The four-century-old reservoir at the heart of Bhuj was dug in the 16th century by Rao Hamir, the founder of the city, fed by aqueducts from the surrounding hills. It is roughly rectangular, ringed by stone ghats, small Hindu temples and quiet lanes, and overlooked from the south by the Kutch Museum and Alfred High School.
The lake is at its best at dawn or after sunset, when people walk laps around the perimeter and the temples light up. When the monsoon properly fills the lake — which it does not always — there is a small ceremony in which the maharaja's descendant takes the first dip. Watch for kingfishers and the occasional crocodile in the reedy corners.