With the various vacation trips over many years, my parents and me have covered quite a bit of India’s amazingly versatile geography. So early this year, when an opportunity presented itself for treating ourselves to the Rann of Kutch, we spared no time in grabbing it! They would soon be moving back to Kolkata from the western part of the country, and I had just submitted my thesis and was faced with moving out of the country in a matter of months; so it was either now or never! A brief break on the edge of this unique geographical wonder; to spend some time together after months… what could be a more lucrative prospect?
So I arrived from Bangalore and we made our way to Mumbai, from where we boarded a train taking us to Bhuj. The name of this place is associated in my mind, with the horrific earthquake that had struck years ago, when I was in secondary school. I realized that I hardly know much else about this part of our country and was in fact quite unprepared in terms of what to expect on this trip (very much unlike me). So as the train raced on towards its destination, I spent the better part of the evening and night, educating and preparing myself.
Kutch is one of the largest districts of Gujarat and shares a lengthy international border with Pakistan. It is very distinctive from other areas in Gujarat in terms of its geography as well as overall culture; and locals identify themselves more as Kutchi rather than Gujarati. Although primarily a desert landscape, it houses the unique seasonal salt marsh/desert, known as the Rann of Kutch (Rann = Desert). This area which was once submerged by the waters of the Arabian Sea, is apparently the largest such salt marsh in the world.
We were headed to the Rann Utsav, an initiative of the Gujarat Government to promote tourism in this harsh and impoverished area, where the weather gods too are unfavourable for most part of the year. It comprises of a three month long winter festival showcasing the lifestyle and vibrant culture of the Kutchi folk, where visitors can enjoy the experience of living in tents and ample opportunity to savour the magnificence of the “White Rann”. The flow of visitors reaches its peak during the full moon days, when the white expanse of the Rann, bathed in moonlight, is at its brilliant best. We were arriving at the Utsav on such a full moon, so our excitement was even more justified
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| Gateway to the Rann Utsav |
Next morning, at the Bhuj station, we found a huge white tent for the assembly of visitors to the Rann Utsav, where our luggage was collected and marked in a very organized manner. We didn’t realize it then, but this was a sneak peek into the overall Utsav experience. The organization and efficiency remained with us for the duration of the two days which we would spend as part of the package. The final stretch of the jouney to the ‘tent city’ at Dhordo, on the edge of the Rann took us about 1.5-2 hours by bus, most of which we spent in observing the arid desert landscape and trying to identify the many species of birds perched on the thorny vegetation, easy to spot owing to the bareness and lack of leaves.
The ‘tent city’ of the Rann Utsav was a huge affair (spanning several kilometres), both vibrant and magnificent; making it difficult to believe that it is all temporary and erected just for the three months. While the administrative and service areas were designed to look like either ‘havelis’ or thatched village houses, the accommodation and dining areas for the guests were arrays of sturdy tents. Apart from the appropriate display of local handicrafts as decorations in most places, it was the simplicity and the clutter-free look of the place that was immediately appealing. We were greeted immediately upon arrival by local musicians, setting the tempo so very perfectly. The entire site was neatly connected by smooth paths with sufficient signs and markings, making it very comfortable to navigate and explore by walking. There was also a very convenient and frequent buggy service, with colourful battery operated vehicles to get from one location to another, coordinated very well via walkie talkies (very useful for elderly people or those who do not enjoy walking). It took us no time to appreciate how well managed and coordinated the entire event was; and following the assignment of tents, we were handed our meal coupons and program booklets. After a hearty breakfast buffet of typical Gujarati specialities in the enormous dining tent, we made our way to our designated tent.
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| Inside a tent cluster |
The pretty white tents were organized as huge clusters of about 60 tents each, arranged in a circular fashion leaving a vast open space facing each tent. We noted the striking resemblance of each cluster with a camp of soldiers preparing for war. The tent itself was a very enjoyable experience, fitted with all the basic amenities of a hotel stay (basic furniture and electrical power points). Except that the door closes with a zipper and you cannot fix a lock! The colourful inner fabric of the tent gave it a very welcoming look and the floor was carpeted to keep off the sand and the uneven ground. The sources of illumination though electrical, were designed like the olden day kerosene lamps, adding further to the rustic charm. The best part of course was the private bathroom within each tent, fitted very neatly with basic but modern fittings, and with running hot water! Each tent also had a small private balcony like space in front where one can relax in chairs and observe the unique appeal of the bareness and monotones of the surroundings.
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| Inside our tent |
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| Our amazing tent bathroom |
Back at the Utsav, we caught up on a wholesome dinner and proceeded to spend some time at the cultural area until it was time to go back to the Rann. The cultural area comprised of a large open air stage surrounded by stalls offering various activities (including star gazing, very suitable here due to the clear, haze free skies, but obviously better at new moons), in addition to local crafts of course. Every evening at the Utsav, this area comes alive with activity primarily from the folk dances and music of the Kutch district that are showcased here. We were also introduced to some rare, niche art forms which are slowly on their way to extinction as the artists from the few families, move on to other modern occupations to support their livelihoods.
Around 10 pm, we lined up for the bus ride to the Rann again. This time there were no camel carts, so we walked into the Rann, retracing our steps of the evening. I have no words to describe the sight of the Rann bathed in the pearly white moonlight, with the bright lights and tents of the Utsav away on the far horizon. Timeless! An experience, never to be forgotten! Armed only with a point n shoot, I felt thoroughly handicapped. The experience of sleeping in the tents in the cool desert air (with only the fabric separating us from the external world) and the sound of jackals very nearby, was another very exhilarating affair.
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| White Rann at Midnight (Oh how I missed a DSLR and tripod!) |
We were out exploring the Tent City early next morning after a quick breakfast, to prevent the intensity of the sun. At each step we marvelled at how, in a matter of weeks, every sign of it would be gone, and this site too would be indistinguishable from the desert landscape around. We came across the mela (fair) area where we shopped for crafts to take back as mementos and gifts. These include mainly embroidered and dyed fabrics fashioned into a variety of articles, often further decorated with mirrorwork. Additionally, silver jewellery and wood carvings are also very popular here.
The primary sight seeing agenda of the day was scheduled post lunch: a visit to a spot called Kala Dungar. This is a hill top which affords a brilliant view of the surrounding White Rann. On the way we stopped at a couple of settlements of rehabilitated artisans who showed us their crafts and hopefully made some sales as well. The abject poverty and tough living conditions at these places was rather heartbreaking. I recount fondly, the warm reception I got from a bunch of dusty kids for buying small dolls and also offering them toffee. As the bus made its way up the hilly terrain with strong magnetic fields at several point, we noted the distinctive dark color of the rock cut mountains (especially in contrast to the whiteness of the salt) and the severely cracked and fragmented nature of the rocks (an artefact of the earthquake maybe!). Kala Dungar is located near a BSF camp of very strategic importance, and after we wound our way up to the top for some breathtaking views, we were kept engrossed for a while by a BSF personnel who recounted various facts and tales from the Indo-Pak conflicts at the border nearby, the local geography, and various humorous snippets of his observations of the tourists who arrive each year. The sunset literally put all words to rest as we watched the mesmerizing glow of the setting sun on the sparkling salt in silence. Our last night at the Utsav was marked by yet another moonlight walk on the Rann, savoring every bit of this once in a lifetime experience.
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| Sunset on the Rann: View from Kala Dungar (The perfect shiny rectangles are industrial salt harvesting zones) |
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| Brown Rock Chat at Kala Dungar |
As we prepared for goodbye next morning, we recounted with pleasure how much we enjoyed the vegetarian food at the Utsav, not realizing that 3 days had passed by in a jiffy. In fact we had started looking forward to the hearty meals of parathas and Bajra rotis doused with butter, or jaggery and chutneys ; not to mention the yummy Gujarati snacks (Dhokla, Thepla, Khakhra, Fafra, Papri, Khandvi etc. … remembering the dialogue from a popular Bollywood movie where the names were compared with missiles). There was a lot more on offer in every meal, but these are what we relished the most. We also spotted a variety of birds like Shrikes, Larks, Chats, Coursers, Bee-eaters including the Blue-cheeked one, Wagtails, Stilts and more. The package tour ended with a round of sightseeing and shopping at Bhuj where we saw old palaces, temples, and handicrafts markets including a nicely maintained crafts village. It was evident at each place that the horrors of the earthquake remain as an indelible part of the lives of the Kutchis.
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| One of our many lip-smacking , sumptuous, and colorful meals |
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| Folk Music at the Utsav |
Pointers:
1. It is best to visit Kutch or the Rann Utsav in December or January. It gets really hot by early February during the daytime.
2. Full sleeved clothing is essential…for the sun, the winds and the chill at night. Scarves, light jackets/sweaters or other protective clothing is also useful.
3. A visit to Kutch and Bhuj is incomplete without visiting at least one of the several wildlife sanctuaries of the region (it is home to rare species like the Indian bustard, and the wild ass among others). A visit to Dholavira, an ancient Harappan site, is also a must for any history buff. Unfortunately in our case, we had a time constraint and had not planned ahead; something that I really regret.
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| A panoramic view of our cluster from our tent |
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