Rann Utsav: Ideal Festive Family Holiday in Gujarat

Kutch nahin dekha toh kuch nahin dhekha (If you haven’t seen Kutch, you haven’t seen anything)! This is how Kutch is referred to amongst the people of Gujarat, especially when they are talking about holiday destinations in Gujarat.



As a state, Gujarat is colorful, vibrant and offers diverse avenues for the traveler to indulge in. Be its capital, the UNESCO world heritage city of Ahmedabad, its gorgeous temples at Patan and Dwarka, its stunning birding and wildlife sanctuaries at Gir, Nal Sarovar and Velavadar, its amazing beaches in Mandvi or the stunning white salt desert of the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat has enough and more destinations to blow the mind of the visiting tourist.



While each one of these destinations offer totally mind blowing experiences to its guests, there is something unique about the far west of this country, especially the district of Kutch, which is made up of one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This place is not only colorful, but is a powerhouse of creativity, art, craft and culture. And let me not start talking their rich and delicious food, coz if I do, that deserves a separate blog post in itself. One can indulge in all the charms of the region called ‘Greater Rann of Kutch’, by taking part in the Rann Utsav festival that happens every winter and if you stay inside the Rann Utsav tent city, you will realize that you don’t have to visit different villages to see their art, craft and culture, but these villagers come to you inside the tent city.



Earlier this year when the festival was in full flow, I was privileged to experience it at close quarters. This included the stay in the Rann Utsav tent city, watching sunrises, sunsets and full moon events at the nearby White Rann, visiting the local villages known for their creative spirits and in overall enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of one of Gujarat’s top orchestrated festivals. Below is my detailed review of my stay at the Rann Utsav tent city and why I think it makes for a perfect festive holiday in Gujarat for you and your family and friends.    

One Big Festive City



The Rann Utsav tent city is such a massive piece of land that the tag ‘city’ definitely fits its well. Be it diverse forms of stay, art, culture, music and entertainment, logistics, food and beverages, adventure or interaction with villagers and artisans, you can find all of it in this campus. From early in the morning to late past midnight, there is never a paucity of action. Rann Utsav offers its visitors a ton of photography opportunities, cultural interactions, rich colors, great food and in overall a fabulous festive atmosphere.



Run and managed by Gujarat Tourism, this tent city is located right next to the Rann in the village area of Dhordo. It is a well planned city that is set up right after the monsoons and stays on till spring. Which means that there is no sign of it during the summer months, only to appear out of thin air just before the end of the rains.

Perfect for Indian Families



The Rann Utsav tent city is perfect for Indian families on a holiday. Whether you are a couple, a young family or a family with the elderly, I think all of them will have a fabulous holiday. Free buggy carts are always at your beck and call to take you and your baggage anywhere in the tent city. This allows you to soak in the charms of the festive city without worrying about walking too much, getting tired or walking too much. The budget minimalistic to the expensive full on luxury tents offer a diverse variety of stay options for those with different budgets. The in-house kitchen treats you to lip smacking array of local Gujarati, Indian and continental food for breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner. The only flipside of this kitchen is that it serves food at specified times, but I think that’s the only flip side. Everything else about it is amazing. You will end up enjoying the food so much that I am pretty sure that you will gain a few happy kilograms. Within short distances from the tent accommodation, one can indulge in cultural shows, musical performances, exposure to local creativity, take part in adventure activities and even do some shopping.

Great Insight into Kutchi Culture



The people of Kutch are a bunch of super creative artisans. Be it painting, weaving, stitching, pottery and clay work, glass work, making of musical instruments, leather jobs, singing and dancing and/or toys, the people of Kutch turn their creative imagination into some pretty special products. The Rann Utsav is a perfect opportunity to see all this at close quarters as many artisans from different villages are invited by Gujarat Tourism to set up stalls, practice their art and sell the finished goods to the visitors. Not only does this provide you an opportunity to understand Kutchi art and culture, you can also indulge in some retail therapy by buying Kutchi handicrafts, while providing much needed livelihood to these skilled, yet poor artisans of Kutch.

Fabulous Village Tours with Knowledgeable Guides



One of the things that I really liked about Rann Utsav is that it has closely tied up with all the different artisans from the different villages of Kutch and through its well organized tours, it offers its visitors a quick peek into the rural life of Kutch. While this is certainly interesting to the visitors, it gives the villagers an opportunity to sell their wares. The knowledgeable guides who come with the tour make the journey interesting by sharing with you the history of the place and many other interesting titbits of information. Famous villages like Bhirandiyara, Nirona, Gandhi nu gram, Bhujodi, Ludiya, Khavda and Ajrakhpur are part of different tours. So are the coastal city of Mandvi, the city of Bhuj and Kala Dungar, the highest point of Kutch.

Great Proximity to the White Rann Salt Desert



One of the top highlights of a holiday to Kutch is a visit to the ‘White Rann’, India’s largest salt desert and one of mother nature’s splendid creations. Sunrises, sunsets and moonrises are a spectacle to experience here, which means that you might have to make multiple trips and that is why close proximity makes sense. A 20 minute drive from the Rann Utsav tent city brings you to the splendid White Rann. And once you are done with this surreal experience, you can quickly head back to the comforts of the tent city for a warm shower and delicious meals.



I hope by now you realize why I am so gung-ho about this beautiful part of our country. It is that perfect concoction of festivities, luxury, nature, art, culture, music and amazing food. So the next time, you are looking for a winter holiday destination for your family and friends, look no further than the creative people of Kutch, their salt desert home and a festive extravaganza called ‘Rann Utsav’.

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11 Top Things to Experience near India’s Largest Salt Desert

One of our country’s stunning natural wonders, the Greater Rann of Kutch, is India’s largest salt desert and one of the largest of its kind in the entire world. A holiday to its white world is much sought after, especially during the winter and early spring months and more so during the Rann Utsav festival, which is a world in itself. Not only is there surreal nature to see, but there is a lot of art, culture, handicrafts, food, dance, music and endless shopping to experience in this north western corner of India.



And with a pretty easily accessible airport in Bhuj and daily flights from Mumbai, you are not too far away from our own Kutch holiday. And if you and when you decide to visit the Greater Rann of Kutch and its gorgeously artistic villages and creative denizens, do plan around a no moon or full moon time to make it that spectacular holiday.



Below are 11 things that you should experience to have that special holiday to Kutch. These are all based on my personal experiences on prior visits to Kutch.

1) Watch Nature’s Pyrotechnics at the White Rann



The vast expanse of salt and pretty much nothing else to see till the horizon other than salt, the Great Rann of Kutch is quite an experience. To stand barefoot on the salt crystals of the White Rann and to watch the sunrise or sunset here is a humbling experience. If you wish, you can also explore the White Rann while sitting on a camel. If you can brave the cold, I would recommend staying on post the sunset and watch the moonrise and later on a view of a star studded sky. During the full moon, the entire salt desert glows white in the moon light and during no moon, the stars can be seen glittering like never before. Whatever day you choose, the White Rann is definitely one of the top experiences.

2) Bite into a Delicious Dabeli at Bhuj



What Vada Pao is to Mumbai, the Dabeli is to Kutch. Popularly referred to as the Kutchi burger, this local street food is your simple bread or pao that is toasted on butter and stuffed with a secret tomato vegetable gravy, sweet sauce, tangy sauce, nuts, pomegranate fruit and spicy peanuts. You can either have this as a snack or as a full meal coz that is how delicious they are. The place to try the best dabelis is Kishan Dabeli and bhel on the main market street. And once you have had your fill of Kutch’s iconic street food, wash it down with a lip smacking glass of chach or butter milk.

3) Be a part of the Festive Atmosphere at the Rann Utsav



The Rann Utsav is one of the most well orchestrated local events where they seamlessly bring together the art, culture, handicrafts, people and food from the region of Kutch into one vibrant and colorful environment that is located right next to the White Rann salt desert. Perfect for families and couples, right from being put up in luxury tents and ferried along in golf carts, this Rann Utsav tent city run by Gujarat Tourism is packed with lip smacking food, local folk music, endless shopping opportunities, adventure activities, tailored tours to the top sights of the region and so much more.

4) Try your hand at playing the Morchang



Kutch as a region has many unique musical instruments. One of them that is my absolute favorite is the Morchang, a humble instrument that was historically used to call cattle back home from the field. This percussion instrument made from iron is held between your teeth and using your tongue and your inhaling and exhaling of air, you cause the instrument to vibrate and thus produce sound. A trained Morchang player can play a few hundred sounds with this instrument and some of these can be heard as far as 5 kilometers away.

5) Take a ride in a Chakda



You have to love India for its jugaad mentality and more so Kutch for converting an ancient 500 cc diesel Royal Enfield motorcycle into a colorful public transport option for the desert and its surrounding villages. Designed as a tri-motorcycle with a carriage at the rear, the Chakda is Kutch’s Jugaad invention and that you should definitely experience during your Kutch holiday. Even if you don’t get to ride one, you should at least travel in one.

6) Watch how scrap is turned into musical bells at the Sound Lab of Nirona



The Hussain family of Nirona turn waste scrap iron into amazing sounding copper bells. I call them the sound lab of Kutch! This family art has been passed down through generations for the last 400 years and it is quite something to see them at work where they are shaping scrap metal, giving it color and finally giving it the desired sound. Their work is so good that technically qualified sound engineers would be proud of their work.

7) Shop for Embroidered Goods at Bhirandiyara Village



You are never too far away from rich colorful embroidery work in Kutch and what better way to see and buy these amazing goods than right at the source. You can do this at Bhirandiyara village, where the women are masters of embroidery. Their clothes, wall hangings, bags, table cloths, bed spreads, purses and many other items will appeal to all kinds of handicraft shoppers. Made from cotton, wool, silk or leather, these colorful handicrafts not only make for great handicraft memento purchases, but make for fantastic gifts too.

8) Watch the magic of Rogan Art unfold in front of your eyes



Only one family in the whole world makes this kind of art. How cool is that? The Khatri family of Nirona village in Kutch have somehow managed to keep this awesome art form alive. Influenced by Persian art and made from castor oil and locally sourced colors, this traditional Rogan art is so special that one of it can be found in the White House when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted one to then President of the United States, Barack Obama. A visit to the Khatri house in Nirona will not only allow you to see the creative action at close quarters, but you can also buy some of this prized art as a special show case for your living room.

9) Eat a Home Cooked Traditional Kutchi Lunch



With its war like names, the foods of Gujarat are definitely popular. Khakhra, Thepla, Dhokla and Fafda are the favorites. Then add street food like Dabeli, Kadak and Bhel to it and you have a certain mouth watering proposition. I think the best taste of Kutch lies in its simple village homes and their cooks. Whatever they prepare, be it Undio, Sev Tamatar, Dal, roti, pulao, Sukhi Bhaji or desserts such as Kansar, Sukhadi, or Shiroo,  everything seems to have such a true local flavor. A must experience according to me and a taste that you will treasure for years to come.

10) Take a Selfie with a Colorfully Dressed Kutchi Family



Kutch is so full of vibrant colors that sometimes I feel it should own the title for the most colorful region in the country. Even though the region of Kutch is dry, bleak, harsh and unforgiving, the people of Kutch seem to be colorful, cheerful, creative and a definite treat to the eyes. And with such colorful people, a selfie is mandatory. It would be your colorful Kutchi selfie.

11) Listen to the soothing Kutchi Folk Music



With traditional musical instruments such as the Rawan Hatha, Dholak, Morchang, Khartal and Khanjari, the musicians of Kutch create some amazing folk music that is so soothing to the ears. Their music is so popular that Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, the Bollywood music composers have leveraged them in a lot of their music. You can either hear it up close at the Rann Utsav tent city or at any of the village homes or events.

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Gujarat’s White Rann: A Must Experience Natural Wonder

This region was once the base for one of mankind’s earliest and most successful civilizations. I am talking about the Indus valley civilization as the mighty Indus river meandered its way into the Gulf of Kutch making this an extremely fertile valley. Maritime trade with the Middle East and Africa made it one of the most successful on the Indian subcontinent. Engineering and business thrived making it an extremely rich place. But, somewhere after the devastating earthquake of 1819, the land completely transformed.



The Indus shifted its course to today’s Pakistan and the land dried to form one of the largest salt deserts of the world. But, the beauty of mother nature’s transformation is that it creates something sensational and in this case it is the spectacle of the thick white salt crystals that sprawl an area larger and bigger than what the eye can see. The expanse is so mighty that if you walk in the middle of it for a while, you might lose your sense of bearings as your 360 degree view remains more or less the same, which is white all the way.



And that I think it is this sheer vastness, bleakness and remoteness that makes this place so surreal. It offers something that is a total rare commodity. Be it the sunrises or sunsets here, the moonrises, the look of the star glazed sky on a no moon night or the reflections of the moon on the white salt crystals on a full moon night, every regular celestial event seems to become a spectacular sight here.



Located real close to the Dhordo tent city that celebrates the annual Rann Utsav festival, this part of the Greater Rann of Kutch that locals fondly refer to as the White Rann is maintained by the Indian army as our border with Pakistan passes somewhere in the middle of this remote expanse. The character of the Indian army adds a special charm to the entire White Rann experience as you can see them almost everywhere right from the check points, the surrounding areas and even the main entrance to the White Rann. Your respect for the border force increases many fold when you see the unforgiving nature that they live in, especially in the summer months, when temperatures consistently hover 50 degree Celsius or more.



A trip to the White Rann doesn’t simply entail a sight of one of India’s best natural wonders, but it also allows you to experience the colors, handicrafts and art of the creatively rich Kutchi people, the amazing Gujarati cuisine and a closer peek at Greater Flamingos, Lesser Flamingos, Bustards and Wild Asses that call this salt desert their home. I sometimes ask as to why do we find the most color in dry landscapes. May be, we humans tend to over compensate to make up for the lack of color. Most of us think Rajasthan is India’s most colorful state, but I think the region of Kutch will beat it hands down. And not just that, the art, culture and handicrafts that has been passed down many generations for hundreds of years bears testament to the rich history of this place. In all, a total holiday package to one of Incredible India’s most beautiful and vibrant locations. And if you happen to be there tomorrow, do not miss the special celestial event of Blue Moon, Super Moon and Lunar Eclipse from this salty desert.



Best Season to Visit

October to March should be the the best time to visit this region, though I would say November to February is best, if you yearn for pleasant weather.

Where to Stay

Gujarat Tourism runs two tent city properties real close to the White Rann. These places are a bit on the pricier side, but they offer a perfect place for your Kutch family holiday as they bring entertainment, food, culture, shopping and luxury all in one massive cultural city. If you are on a road trip and are looking for budget options, stay with Kutchi families in their village homes for a more authentic experience. What you lose in oomph, you make up for in true local character. Villages such as Nirona, Gandhinugram, Bhirandiyara are great bets as they offer you a rustic Kutchi experience while offering proximity to the White Rann.



How to Reach

Bhuj is the city with the closest airport and railway station, but connectivity is limited and cost might be a bit high, especially for flights. For cheaper options, look at Ahmedabad, though this would mean you drive close to 400 kilometers to reach the White Rann.

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