KARACHI: The Sindh culture and tourism ministry has opened the Rooplo Kolhi Resort at Nagarparkar, which it described as the first of its many projects aimed at promoting tourism in the province, officials said on Sunday.

“This resort has been built at the foothills of the Karoonjhar Mountains in Thar Desert, which will serve a great deal to tourism, especially people from other parts of Sindh and the rest of the country,” said a senior official in the ministry while speaking to Dawn.

The resort has been named after the famous Sindhi freedom fighter who fought against the British in the Karoonjhar Mountains and was later hanged by the colonial regime in 1858 with his companions.

“This resort is a small tribute to him,” said the official. He added that there were 26 rooms, including 10 luxury ones, on offer for tourists who could reside there on modest rents while visiting Nagarparkar generally called the ‘Land of pheasants and temples’.

The resort is surrounded by agriculture fields, which turned lush green during wet monsoons while peacocks would be routinely seen all across the area.

The officials said there were several sites, which would attract tourists in this part of Thar district, which borders with India.

The ancient Bhodesar Mosque is located 1.5 kilometres from the resort.

The same locality houses the Bhodesar Pond, where a small dam had been constructed to provide water to inhabitants who normally get exposed to worst droughts.

Not so far away is the famous Jain Temple — one of the dozens of such temples.

Bhodesar is the town which was the region’s capital during the Sodha rule. The remains of three other temples are still visible. The oldest temple was built in the classical style in around the ninth century.

It is probably the most spectacular of the monuments in Sindh. The two other Jain temples are said to have been built in 1375 and 1449. The officials said the region once had a significant Jain population. The remains of several Jain temples are popular tourist attractions. Another is the Nagar Bazaar Temple.

The Karoonjar Jain temple is at the foothill of the mountains. The ruins of legendary Parinagar are not far off.

The officials spoke of Gor Dario hill torrent where Maya Dam had been built and was yet another much sought-after destination for tourists.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017