Great Rann Of Kutch:3 Day Plan:Dhordo,Gujarat

Bhuj To Dholavira:A little offbeat

But

A Drive Worth Watching

Driving around the corner of the great Rann on the island of Khadir Bet,my brother and me exchanged a glance.The same glance we share every time we each want an immediate stop.This one was no less than the drive of a lifetime.As our car drived glided on the black Asphalt with milky white rann on both sides it felt like an indulgence,but we were confused on the best spot for photo-op,for every time we stopped our car and chose a point,the better point we saw ahead.

For me,I couldn’t get enough of Rann since the day I saw the first white seamless expanse of salt. Every time I would spot the whiteness ahead of me,even at a distance,I would shout “Look Dad,Rann!”.I could feel the same excitement I have with the salt as I have with the snow.By the end of Day 3,my family got bored of Rann,but for me I jumped at every site of it.Even now,when I think back,I think there are so many things I missed,that if given a chance again,I would head to Rann come what may.I missed the fact that I couldn’t get to shop much in Kutch and around.I now completely understand and relate to excessive promotions by Gujarat Tourism as this site is like no other than you have had seen before.

“As part of coming back and continuing back to routine at home in Ahmedabad” 
I said mom let’s run from tomorrow,
and my whole family is still so into rann,that they confused run for rann! Screaming a big “no” 

 Jokes apart,while travelling along the lines of check posts and BOP’s and knowing the fact that we were travelling quite close to Pakistan,I wondered if Rann of Kutch extended to Pakistan at any point.I figured out from Google that may be yes.

 Reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world,Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar desert in the Kutch district of Gujarat and the Sind province of Pakistan.

So much so that there is a bridge from Kalo Dungar which connects India to Pakistan.As per the agreement signed in 1965,on british intervention interrupting the skirmish between India and Pakistan over Rann,90% of Rann belongs to India while 10% belongs to Pakistan,the later comprising almost all the elevated area above water year around.The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Badin district,Sindh Pakistan.


Great Rann of Kutch - Our Itinerary From Ahmedabad

Great Rann Of Kutch Where Rann Utsav Happens,Dhordo

Tourists Favourite.

Since we had just 3 days,we had to skip and trim some places here and there,but when I write the post ahead I would be writing in detail about everything,the places I missed but researched,the places you should,permits and all.I would also write about how we felt certain places were exaggerated online,and can be skipped.

Great Rann Of Kutch Takes You To All Colors

White Salt,Colorful Kutchi Embroidery

This was my first visit to interiors of Gujarat

But I loved it!

This time,we chose to not rush the trip for the sake of covering every place but enjoying it more and the trip was as planned as:

 Day 1:Drive from Ahmedabad to Bhuj(6 hours)
 or
 You can also take an overnight train from Ahmedabad to Bhuj

 Day 2: Bhuj and Around,Bhujodi,Rann of Kutch
 or
 You can also do Bhujodi - Rann of Kutch - Kalo Dungar

 Day 3: Lakhpat - Narayan Sarovar - Koteshwar Temple - Bhuj
 or
 You can also do Lakhpat - Narayan Sarovar - Koteshwar Temple - Mandvi - Bhuj

 Day 4:Bhuj - Dholavira - Ahmedabad
 or
 You can also do Bhuj - Dholavira - Little Rann of Kutch - Ahmedabad

What Does Rann Of Kutch mean?

The word “Rann” comes from the hindi word “रण (in hindi)” meaning desert derived from Sanskrit word Irin from Mahabharatha.Spread across 30,000 sq m between Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of Indus river in south Pakistan;

In India’s monsoon fills with standing water.It was a vast shallow sea before,until geological uplift closed off the connection with sea,creating a vast lake.That means it created a standalone lake with almost no flow of water going in and out.Hence the vast salt that we see,could be due to evaporation in the excessive heated areas of Kutch.During the wet season,two shallow lakes are formed in the salt marsh area called Great Rann and the Little Rann and is a salt covered desert in the dry.

Why is Rann white?


But we were still inquisitive on how Rann of Kutch is the largest salt desert in the world and why is Rann white?

 We have had similar closure in parts of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka where the sea is cut off from mainland creating a lake,however,we do not see the same phenomenon.My brother to which said that it could be due to excessive heat,soil and closed connection with sea.I could relate to when we saw sea in Koteshwar,where it was very shallow and people could walk in.As we know,the sea contains salt and the area is a desert otherwise,it could be what makes the whole rann a blanket of white salt.

While planning our trip to Rann of Kutch,we chose the date as 5th jan as it was full moon night and we have heard that the Rann looks beautiful on one such.Since we have Kite festival coming up in Jan and another full moon night in February,the post and videos are going live up fast.

Till then,keep your suggestions,comments and love coming.We would also love to have a look at Rann pictures,should you have any,please do share,at ankionthemove@gmail.com so that I decorate my blog with celebration of our Rann.