Coming Home to the Great Rann of Kutch

It took me eighteen years to visit the mystical land known to the world as Kutch. Born & brought up in maximum city, my travel cravings took me everywhere but the land of my ancestors. School holidays coming up? I pestered Ma for a visit to Bengaluru (they had one of the biggest mall in the country), Shimla ( all seniors had been there) even Kashmir (paradise on earth). But never Kutch. Why visit a wet, salty & marshy dessert when there were other options?


A strange loyalty towards my hometown mixed with intrigue made me think about Kutch as I approached my eighteenth birthday. I visited Mandvi, a port city and quiet enjoyed myself shopping, walking across quaint lanes, camel rides on beach & eating double rotis (local snack). Unbelievably, I missed a trip to see the beauty of the Great Rann of Kutch.

Time passed but a desire to experience the rustic life of Kutch & the white unending expanse of Rann of Kutch was hard to ignore. We decided to go on a road trip from Mumbai to Kutch & what an experience it was!!



We reached the Great Rann of Kutch after loads of shopping at Bhuj (to know about it click here) & checked into our comfortable resort at located 5 kms away from the white dessert known as  Gorewali resort. The resort has comfortable Bhungas- traditional circular houses found in villages & a circular area for recreation that plays soft music. The resort comes to life during evenings with equidistant colorful lights lining the pathways. A dining room serves vegetarian food (limited variety but very tasty). The interior of the bhungas are adorned with traditional mud & mirror work of Kutch.

The first day, after completing check-in formalities we headed to see the sun setting over the White dessert. The Rann during the evening looks like an unending blanket of white



Early next morning we headed to experience para motoring that takes you over the amazing white vistas of the Rann, the tent city (an integral part of the Rann Utsav held during winter months) & salt marshes. Take a look of our para motoring video here






After lunch & a small siesta, we headed to Kalo Dungar (the black hill) the highest point in Kutch that offers a panoramic view of the Rann of Kutch. If one keeps gazing as far as the eyes can see, one feels that the dessert & the sky have became indistinguishable.



Visit the 400 year old Dattatreya temple located nearby. The trip from the Rann of Dessert to Kalo Dungar takes about an hour by car. After sunset, we headed back to towards the tent city that hosts a craft mela- a great site to buy local handicrafts. A great place to buy various weaves, embroideries & skilled work of various artisans, the prices are a little high than local markets.

As we headed back the next day, I smiled as I thought about my homecoming to this seasonal salty marshland. Having thoroughly enjoyed the company of the wonderful people I met during my visit, the beautiful sights & the all enveloping silence of the dessert. Kutch- my home away from home. Where I never felt out of place. A long way, far away from home but so near to my heart :)

Pro tip # Take a permit by showing a valid id card. Coincide your visit to the Great Rann of Kutch with a full moon night. The dessert is a splendid sight as the full moon shines on its shimmering surface.

Comments

  1. Watching ur pics I too wanna go to kutch now Amazing pics

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