Nagarparkar
Nagarparkar is a farthest town in southeastern tip of Sindh, hold importance for many reasons: being near the town of Indian border, and for being the home to remains of a number of oldest Jain temples in Pakistan as this the region once had a significant Jain population and now are popular tourist attractions and heritage sites in the region.
Understand
Nagarparkar is at the foot of the Karoonjhar Hills made-up of pink granite which has surrounded the town for 25 km (16 miles) about 15 km from the Indian border, lies Barmer (Rajasthan) on east and on its south is Run Katchh. The area have sand dunes, sand valleys, springs and surrounding by a rocky belt of Parkar, while the remaining part is an arid sandy desert area.
The pink granite stone of this mountain is used for making tiles. There is a saying that the Karoonjhar hills provide 1.25 kg of gold every day in the form of red granite stone, china clay, and honey. In summer, different sounds are audible from the rock due to sulphur deposits.
The town and its surroundings are rich in wildlife and therefore, environmentalist NGOs are demanding the national park status for Nagarparkar in order to protect its flora and fauna from being damaging.
Get in
Nagarparkar can only be reached via Mithi both by car as well by mini buses. Some 4 to 5 mini buses, all non air-conditioned leaves from Mithi only before the sunsets at the interval of an hour. A ticket on mini bus from Mithi costs about Rs 200 and the journey may take about 3-3½ hours. Earliest bus leaves at around noon and the last one at 4PM. From Nagarparkar, last bus for Mithi leaves at around 1:30PM for Mithi and Islamkott.
Nagarparkar is some 150 km in distance from Mithi on Nagarparkar-Islamkot Rd which later merges with Islamkot-Nagarparkar Rd.
Get around
You can go to different parts of Nagarparkar by driving yourself, by private taxis which are in the form of 4x4 jeeps, or by shared motorcycle rickshaws. Within Nagarparkar, rickshaws provide cheap and quick transportation for going from one place to another as well are perfectly fine for town tour. A rickshaw can be hired for a sightseeing of the temple attractions for a maximum Rs 500. 4x4 jeeps taxis are generally private cars and can be easily hailed from the taxi stands and are most comfortable, luxurious way to navigate around the town of Nagarparkar.
See
Jain temples
There are several Jain temples around Nagarparkar, Most were built in between the 12th to the 15th centuries, a period when Jain architectural expression was at its zenith. The temples were inscribed on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status in 2016. Unfortunately, some of the them are partly ruined.
Other sights
- 4 Nagarparkar museum.
- 5 Bhodesar Mosque. Constructed in 1505 CE by Mahmud Begada, the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. Gujarat was an independent kingdom established in the early 15th century in Gujarat, and is now a state of India. The architecture of mosque is of Jain and Isamic style and is still being used for prayers.
Do
- 1 Karoonjhar Mountains. Nagarparkar is the gateway to pink granite mountains and hills of Karoonjhar that are quite different from the surrounding desert of Thar. The mountains are popular with hikers, there are several footpaths. Best time to visit if just after the monsoon season when the hills offer a lush green view.
Buy
Despite being a important yet small town, there's no place to look out for souvenirs or handicrafts. A small bazaar exist in town, but it only has general merchandise.
Eat
There're only few eateries in town, but all are very simple Dhaba styled, and all severing basic Pakistani food. Expect to pay minimum Rs 100 for a single dish wherever and whatever you eat.
Sleep
Lodging facilities in town are almost non-existent except few rest houses that are only open to government employees and their families. On the other hand, you can rent a charpai-, a traditional woven bed used in the Indian subcontinent for a night to sleep in from a restaurant. A few guest houses are being constructed.