KUTCH

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF KUTCH I ended 2014 and began 2015 with Kutch. Ironically Kutch was never on the agenda. The husband and I usually holiday together in the first week of January and I had planned to only visit Ahmedabad and LRK – the Little Rann of Kutch to do some birding. But then he was very adamant on visiting Greater Rann of Kutch and at the last minute we “advanced” our holiday by a few days and headed to Kutch. It was a crazy decision. There was no way we could get a place to stay anywhere. In fact we were lugging bags and shifting our base every night. Thankfully we travel light. And the itinerary had to be planned around the place we stayed as the distances were rather baffling to say the least,And yet, it was a wonderful trip. Sharing some of my first impressions of Kutch with you.. Making magic with her fingers The heart of Kutch lies in its villages Planning a visit to Kutch is not about heading to the Rann Festival or walking on the White Rann alone.

Amitabh Bachchan, in a famous Gujarat Tourism ad says “ Kutch nahin dekha toh kuch nahi dekha .” The legendary Bollywood icon couldn’t have made a truer statement. A remarkable region in the northwestern part of this vibrant state,  Kutch packs in a culture , topography and a way of life that is one of a kind. Bhuj, the Kutchi capital of yore, gets the maximum attention from the world. But, that’s not what this blog is about. Our trip to Bhuj made us privy to well-kept secrets of the locals that not many outsiders know of! #1 The Great Rann of Kutch The stunning Rann of Kutch Easily the most well known secret, the massive salt marsh of the Thar Desert is the Big B of Kutch. An hour and a half’s drive from Bhuj, it can be accessed through a hamlet called Dhordo. But before that, you have to stop at the Police Station in Bhirandiyara with a photocopy of your ID proof to get a permit to visit the largest salt desert in the world. Of course, it comes at a price of Rs. 250 for

Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch Overview The Great Rann of Kutch, a large area of salt marshland, is located in the District of Kutch, in the western state of India, Gujarat. The vast expanse is situated in the Thar Desert and is formed of salt marshes which create a mesmerising view that attracts travellers from all over the world. Sunsets at the Great Rann of Kutch are a treat to the eyes after exploring the region. Watching the moon on a full moon night in the captivating surroundings of the Great Rann of Kutch will make you feel like you are on a different planet altogether. The region has been so famous for its natural beauty that it was featured in numerous films in India, for example - Refugee, Magadheera, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela, Sarainodu etc. It has also been mentioned in several books including the Booker Prize-Winning Novel, Midnight's Children, written by Salman Rushdie. The name, Great Rann of Kutch, was derived from the word "Rann" meaning desert

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Kutch Overview Less than 100 km away from Bhuj, this sanctuary is spread over an area of about 7505.22 sq. km. in the Kutch District of Gujarat. This wildlife sanctuary is considered as one of the largest seasonal saline wetland areas. It has a water depth that ranges between 0.5 to 1.5 m and preserves various species of flamingo birds. Also sight other species such as the greater flamingo, Indian porcupine, spiny tailed lizard, black-necked storks, wild ass and Indian cormorant. The best time to visit this sanctuary is during the months of winters. Also, lying close by, is the buried city Dholavira of Harappan civilization which was excavated here, which attracts hordes of archaeologists here from all across the world. Some part of the sanctuary are restricted to civilians because of the Indo-Pak International border. This sanctuary is also famous for its flat snow white surface with extensive deposits of salt crystals and it provides a very u

Kutch district  ( Kutchi  and  Gujarati : કચ્છ જિલ્લો; also spelled as  Kachchh ) is a  district  of  Gujarat  state in western  India . Covering an area of 45,674 km², [1]  it is the largest district of India. [2]  The population of Kutch is about 2,092,000. [3]  It has 10  Talukas , 939 villages and 6 Municipalities. [3]  The Kutch district is home to the  Kutchi people  who speak the  Kutchi language . Kutch district District of Gujarat Location of Kutch district in Gujarat Country India State Gujarat Headquarters Bhuj Tehsils 10 Government  •  Lok Sabha constituencies Kutch  •  Vidhan Sabha constituencies 6 Area  • Total 45,674 km 2 (17,635 sq mi) Population   (2011)  • Total 2,092,371  • Density 46/km 2  (120/sq mi) Demographics  •  Literacy 70.59  • Sex ratio 908 Time zone UTC+05:30  ( IST ) Major highways 1 Website https://kutchdp.gujarat.gov.in Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of thi