Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Bhuj Immortalises The Memories Of Gujarat's Past

Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum is India’s largest memorial, and it has opened its doors to the public in Bhuj, from the Kutch region. This museum has been created for the bereaved families victims of the massive earthquake in this region in 2001.

The forest of memories

Smritivan means the ‘Forest of Memories'. It is the largest memorial and museum to ever be built in modern India, covering a gigantic area over 470 acres. It is situated on the Bhujiyo Dungar in the outskirts of Bhuj. It also shares the area with the 300 years old Bhujia fort. The memorial consists of a Sun-Point that overlooks the city, the sunrises and the sunsets from atop the Bhujiyo Dungar along with the world’s largest Miyawaki Forest with over 3 lakh plants.

The Smritivan Earthquake Memorial has 50 check-dam reservoirs that house the name plates of almost 13,000 victims of the 2001 earthquake. The precious lives lost more than two decades ago will now be immortalised and commemorated for posterity - in an ecologically sustainable, historically profound, and sensorially enriching manner for the individual and collective cultural enhancement of the future generations.

The 7 galleries of Smritivan

Rebirth: Visitors get a glimpse of prosperous ancient human civilizations in the Kutch region, ancient trade routes of Gujarat, and the tale of its advancement and resilience.

Rediscover: Through the Rediscover block, we experience the resilient nature of Kutch, the innovative spirit of Gujarat’s people, and the reasons for the multiple natural occurrences in Gujarat.

Restore: Here we recount the tragic events of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. It also presents the immediate rescue and relief activities that followed.

Rebuild: This block gives us a comprehensive understanding of the collective process of rebuilding, reconstructing and reviving Gujarat for long-term disaster mitigation. It also showcases the collective effort channelized towards rebuilding Gujarat in the aftermath of the 2001 earthquake.

Rethink: The Rethink Block imparts us with the knowledge of global disaster response, and preparedness measures through games and interactive activities.

Relive: With the world's largest simulation experience in state-of-the-art 360-degree surrounding simulations, you will feel the earth slip beneath your feet, and experience the tremors that people felt in the 2001 Earthquake in a realistic manner. It also houses the tree of Smritivan, present inside an infinity room, where you can add paper-made petals to the branches as messages.

Renew: This gallery is designed to let the visitors pay their respects to the people who lost their lives in this tragedy and to remember the loved ones they might have lost and keep them in their memories with a light spirit.

Best time to visit

The ideal season to travel Kutch is in the winter, when the weather is pleasant. October to March have ideal weather for tourism and the temperature ranges from 25 to 12 degrees Celsius.

Timings to visit the museum

Tuesday to Sunday

Smritivan: From 05:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Museum: From 11:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Smritivan remains closed on Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly.