The White Desert of Kutch is one of such dreamlike places. You must have seen the most amazing pictures, heard the best stories, but nothing ever would get you close to seeing it yourself.
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| Great Rann Of Katch-White Desert of Salt |
The full moon experience at the desert is a lifetime
experience. Soon after the sunset, the color of the sand and the sky looked
exactly the same and there was no horizon. As far as I saw it was white and
only white.
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| Full Moon in White Desert of Sand--Katch |
What is the Rann of Kutch?
Rann means barren
land. The Rann of Kutch is a geographical marvel located in the Kutch district
of Gujarat. Kutch was a part of the Arabian Sea, but a massive earthquake in
1809 separated it from the sea.
The exposed sea bed
was transformed into a vast barren land that remains dry with white salt and
sand during summer/winter and looks like a massive sea during the rainy season.
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| location of Rann Of Katch |
The extensive mudflat and salt clay
of the marsh, which now lies about 15 meters above sea level, gets submerged by
the high tides rising from the Arabian Sea in May-June.
As the monsoon ends,
the seawater slowly evaporates and recedes from the shallow wetland, leaving
behind an enormous stretch of crunchy snowy white salt. It is believed that in
the center of these salt fields is the site of Dholavira, which was part of the
Indus Valley civilization (Harappan civilization).
The
Rann of Kutch can be divided into two separate regions, each offering different
experiences – the Great Rann of Kutch covers an area of 18,000 square km and
the Little Rann of Kutch is spread over 5000 square km.
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| Making of Salt--great Rann of Kutch--The WHITE DESERT |
The Little Rann of
Kutch is known for its wildlife reserves, mesmerizing fauna, salt farming, and cracked
brown-grey patches. There is a distance of more than 130 km between the two
regions of Rann.
Today we are going to
talk about the Great Rann of Kutch.
The best way to reach the salt marsh is from Bhuj, which is
around 85 km from Dhordo – a small town that has been developed by the
government as the Gateway to the Great Rann of Kutch.
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| Film Refugee was picturized in Rann of Katch-The White Desert |
J. P. Dutta's
Bollywood film Refugee was shot in the Great Rann of Kutch along with other
locations in the Kachchh district. It is said to have been inspired by the story
by Keki N. Daruwalla based around the Great Rann of Kutch titled “Love across
the Salt Desert”.
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| On way to Rann of Kath |
Some scenes or song
sequences in Indian films like Magadheera, D-Day, R... Rajkumar, Gori Tere
Pyaar Mein, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Lagaan, The Good Road, Dookudu,
Sarvam, Sarrainodu and Roberrt were shot in the area.
We started from Bhuj
to Rann of Kutch by 07.30 AM, BY a hired Taxi. The Distance between Bhuj to
Kutch by road is 82KM. There was very little traffic on the road but our driver
kept a slow pace. All the drivers here drive at a slow pace even if there is no
traffic.
After leaving Bhuj
some kilometers behind, the car crosses the line of Tropic of Cancer. A
cemented signboard alongside the road testifies to the fact. The first stop is at
the small village of Bhirandiyara.
There are no big
restaurants on the way to Rann of Kutch; we stopped by a small tea stall that
has some local things for breakfast.
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| Tropic of Cancer was passing from here-on way from Bhuj to Rann of Katch |
This place is famous
for a dessert called Mitho Maavo, which is sweetened milk reduced to fudge like
consistency and eaten fresh. I find it at a tea shop. This rich milk-based
sweet is common throughout the country but being fresh it tastes good.
After breakfast we
headed to Dhordo village with a pit stop at Bhirandiyara check post to get our
permits to visit Rann, Kalo Dongar & India Bridge as these places are quiet
close to border.
After a short distance, there is a check post where permits
are issued for proceeding towards the White Rann (or White Desert), which is on
the road to the left. The Rann’s proximity to the Pakistan border makes it a
high security region so entry is allowed only on presenting the permit.
For this I have to fill a form, provide a passport-size
photo and ID proof and make a payment of 250 rupees (Rs 100 per person +
vehicle cost Rs 50). I find myself standing in a queue waiting for my turn at
the counter. It takes 25-30 minutes. On making the payment, I immediately
receive a sms on my mobile phone.
On the way to Dhordo,
the land on either sides of the road was barren with desert but also few
vegetation could be seen here and there. But it was still beautiful in its own
way. The village houses would sprung out of nowhere in the middle of the desert
and would just add to its beauty.
White Desert of Sand of salt on both side of road --from Bhuj to Rann of Katch
We reached our
resort- Gateway to Rann-near Dhordo village by afternoon. Adjoining this
resort, sharing its boundaries were series of tents and a stage at the Centre
with some focus and show lights on it. It sure looked liked the Tent City.
We get the unique
experience of staying in lovely white tents in the white desert. Roam in the
whiteness and watch the beautiful sunset, Sun rise and Full Moon by night, enjoy folk songs and
dances, camel shows and rides in camel carts; buy exquisite handicrafts and
relish Kutchi food.
The tent city area is accessible only to people staying
there. For day-trippers, there is an elaborate set-up of food and handicraft
stalls just outside the tourist tent city. Shortly afterwards, the car stops at
the White Rann check post where I submit my permit.
After the check in
formalities, we were shown our rooms. We were surprised to see that our rooms
were actually Bhungas that we saw on our way. It too had the same clay-mirror
work on them which not only gave a very Indian traditional touch to it but at
the same time enhanced its beauty.
The resort is
maintained by the villagers of Dhordo and I believe they are doing a good job
at it. We all were quiet happy with our rooms and meal arrangements which by
the way had traditional Kutchi food buffet. Post lunch and after a short
afternoon nap and some chai and pakoda later, we were ready to visit Rann.
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| Highest Point of Kutch |
Just as we entered Rann, there were a set of musicians singing traditional songs which we listened to for a few moments and enjoyed.
Then we walked beyond them to see the wide expanse of
white desert for the first time.
I think my brain was
trying hard to process what it was seeing, cos this was a sight I have never
seen in my life. It was a white land instead of brown that we all are so used
to see. The feeling of walking on it was unique too.
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| Kutch Desert is home of Flamingoes |
From a distance you
would feel that it’s a flat “solid” land and it would be same as walking on any
other land surface. But once you start walking, you realize how different the
surface is, the “solid land part” that your brain processed it to be, vanishes.
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| Kutch--A View of Rann of Kutch |
The crackling sound of salt under your shoes, the wetness
you feel when you touch it, the impression of your feet on it, is a whole new
experience for your senses!
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| Sun Set --Great Rann of Kutch-White DESERT |
By 5.30pm sun had
started to set in filling up the skies with its dramatic colors. By now it was
fully occupied with people all coming to see the sunset. We wanted to be a
little away from the crowd, so we started walking further inside.
As white land is all that we could see for miles and miles,
we couldn’t judge the distance of our target area where there were very few
people. Walking on the salt wasn’t easy either, legs tend to get tired pretty
fast due to the friction between feet and salt, but our walk was worth the
effort.
The place we were
standing at, gave us an illusion that we were right at the middle of the white
desert and no one else was there till the horizon. We started capturing the
beauty of Rann at sunset. We took a few moments off our cameras, just to admire
the beauty of the crimson color over the white desert which was simply divine!
And then, the sun disappears. After this spectacular show
of nature is over, it’s time for the next one… in the opposite direction. We
turn around in the direction of the eastern horizon. The beautiful full moon
has begun its ascent in the clear blue winter sky.
After waiting for sometime and later being told that moon
rise time was around 8.30 pm, we came back to our resort by 7.30 pm to watch
the traditional folk music show organized by the resort.
At 8 pm, the tent
city show starts, and these same musicians would go there and perform on the
stage. Everyone whether accommodated in the tent city or not, is permitted to
watch the show for free.
As we all were pretty tired with the walk on the white desert of salt, we opted to have dinner instead. Dinner was pretty good and the best part was the jalebis- it was hot and crispy, wasn’t too sweet, tasted awesome & finally jalebi’s were served as dessert.
After
Dinner, Without any further delay, we headed straight to Rann. At the
entrance, we were instructed to be back by 11.30 pm by BSF personnel.
The beauty of the White Rann at moonrise just cannot be
expressed in words. The color of the white desert in combination with the
bright moon light gave a halo-ish soft blue shimmery color effect on the whole
desert. “Is this an illusion or is this for real?” was the question crossing
our minds and this feeling was making us stare at it even more.
Few moments you feel
you can see the bluish effect, other moments its not there. Whatever it was,
for me, this was one of the most soothing experiences.
We kept looking at the vast expanse of Rann for sometime,
then started walking on it with our eyes focusing the horizon searching for
the halo effect which was playing hide n seek with us.
In the massive landscape of Rann, infinity
exists and can actually be seen and felt.
I trained my eye to
see the edge of the earth, the point where the edge of the earth meets the
horizon. The edge kept shifting ahead as I could some more of the earth and
again some more with enough focus.
This game of
illusions mind plays can only be felt once you are physically present on a
bright moon night at Rann.
By 11pm, we had to
turn around and walk back. As soon as we were approaching the entrance, we
turned around for one last time and admired its beauty. After a long and tiring
but eventful day, with beautiful memories of Rann permanently etched in our
minds, we retired for the day.
Travel Tips for Rann of Kutch
v There are no direct
buses to Rann of Kutch from Bhuj. Hire a cab for the whole trip.
v This is a restricted
area and you need a permit. Take the permit from SP office in Bhuj or keep few
copies of your ID proof and take the permit on the way to the White Desert.
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| Tent City --Great Rann of Kutch -White Desert |
v The cost of permit
per person is 100 INR and 50 INR for the car.
v Keep the permit handy
because it is required at the different check post in the area.
v There are not many
shops selling food and bottled water, keep some snacks & bottled water with
you when traveling from one place to another.
v Most resorts in the
area offer stay with all-inclusive food make sure all your meals are included
because there are no restaurants in the area.
v It gets a bit cold at
night so keep a light cardigan or shawl.
v If you plan to visit
White Rann at night then travel around full moon night.
v Tents and resorts in
Rann of Kutch remain full during Rann Utsav months; make an advance booking to
avoid any inconvenience.
v
Best Time to visit Rann of Kutch
The best time to
visit Rann of Kutch is from November-February when The Rann Utsav organized by
the Gujarat government takes place.
During these winter months, days are pleasant but it can get freezing cold at night, especially in December and January. March also sees a few tourists, but by end of March all accommodations, eateries, and basic facilities close down.
Rann Utsav-tent City in Rann of Kutch-White Desert
The End