ASHAPURA MATA TEKRI : A BIRDS’S EYE VIEW

Kutch is an ancient island separated from mainland India and rest of Gujarat by the Rann of Kutch, a salty waste which is inundated by sea water for more than half the year. Owing to this Kutch has developed a unique culture and distinct traditions. Even the Kutchi dialect has shades of Sindhi and other languages over and above the mother language Gujarati.

The region was ruled for a long time by the Chandravanshi Rajput Jadeja clan. The revered mother Goddess of Kutch is Ashapura Mata, a form of Shakti and her prime seat is at Mata Na Madh located about 90 km West of Bhuj. Well, here we are not talking about Mata Na Madh, about which we’ll talk some other time but a lesser known temple for the same Goddess located atop a mountain, keeping in spirit of this blog of being off beat and less touristy.

Ashapura Mata has numerous temples located all over Kutch, but the temple we talk about here is unique in the sense that it is located on an imposing hillock over 1026 feet in height, jutting out from the plains and located just off NH 341 between Anjar and Bhuj near the Village of Kukma.

Signpost on NH 341 marking the turning

As I travel frequently from Anjar and Bhuj, the hill dominating the horizon towards the West between the villages of Ratnal and Kukma always mystified me. Finally, one day I decided to make an impromptu visit and explore the hill.

Cabbage Fields Enroute

To my surprise, there was a prominent sign on the highway showing the way to the Ashapura hill shrine. It is only then I realized that the structure seen from a distance was actually a temple.

The hillock is accessible through a dirt track which though narrow is well marked and cuts across quaint cauliflower and mustard fields. The track winds for about 3 km from the highway and you reach a clearing at the base of the hill. The base too has a temple and a small house where the priest and his family live.

Steep Steps leading to the Top

 The hill itself is very imposing and forms the massif of a small range which stretches from the South the North. The hill top is accessible through a steep yet well maintained flight of steps (519 badly designed steps in all), a trekker’s trail or a newly cut gypsum covered kuccha road leading to the top.

As I had a very capable Tata Xenon 4-wheel drive SUV, I decided to try the gypsum road leading to the top. The 1 ½ km or so of the climb is treacherous to say the least. The SUV in 4 wheel drive –low mode to had its hands full  pulling through the fine gypsum covering the track as the track was very slippery and had impossible gradients and rock falls at places. My co-passengers surly had some jitters but we made it very safely to the top.

Breathtaking View from the Summit

Goddess Ashapura

The Temple on Top

The top of the hill is actually quite small and houses a small well maintained temple. There is nothing historical about the architecture of the temple and it has been done up in concrete and tiles. However, the idol of the Goddess definitely  looked pretty ancient. The priest informed us that the idol was about 500 years old, but any specific history was unknown. The hillock itself is composed of ancient volcanic basalt and the spurs are composed of layers rock covered with cacti and other wild foliage. The priest also told us that a lot of wildlife existed in the scrub forest surrounding the range especially, nilgai, foxes, wild boar and an occasional leopard.

View of the Range from the Top

The view of the surroundings from the hill top was absolutely breathtaking to say the least. I believe on a clear day one could see as far as Bhuj and also the sea. But even on the day we visited (there was a bit of a haze) the view really was awesome, the hillock being the highest feature for many miles around. It was also very windy at the top.

We decided to take the steps while coming down. The steps are very well maintained with railings on both sides. But on the flip side, are badly designed with some steps  being almost ½ a metre tall. Therefore one has to be a little careful while walking down.

A visit to Ashapura Mata Tekri, Kukma is definitely worth it for its unspoilt and uncrowded ambiance, nice trek uphill, a breathtaking view and of course the blessings of Maa Ashapura- the guardian of Kutch!  

Coordinates:- https://goo.gl/maps/jXgk2TFDgco