Day 4 - 2nd Feb, 2016: White Rann
We wanted to witness the magic of White Rann during sunrise and hence were ready to leave for White Rann by 5:30 am. We reached White Rann by 5:40 am. On enquiring with the BSF Jawans there, got to know that sunrise happens only by 7:15 am! We had lot of time to pass. There is a ramp laid out to go a little further into the desert which by walk takes around 15 mins. There was very less crowd compared to last evening. We took to the area in the desert less visited. It was extremely peaceful and calm. If time could be stopped I would have stopped it indefinately here! There was absolute silence and the further we walked, more peaceful we felt. We took some beautiful shots of the sunrise and left the place around 9 am.
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| Sunrise at White Desert |
After breakfast it was time for some sightseeing. We headed out towards Kalo Dungar and Khavda. Again Khavda is a village famous for handicrafts. The original route from Dhordo to Kalo Dungar was through Bhirandiyara. So you had o go back from Dhordo to Bhirandiyara and again go staright from there. But now if you stay at Dhordo, a shorter route is available which reduces the distance by 30 kms. We took this shortcut and we got to see a new of the Rann of Kutch. There was fine sand everywhere and there was no salt. We stopped here for a while and saw some fishes which were in the process of becoming fossils.
The Kutch area was once a part of the Arabian sea because of which the area was known for trade during the Indus Valley Civilization. Now there is nothing but salt and this reminds you of the history of Kutch. Kalo Dungar is the highest point in Kutch from where you can view the vastness of the White desert. There is also India Bridge near to Kalo Dungar which is the last point accessible to civilians since the Pakistan border is very close form here. There are some villages beyond India Bridge but other than the inhabitants of the village, no one else is permitted an entry.
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| India Bridge as seen from Kalo Dungar |
On reaching Kalo Dungar, we parked the car before the final climb and took Camel ride till the top. I must admit that the view from the top was just too good. You could see the White desert all around. Also, India Bridge was visible from the top. It is said that the whole of Greater Rann can be seen from there. There was also a Dattatreya temple which is supposedly 400 yeasrs old. There is also a legend associated with it. They say when Lord Dattatreya walked on earth, he stopped on these hills and found a band of starving jackals. He offered them his body and as they ate, his body continually re-generated itself. Hence, for the last 4 centuries, the priest at the temple prepares the prasad that is fed to the jackals after the evening aarti!
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| View of Rann of Kutch from Kalo Dungar |
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| At Kalo Dungar |
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| Dattatreya temple at Kalo Dungar |
Continuing the journey, we were were on the way back to the resort when we stopped at Khavda village for some shopping! There is this shop called as Qasab in Khavda. Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan is a grass-roots organisation in Kutch that pays members a dividend of the profits and invests money to meet social needs. The embroidery and patchwork are exquisite, employing the distinctive styles of several communities in the region. These products go under the brand name Qasab. We did some shopping there and were back to the resort by lunch.
Lunch was the Gujarati thali with loads of buttermilk! Now was the time to visit the famous Rann Utsav. Rann Utsav is a festival sort of held for tourists to experience some local cuisines, shop local arts and other different types of entertaiment. Visiting Rann Utsav was on my bucket list from a long time that finally got fulfilled! There are lot of tents which has artsmen from different regions of Kutch exhibiting their products which are very pretty and unique. We again did loads of shopping till we dropped dead!
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| Stalls at Rann Utsav |
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| A map of stalls at Rann Utsav |
After the evening entertainment by local artists, it was time for dinner and the end of a long day at White Desert.
Route to Kalo Dungar:
If staying at Dhordo, go towards the White Desert and you encounter a circle kind of place. Take right and keep going straight till you join the main road coming from Bhirandiyara. This is the newly made shortcut that reduces the distance by 30 kms.
Must try dishes of the day:
Kutchi Dabeli is a must try when in Kutch. The dish consists of a bread(pav) stuffed with some thick gravy having raisins and cashews. It tastes sweet, spicy and slightly tangy. Must try.
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