Nature’s treasure trove

A desert, a beach and wetlands — Kutch offers a  mind-boggling variety
to the discerning traveller, writes Akhila Singh

Mandvi is known for its pristine beach with clear waters of the Arabian Sea Famous for its wild asses, Kutch is home to the last remaining population of ghudkhar or Asiatic wild ass

IT is almost heavenly to see the white desert turn into silver and then blue on a full moon night. More so, when the spectacle is witnessed right in the middle of a dry desert that extends up to 45,612 sq km.

A geographic phenomenon unfolds itself as we travel towards the extreme west of Gujarat, beyond Bhuj towards the Rann of Kutch.

With the Gujarat Government’s special initiatives, Kutch is on its way to becoming a tourist hotspot on every international and domestic tourist’s itinerary. Resting on the map in the shape of a tortoise, the region got its name from kachhua (tortoise) and offers a landscape as rough and rugged as the tortoise shell.

Kutch is full of surprises waiting to be discovered. Being a dry desert, its temperatures touch a scorching 49`B0C in summers. But being a coastal area the Rann is edged by the Gulf of Kachchh on one side. Just imagine a beach in a desert.

The second largest district in the country, Kutch is almost the size of a small country with a population of just 10,50181. Travelling beyond Bhuj, the place is also known for the deadly earthquake of 2001 that claimed around 30,000 lives. Now-a-days visitors come across small exotic villages with special earthquake-resistant huts called bhungas.

The district offers varied landscapes distributed across the far ends of Kutch. The main attraction is the white desert. A marshy layer of salt deposited on a huge area of desert looks surreal.

The Indus flowed through the Kutch once and changed its course because of a massive earthquake in 1819. The river left behind an extensive desert of salt.

Presenting the contrast to the white desert are the Black Hills, Kalo Dungar. The highest point of Kutch at 462 metres is also in these hills. It is here that we see different landscapes merging into each other as the earth becomes indistinguishable from the sky, somewhere near the Indo-Pak border.

On way to the Kalo Dungar one can see hard dry mud in which the consequent earthquakes have put permanent cracks. This bizarre landscape is almost synonymous with Kutch.

For those who love water, Mandvi is known for its pristine beach with clear waters of the Arabian Sea. Private luxurious tented accommodation is the best option to relax on the beach. It was the private beach of royalty at one time. Vijay Vilas, a palace overlooking the beach, was once the summer retreat for the Maharao.

The region also has small grasslands called banni, which add some green patches to the otherwise dry beige-coloured landscape. Cattle in the region, which are known for their strength, feed on the banni.

One of the most remarkable excavations of the Indus valley civilisation, Dholavira is also located in this region. A part of the Harappan culture, the Dholavira dates back to approximately 2500 BC.

Kutch also has a wide range of wildlife. Famous for its wild asses, the region is home to the last remaining population of ghudkhar (Asiatic wild ass). This wild ass is taller than the normal donkey and can run at a speed of around 100 km per hour. But getting a glimpse of this rare animal is difficult as its population is facing the threat of extinction.

Kutch is also known for its wetlands and houses more than 200 seasonal bird species. During the wet season, a huge number of flamingos fly to Kutch. This region is the largest flamingo-breeding colony in the world. But the region inhabited by the migratory birds is almost inaccessible to the tourists.

Kutch is also world famous for its handicrafts. Its embroidery is the most recognised craft. Kutch women can be easily spotted wearing some of the most magnificent odhnies, covered with silk embroidery and finely crafted silver jewellery.

Many villages around the Dhorodo tent city are known for particular type of crafts and handicrafts. Ajrakh block prints are mostly done in Ajrakhpur and Dhamadka villages. Bandhani (tie and dye) work is done in Tera, Mandvi and Mundra villages. The kharad work done by handloom artisans is unique to this region. Geometric patterns are made with camel hair and local wool on nomadic handlooms. This work is done specifically in Kukma village.

A total of 18 types of hand embroidery is done in this region. Specific to the communities, these beautiful silk stitches tell tales of origins of these communities.

While the Rajput embroidery is rich in mirror work and colours, the Mutwa embroidery of the Muslim community is labour-intensive and highly intricate. The state government should put these villages on tourist itineraries to showcase the native lifestyles of this area.

HOME