is renowned for its higher secondary education and growing talent in the fields of arts and music. The village has several houses with rich architecture.
History of Kothara Village
Earlier this village was an estate founded during the reign of Godaji, when Godaji, the ruler of Cutch State, gave the Mundra estate to his brethren Haloji, who founded towns of Kothara, Kotri and Nagrachi. Erstwhile, it was the head town of nearby 52 villages and around 15 to 16 different communities of people stayed in kothara village. Presently, it is enclosed by 30 small villages.
Tourism of Kothara Village
There are several places of interest in this village that are worth visiting. The Jain temple dedicated to Shantinath is one of the well known attractions of this village. Dedicated to Shantinath, the sixteenth Tirthankara, the temple was completed in 1861. Styled after the Jain temple in Ahmedabad, it was considered the richest temple of Kutch then. It was built by Kutch workmen under the guidance of Salat Nathu of Sabhrai. This temple is also called "Kalyan Tunk". The temple has several decorative pillars which talk in volume about the craftsmanship of the earlier architects. A white colour idol of Shri Shantinath Bhagwan in Padmasana mudra of about 90 cm high is placed inside the temple. This temple is famous for its architectural designs that are distinctive in style compared to other Jain Temples. There is a Dharmashala nearby which has a capacity of accommodating 150 pilgrims with the facility of bhojanshala.
In this village, temples of Bhalaradada Mandir, Kameshwar Mahadev Mandir, Ashapura Mataji Mandir, Pinjaleshwar Mahadev Mandir are major eye candies. Nearby Pinjaleshwar Sea side is a picturesque place of major interest.
Connectivity to Kothara Village
The village is well connected via railway and airway. Both the nearest railhead and airport is located at Bhuj with proper bus and taxi services.
