Varsha Arun
A Tourism Conundrum in the Rann of Kachchh
Rann of Kachchh at twilight ©Varsha Arun, 2024
'Rann' is a local term for 'salt marsh'. And Kachchh is the district it belongs to. The Rann is a white salt expanse of about 7,500 sqkm that at one time was a shallow basin of the Arabian Sea. Geological shifts created a barrier, isolating it & it eventually dried up leaving the salt-rich bed behind. It stays this way for most of the year except during the monsoon when marine water flows into the area, spectacularly transforming the pristine landscape into a mirror. Water stands still on the ground till it evaporates, over a period of many months. It is a peak time to visit as the still water makes for some amazing scenery. Alternatively, a winter visit offers a chance to experience the 'Kutch festival', an annual celebration of local culture held near Dhordo, the village closest to the fringes of the Rann.
I visited on a full moon weekend towards the end of the 100-day Kutch festival. I wanted to experience the simultaneous beauty of the sunset on the West horizon timed with the moonrise on the East. I can still feel the euphoric emotion of being lost in infinite space that the Rann evokes in you; that is its charm. I stood there with the dimming pink-orange light on my left and an inky-purple sky materializing on my right. The full moon was a shining beacon floating over a blanket of pearly white.
While the sky looked serene & calming, back on Earth was another story. Lots of activity was taking place. People milled about everywhere, some posing for cheesy sunset photos and others dancing exuberantly to Bollywood music in groups. The music was being blasted from the large amplifiers they had brought along to create a mobile Dandiya night in the desert (as we all do in deserts). The only sound louder than their revelry was from numerous ATVs zooming around with the gleeful drivers looking like they'd made the trip only for the ride.
The internet opinion of the Great Rann of Kachchh is that it is highly surreal. It got me hyped enough to visit late this last winter and see it myself. I even had a movie-like dream featuring a vast desert of white surrounding me, dotted only by the occasional group of camels & people in colourful attire. The surrealism was only limited to my dream though. Like any other good tourist attraction, there's more to the Rann than how it's portrayed in popular media.
This is not unusual. In fact, this is what usually happens under the guise of the Kutch festival. What was conceived as a stay-in festival to celebrate the native Kutchi culture has turned increasingly commercial over the years, with anything from para motoring to rifle shooting being allowed for visitor entertainment. Tents, ranging from those that serve as accommodation for tourists to those that act as shops for local vendors, are put up in large numbers around the entrance to the White Rann. The tents are divided into 2 groups - The Market and 'Tent City'.
The former is essentially a pop-up market selling local handicrafts, apparel & delicacies. It's a great opportunity for small businesses to network & gain visibility amongst tourists from outside Gujarat. The latter is a make-shift luxury settlement where tourists can stay, rewind (it even has a spa) and experience the glory of days & nights spent amid the large salt desert. Those staying in the Tent City are treated to cultural shows & bonfires at night. To its credit, the Rann Utsav has given a huge boost to Gujarat art & culture in the world tourism spectrum. On the flip side, it has resulted in irresponsible tourism that sees visitors carelessly littering and showboating. They arrive in hordes every day and leave behind a trail of garbage. Rare are the tourists who come to appreciate nature quietly.
The entry point into the desert is a large viewing platform that lies 5 km North of the Tent City. Vehicles take you about 3/4th of the way, ahead of which tourists can either walk or go by camel/horse ride. This turned out to be the best part of the visit, watching these graceful animals, decked up in vibrant equipment & accessories. They are a delight to observe, their composed manner in acute contrast to human frenzy. I could imagine the comments they would make if they could speak.
Camels and ATVs ©Varsha Arun, 2024
Stepping off the viewing platform, there is more dirt, dung and rubbish than salt on the ground. It became cleaner as I moved towards the horizon, farther away from the platform. It was only after walking for some 400m that crowds thinned & I could see clearer salt beneath my feet. This is where I stood for the entire sunset, the canvas of the sky slowly changing. With no vegetation or wildlife, cafes or screens, the Rann is pretty sedate for thrill-seekers. Vendors are allowed here for the sole purpose of providing enjoyment to a bored few. For a few hundred rupees, tourists get to ride a camel or parasail rather than sit around watching the sky. These activities are themselves not entirely responsible for the garbage or noise. It is the behavior of those who visit; scenes of people carelessly littering & spitting, animal caretakers not cleaning up after their animals, and unnecessary noise pollution (credits to Garbha dancers & revving motors) are common.
Market @ Rann ©Varsha Arun, 2024
©Varsha Arun, 2024
Beasts of burden? ©Varsha Arun, 2024
Walking back alongside camel carts filled with returning tourists, the moonlight dancing across the salt mounds, I kept thinking about how things could be improved. When promoting a tourist attraction at an international level, 3 things are uncompromisable: cleanliness, hospitality & accountability. While the place & culture are remarkable, improvement along these lines can create a lasting impression on tourists, making them want to talk about it, spread the word and even better, keep returning. Unless there are better organizational efforts, the White Rann, which has turned into Spotted White Rann, will soon become Muddy Rann; a place that hardly lives up to Gujarat tourism's tagline of ' Kutch nahin dekha, toh kuchh nahin dekha ' (You haven't seen anything unless you've seen Kutch).
For those of you looking to visit, I would suggest staying at Bhunga cottages in Dhordo or Gorewali which are en route to the Tent City as they are much more affordable & offer similar cultural programmes at night. But if you want luxury, Tent City is the place to be. If staying in remote areas is not preferable, many luxury hotels have come up in Bhuj, which is the biggest town near the Rann. Bhunga houses are unique in their architecture; their circular layout makes them earthquake-resistant and use of local materials means that they are well insulated against heat. Without the need for ACs, they keep the indoors cool when it's hot out and trap heat inside when temperatures drop at night. Plus, they are sustainable, tailored to beat the harsh environment of Kutch (think sun-baked roads & dry landscape with little greenery) and just all-around cool.
For those of you looking to visit, I would suggest staying at Bhunga cottages in Dhordo or Gorewali which are en route to the Tent City as they are much more affordable & offer similar cultural programmes at night. But if you want luxury, Tent City is the place to be. If staying in remote areas is not preferable, many luxury hotels have come up in Bhuj, which is the biggest town near the Rann. Bhunga houses are unique in their architecture; their circular layout makes them earthquake-resistant and use of local materials means that they are well insulated against heat. Without the need
for ACs, they keep the indoors cool when it's hot out and trap heat inside when temperatures drop at night. Plus, they are sustainable, tailored to beat the harsh environment of Kutch (think sun-baked roads & dry landscape with little greenery) and just all-around cool.
Bhunga ©Varsha Arun, 2024
A tourist-friendly map of major sights in the area
India-Pakistan border
Click on the pins for details.
To enter the White Rann, permits must be obtained due to its location being close to the border. It can be arranged at the Sabras bus station near the Tent City or at the Bhirandiyara checkpoint. Alternatively, Indian citizens can obtain them here: https://rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in. The White Rann can easily be visited as a day trip from Bhuj, ideally to watch the sunset or sunrise. The afternoons can be used to relax in the shopping tents as spending them in the desert is impossible due to the heat. If it's a multi-day trip, you can consider seeing nearby attractions like Kalo Dungar, Gandhi nu Gaam (artisan village great for souvenir shopping, prices quite negotiable), Dholavira, Little Rann of Kutch and of course, Bhuj. Bhuj has little in the way of attractions; the Aina Mahal & Prag Mahal are quite unimpressive when compared to the grand palaces of Rajasthan, but the Smritivan Earthquake Museum is SUPERB & a must-see item on every bucket list.
To know more: https://www.tripsavvy.com/kutch-gujarat-tourism-and-travel-guide-1539325, https://www.rannutsav.net
References
Sharell Cook. (2020). How to Visit Great Rann of Kutch: Essential Travel Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.tripsavvy.com/great-rann-of-kutch-travel-guide-4134857. [Accessed 12 Oct. 2024].
Wikipedia. (2024). Great Rann of Kutch. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rann_of_Kutch. [Accessed 11 Oct. 2024].
Osama Nair. (n.d). A Design Guide for vernacular housing in Kutch. [online] Available at: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/sustainable-architecture/a9871-a-design-guide-for-vernacular-housing-in-kutch/.
[Accessed 15 Oct. 2024].
Local sandstone & Jaisalmer marble are extensively used for this museum ©Varsha Arun, 2024
On the way from Bhuj to Dhordo ©Varsha Arun, 2024