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Travel Guide
The Kutch region of Gujarat is sometimes described as India's "wild west". This immense stretch of largely barren and harsh desert landscape apparently spans more than 40,000 square kilometers, and is one of the country's largest districts. Its name, Kutch (or Kachchh), refers to the fact that it alternates between wet (submerged during the monsoon season) and dry.
Much of Kutch consists of seasonal wetlands known as the Great Rann of Kutch (famous for its salt desert) and smaller Little Rann of Kutch (famous for its Wild Ass Sanctuary).
The Great Rann, located in the far north, borders Pakistan and occupies a part of the Thar desert which also extends into Rajasthan. Hence, Kutch is made up of many migrant communities from not only Pakistan (Sindh) and the Marwar region of Rajasthan but also further afield, including Persia (Iran). Kutch was ruled by the Jadeja dynasty of Rajputs, one of the oldest Hindu dynasties, for hundreds of years until India became a republic.
Such mixed migration led to the establishment of many different religions in the Kutch region. Today, Jainism is the most prominent one. However, what's interesting to note is that Kutch remains surprisingly harmonious, with its inhabitants coexisting peacefully, respecting each other's beliefs, and often even participating in each other's events.
When migrants came to Kutch centuries years ago, the Indus River flowed through the region, making the land fertile for farming and livestock. A tremendous earthquake in 1819 altered its course though (and the region was again hit by devastating earthquake in 2001).
Now, much of the land is flat and inhospitable, filled with captivating nothingness!
Many villagers earn an income from artsthat have been passed down from generation to generation, making this one of the main attractions for tourists. Yet, it's the simplicity and quietness of life there that's really striking and meaningful. Kutch is an amazing place to visit remote villages, learn from them, and get another perspective on life. It's inspiring and humbling.
All of this makes Kutch one of the toprural tourism destinations in India. You could easily spend a week or more exploring it, but you should at least allow four days.
Read on to discover more about what to see and do in Kutch.
Bhuj, the capital city of Kutch, is an excellent launching point for exploring the region. It's readily accessible by train (most conveniently from Mumbai, 15 hours) bus, and flights.
The city was ruled for hundreds of years by Jadeja dynasty kings, who established themselves there in the 16th century. It spreads out around a hill called Bhujia Dungar (which Bhuj is named after).
Atop the hill sits Bhujia Fort, constructed by king Rao Godaji to protect the city from intruders. Six major battles took place after it was built, most of them during 1700-1800 AD and involving Muslim raiders from Sindh and the Mughal rulers of Gujarat.
Sadly, much of Bhuj was destroyed by earthquake in 2001. However, many of the architectural treasures of the city's Jadeja rulers remain standing in the walled Old City. These include Rani Mahal (the former royal residence), the Italian Gothic and European styled Prag Mahal (with its durbar hall and clock tower), and Aina Mahal (an ornate 350 year old palace containing royal paintings, furniture, textiles, and weapons).
Other attractions in Bhuj include its many temples (the new Swaminarayan temple is a magnificent gleaming white marble masterpiece), museums, markets and bazaars, and Hamirsar Lake (which is home to huge catfish). If you're into handicrafts, Kutch Adventures India can take you to meet some expert artisans in Bhuj. One of them, Aminaben Khatri, is an award winning bhandani (tie die) artist who conducts classes and has a workshop in her home.
After exploring Bhuj, visitors usually head off to surrounding handicraft villages and to the Great Rann of Kutch salt desert.
The port of Mandvi, famous for shipbuilding, is also only an hour's drive away from Bhuj. On the way there, you can stop at historic Kera to visit the ruins of a 10th century Shiva temple. It was badly damaged by the 1819 earthquake in Kutch. These days, it's occupied by bats but you can still go inside. My guide from Kutch Adventures India tells me it's particularly special on full moon nights, when it's flooded with moonlight from a gap in the roof.
See My Photos of Bhuj
The port town of Mandvi, on the west coast of Kutch around an hour from Bhuj, is worth visiting to see its fascinating 400 year old shipbuilding yard. The building takes place along the banks of the Rukmavati River in town, near where the river merges into the Arabian Sea. There you'll be able to see ships in various stages of construction.
Each ship takes around 2-3 years to complete, and the construction requires different specialist knowledge at each stage.
Many of the workers are ex-sailors. The wood that's used comes from Burma or Malaysia. When the ships are finished, they're towed by small boat to the Gulf where diesel engines are installed in them.
What's particularly interesting is how seepage is prevented from entering the boats from the small gaps around the nails in the wood. Cotton wool is stuffed into the gaps and it expands when wet to fill the holes!
Mandvi wasn't hit by the 2001 earthquake as badly as Bhuj, so many of its atmospheric old buildings are still intact. They can be seen on a walk through the narrow lanes around the market area, and with a bit of imagination you'll be transported back to the bygone era when Mandvi was the summer retreat of the King of Kutch. The faded Vijay Vilas Palace, by the beach on the outskirts of Mandvi, was the royal summer abode and can be explored too.
If you're feeling hungry and want to try one of the unlimited Gujarati thalis (eat as much as you can platters) that the state is famous for, the best place to do so isOsho restaurant (formally called Zorba the Buddha).
You'll be able to stuff yourself full for only around 100 rupees ($2)!
Also 10 kilometers before Mandvi, in Koday, there's an awe-inspiring white marble Jain temple that oozes calm and serenity. It has an astonishing 72 shrines housing Jain gods. And, most remarkable of all, the temple is a relatively new one and it's possible to meet the man responsible for carving it and hear his stories. (Contact Kutch Adventures Indiato make arrangements).
The drive to Mandvi from Bhuj is interesting, as the parched land transforms into greenery and palm trees. It almost looks like south India!
See My Photos of Mandvi and the Jain Temple
Gujarat's Kutch region is renowned for its handicrafts, produced by the very talented artisans in its villages. Many of the famous arts, such as bandhani tie die andajrakh block printing, originate from Pakistan. Migrants brought these arts with them when they came to Kutch more than 350 years ago. The Muslim Khatri community specializes in both these arts. In addition, arts such as embroidery, weaving, pottery, lacquer work, leather work, mud and mirror work, and rogan art (a type of painting on fabric) are prevalent in the region.
Kutch is one of the top places forhandicraft tours in India. It's possible to drop into the villages and visit the artisans independently. However, most of them don't speak English and the villages are scattered all over the area, often making them difficult to find. Kutch Adventures India runs bespoke tours to see some of the lesser known but equally talented artists in the region, to uplift them and help them get recognition.
Bhujodi (a village of weavers, seven kilometers from Bhuj) and Ajrakhpur (a village of block printers, 15 kilometers from Bhuj) are the most frequented villages. Nirona, around 50 kilometers northeast of Bhuj, can be visited as a short detour on the way to the Great Rann of Kutch and is home to bell makers, rogan art, and lacquer work artists. Also on the way to the Great Rann, block printing and pottery is done in Khavda village. And, Gandhinugam village (populated by the Meghwal community) features colorfully painted traditional mud huts.
At Bhujodi, you'll find an expert mashruweaver by the name of Babu Bhai and his sweet family.
Babu is one of the last three remaining mashru weavers in the Kutch region. Mashru weaving is a complex type of weaving, using both silk and cotton. The inside of the woven cloth is cotton, while the outside is silk. Apparently it originates from Persia, where Muslim communities believed that silk should not touch a person's skin.
Babu Bhai spends a great deal of time training his wife and children his craft. For him, weaving is like a form of meditation, as it requires a lot of focus and is accompanied by the repetitive clacking noise of the weaving machine.
In testament to the rarity of his work, Babu Bhai is the only artist to have a permanent hut at the artisan's market in Bhujodi village. This government sponsored cultural center (known as theHiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park) is made up of a series of huts where artisans are allowed to exhibit and sell their handicrafts for a month at a time on a rotational basis. It's an irresistible place for shopping!
See My Photos of Kutch Villages & Handicrafts
Apart from handicrafts, most people who visit Kutch do so to see the Great Rann of Kutch -- an arid expanse that lies to the north of the Tropic of Cancer. Much of it is made of up of salt desert, covering around 10,000 square kilometers and stretching close to the Pakistan border. It's particularly eerie and magical at sunset, and especially under the stars on a full moon night. Making it even more astonishing, the salt is submerged underwater during the main monsoon season in India.
The Great Rann is inhabited by various village communities, many who have migrated from Pakistan (including many Muslim Sindhis) and the Marwar region of western Rajasthan. It remained largely cut off and unexplored until after the 2001 earthquake, when the government raised awareness about it and its resources. Traditions have been sustained due to the local production of handicrafts, including embroidery and block printing.
A breathtaking panoramic view of the Great Rann of Kutch can be had from atop Kala Dungar -- the black mountain. The Rann's wetlands, known as Chari Fulay, also attract numerous migratory birds.
Plan your trip with this Great Rann of Kutch Travel Guide. Most visitors stay in special accommodations near the salt desert. However, if you're feeling adventurous, Kutch Adventures India will take you to sleep out in one of the surrounding villages.
See My Great Rann of Kutch Photos
The barren desolate landscape of the Little Rann of Kutch lies to the southeast of the Great Rann. The entrance is best approached from Ahmedabad, 130 kilometers away, rather than Bhuj.
The Little Rann is most famous for its Wild Ass Sanctuary. It's the largest wildlife sanctuary in India, and as its name suggests, it's home to the Indian wild ass -- an endangered creature that looks like a cross between a donkey and a horse.
There are plenty of birds in the area as well.
Plan your trip with this Little Rann of Kutch & Wild Ass Sanctuary Travel Guide.
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