Virtually an island that resembles the shape of a tortoise, Kutch is an erstwhile princely state of India holding onto its grandeur nature from the past. Kutch is probably one of the most beautiful, yet surreal places in India with the vast expanses of the white salt desert. The place comes to life during the winters when the Rann Festival is held during December-February everywhere in which there are huge camp settlements with cultural programs, functions and adventure activities like hot-air ballooning.
Kutch is also among the largest district of India with a terribly low population density. Also, Kutch lies on the India-Pakistan border and you can see parts of Pakistan from Kutch. Kutch is also famous for crafts and embroidery works, Flamingo Sanctuary and Wild Ass Sanctuary. Bhuj is an ideal starting point to visit the Rann of Kutch. Beautiful beaches of Mandvi near Bhuj are also totally worth visiting during your trip to Kutch. Don’t miss to see the ancient town of Dholavira.
Places to visit
Places like Bhuj. Mandvi, Dholavira, Gandhidham, and Anjar are amongst the best places to visit in Kutch region that people hardly know. Narayan Sarovar, one of the five holy lakes mentioned in Shrimad Bhagvad and many other Jain and Hindu pilgrimage sights are also located here. Bhuj, the Kutchi capital of yore, get the maximum attention but there are many other places that one should know.
Places like Dholavira (an archaeological site that contains the ruins of the Harappan city), Aina Mahal and Parag Mahal in Bhuj, Than Monastery and Vijay Villas Palace of Mandvi are worth a visit for the history buffs. Other than the major historical travel destination, Mandvi is also a port city with an amazing shipbuilding yard. The coast and marshlands of Kutch attract many migratory and domestic birds including giant flocks of flamingos, pelicans and common cranes are often seen flying in the region.
Kutch is a beautiful amalgamation of the sea and desert that can charm anyone with its beauty. One place that deserves a special mention in the Kutch is the charming white deserts of the Great Rann of Kutch. Spanning over an area of 7505 sq km, Great Rann of Kutch the world’s largest salt desert that remains covered with water during the monsoon season, and over the winters, the water evaporates, leaving a vast expanse of the dry hard mud, which dazzles like a diamond under the scorching sun and appears like an eerie under the bluish glow during the night hours. People who want to relish the view of the desert from a different angle should climb the Kalo Dungar (black hill), the highest point in Kutch. Top of the hill offers the splendid view of the Kutch region, Thar Desert and the Great Rann.
During the winter season, this dramatic expanse of salt land is a magical wondered. Amidst the magical landscapes, a carnival of high-spirited gaiety, the Rann Utsav is marked by the excellent quality of folk dance, music, and art. Brimming with hospitality and traditional flavours, Rann Utsav is a grand extravaganza, which is celebrated every year for three months.
Contrasting the beauty of the Great Rann of Kutch is the Little Rann of Kutch, a land that is just not meant for the faint-hearted people as this is the place where nature shows its harshest form. Barren land of the Little Rann is the abode of wild ass (locally called khur), as well as bluebells, blackbuck and chinkaras. In this part of Kutch, one can see people pumping up ground water and extracting the salt.
Farming, sea and desert well represent the diverse culture of Kutch. The land is the abode of one of the most colourful people who spot gaudy dresses; a visit to Kutch is an inspirational experience. Many pastoral communities in Kutch are semi-nomadic herders of camel and sheep.
All the major nomadic communities, namely rabaris and ahirs, are blessed with a creative intellect and often create finest handicrafts and popular textile techniques including block printing, tie-dye and weaving. Tribes of the sleepy villages like Hodko, Nirona, Mandvi and Bhujodi, makes gorgeous embroidered garments for wedding trousseau. The delectable surf embroidery, the geometric beauty of Khareek patterns, the dramatic spirit of pakoo’s tight square chain and double button stitch embroidery of the sodha Rajput, as well as the mirror work embroideries of Rabari and Ahir craftswomen- all find plenty of buyers. The Kutch region has been a melting point for many communities from across the borders- Sindh in Pakistan, Marwar region in Western Rajasthan and beyond- adding to the rich handicrafts offered in the region. One can experience the beauty of Kutch in myriad ways- walking on the beach of Mandvi, witnessing the art of the past at the beautiful palaces of Bhuj, and moreover, satisfying the shopping hunger by paying a visit to the local market.