Like most of you, I am a curious traveller. I had heard a lot of about Kutch, and it was on my list forever. It was time to take a short break and finally Kutch happened...
To tell you briefly, Kutch is the biggest district in Gujarat, situated in the west most part of the country, bordering Pakistan. Kutch is famous for its Heritage, Culture, Art, Embroidery, Food, Bells, Handicrafts, Bandhani, Mirror work and most importantly The Greater Rann of Kutch!
The Greater Rann of Kutch is an enormous stretch of white salt, which is seasonal as it gets submerged in water during rains and dries during rest of the year. Remember the book- ‘Love across the Salt Desert’ and the movie made on it- ‘Refugee’- it has been shot in Kutch.
My husband and I travelled to Kutch from Mumbai for a short 3 nights, 4 days break on 1st Jan 2016. (This is also the time when Rann Utsav is ongoing). We landed at Bhuj Airport and headed to the hotel- City the Village Resort. There were beautiful bhungas (mud houses) with beautiful Kutchi interiors.
Day 1: Bhuj and Mandvi
Mandvi is around 60km from Bhuj, we covered both places on the same day. We started with palaces in Bhuj that have been converted into Museums- Aaina Mahal and Prag Mahal. There are lot of old buildings which depict the stories of the calamitous earthquake.
One must visit Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Mandvi, which is popular for Bollywood movie shootings like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and is outstanding. You just cannot skip lunch at Osho- It is a very small restaurant but serves amazingly delicious Kutchi Thali. We went for an evening stroll at Mandvi beach. There were beautiful windmills, which made the walk even more beautiful.
Day 2: Nirona, Rann Utsav and The Greater Rann of Kutch
We checked out of the hotel and headed towards Nirona. It is a small village where artisans reside and showcase their Craft to visitors.
I was amazed to see Rogan Art- which is an Art as old as 300 years and native to Nirona, Copper Bells Craft and lac design on wood. They don’t only sell these here; they also take up workshops and demonstrate their art to visitors. Village kids will greet you with their best smiles; don’t forget to carry chocolates for them!
After an amazing tour, we left Nirona for Greater Rann of Kutch. You can choose when you want to visit the salt desert, some people opt for a night stroll (especially on Full Moon nights), we preferred to see sunset in the salt desert and visit Rann Utsav stalls in the night for some shopping (you will definitely need 2-3 hours here, there is so much to see).
And we finally reached the White Desert and I was awestruck!! No words would be enough to describe the beauty of the Salt Desert. We walked and walked and it would not end. We played with the salt, saw the sunset and enjoyed the folk music and activities.
We shopped at Rann Utsav Stalls for Kutchi suits, handicrafts, bells, embroidered pieces and jewellery and spent overnight at Kutch Resort.
Day 3: Kala Dungar, India Bridge and Nakhatrana
We left for Kala Dungar (black hill), which is also called the Magnetic Hill. The view is beautiful and you see the white desert from here. This was followed by India Bridge which is around 60km (you need permit from Bhuj to visit Indo-Pak Border, without the permit you can go up to India Bridge).
We left for Nakhatrana after this, which is almost 2 hours from Kala Dungar and enjoyed kutchi music, bon-fire and Kutchi dinner at Jaypee Resort.
Day 4: Mata na Madh, Koteshwar and back to Bhuj
Mata na Madh or Ashapura Temple is almost 1000 years old and Ma Amba is the Mother Goddess for people of Kutch. We sought blessings and left for Koteshwar Mahadev, lord Shiva’s temple which is western tip of India.
After fulfilling Darshan we left for Bhuj, keeping time in hand for some last minute shopping.
We boarded the flight with numerous memories of Kutch. It was an awesome start to the New Year for a curious curator like me. My home reminds me of the Kutch holiday, with the prized possessions that I’ve put in various spaces.
If you are planning a longer trip, you can visit Bhujodi, Dholavira and Lakhpat too.
Travel Tips:
- When to go:
- The best time is October – Mid February. That is when Rann of Kutch is dry and Rann Utsav happens.
- Check for Full Moon Night, White Desert looks its best on a Full Moon Night.
- How to go:
- Flight: Direct flight from Mumbai (1.5 hours)
- Train: Trains from Ahmedabad (6-8 Hours) and Mumbai (14-15 hours)
- Where to Stay:
- There are packages available with Rann Utsav, but they are exorbitantly priced, about 18000 per night.
- There are many resorts and home stay options available priced between Rs 1500 to Rs 5000 per night.
