5 Must Visit Offbeat Destinations in Gujarat

There is more to Gujarat than what meets the eye. There is more to this vibrant state than the Statue of Unity, kite festival, White Rann, Gir National Park, Somnath, Dwarka, Rani Ki Vav, Champaneer-Pavagadh Archaeological park and the UNESCO World heritage city of Ahmedabad. There are so many hidden attractions in this rich state that it will blow your mind. All you have to do is meander along its many offbeat trails to discover these lesser known gems.

Below are 5 such must visit offbeat destinations in Gujarat that span wildlife, art, culture, architecture, handicrafts, temples and more.

1) Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar



As the name suggests, the Velavadar Blackbuck national park is one of the best places to sight the stunning looking blackbuck antelope. It is also a great place to sight two rare predators, the Indian wolf and the striped hyena. And it is also home to the highest number of lesser floricans in India.

Tucked between two seasonal rivers and with the Gulf of Khambhat to its south, this national park ranges from grassland, shrubland, saline land to tidal mudflats, which attracts a lot of winter visitors, especially harriers, pelicans, demoiselle cranes, Eurasian spoonbills, pied avocets. In total, Velavadar is home to over 120 species of birds.

My favorite experience here has been to the sight of the black male blackbuck with his shimmering coat and spiralling V shaped horns set amidst the golden grasslands.

Best season to visit: The winter months from November through February

Nearest airport: Bhavnagar, 45 kms away

Nearest railway station: Bhavnagar, 45 kms away

Other nearby tourist attractions: Bhavnagar, Diu and Gir National Park


2) Sun Temple, Modhera



It precedes the gorgeous UNESCO world heritage site of Konark Sun temple by a good 200 years. And it looks every bit as ornate as Konark Sun Temple, if not more. Built in the 10th century under the reign of the Chalukya kingdom, bears testament to our rich past where we were technologically advanced, excelled in engineering, vaastu, design, astronomy, optics, geography, physics, water harvesting and so much more. Built directly on the Tropic of Cancer, the Modhera Sun temple and the Surya Kund are a treat to the eye, even after over 1000 years. It’s 365 elephants at its base, 52 intricately carved pillars in the sabha mantapa, the 12 statues of the sun god and the different vasstu devatas for each direction, each pay homage to the sun god, the directions and the solar calendar that we follow today. You need to spend a few hours just to come to terms with it.

Best season to visit: August through February

Nearest airport: Ahmedabad

Nearest railway station: Mahesana, though Ahmedabad would have the best connectivity

Other nearby tourist attractions: Rani Ki Vav, 900 year old Patan Patola Saree, 130 year old paper carving heritage

3) Artisan Village of Nirona



One of the handicrafts from this village was gifted to a sitting President of the United States in the White House by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This tiny village located between Bhuj and the White Rann dabbles in two things – agriculture and handicrafts.

Creativity seem to be in the blood of the people of this village. Nirona is not just home to the 300 year old Rogan art painting that was gifted to then president Barrack Obama, it is also home to traditional lacquer artisans and toy makers, family schooled sound engineers who turn scrap material into musical instruments, jewellery artists, wood artisans and more. Each handicraft tells you a beautiful story with a rich history. It is a must visit offbeat destination in Kutch.
Best season to visit: October through February

Nearest airport: Bhuj

Nearest railway station: Bhuj

Other nearby tourist attractions: Bhirandiyara, White Rann, Rann Utsav, Gandhi nu gram,

4) Heritage Town of Siddhpur



This heritage town was an important part of the Chalukya and Solanki empires between the 10th and the 15th centuries. Its merchants and traders did excellent business with the far east and the west and this riches can be seen through the beautiful homes with Hacienda architecture, the exquisite clock tower in the middle of the bazaar and many other buildings with elements of Hindu, Islam and Hacienda deisgn elements in its architecture.

In addition to these heritage homes and buildings, Siddhpur is also a spiritual destination and a pilgrimage site. There is the 12th century ruins of the Rudra Mahalaya temple that in its hey days boasted of a multi level intricately carved palace temple. Then, there is Bindu Sarovar, a tank mentioned in the Rig Veda, a sacred place to offer Matru-Shadh.

In sum, walking through the lanes of this town transports you into a different era and that feeling is truly special.

Best season to visit: November to February

Nearest airport: Ahmedabad

Nearest railway station: Siddhpur

Other nearby tourist attractions: Rani Ki Vav, Patan

5) Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch



The Little Rann of Kutch is not as promoted as much as the Greater Rann of Kutch, but it is a treat for wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers. While the shallow waters of the Rann and the nearby lakes attract millions of birds during the winter season, the bets (hillocks) and the hard mud flats of the Rann are home to the Wild Asses, a cousin of the African Zebra. Said to touch speeds of 70 kmph, the wild ass finds its home in these inhospitable conditions of the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch. Lesser flamingos, houbara bustard, the Great Indian bustard, harriers and many other gorgeous and rare species of birds can be found here.

In addition to the rich wildlife, one can experience the salt pans and the life of a salt farmer and a star studded sky, especially in the dry winter months.
Best season to visit: October to February

Nearest airport: Ahmedabad

Nearest railway station: Surendranagar, Dhrangadhra, Halvad, Santalpur and Radhanpur (depends on which side you intend to explore)

Other nearby tourist attractions: Greater Rann of Kutch, Bhuj, Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, Ahmedabad heritage city

Continue Reading...

The Traditional Lacquer Artisans and Toy Makers of Kutch

India’s cultural heritage is so rich that it sometimes boggles my mind. A case in point is the traditional art of making lacquerware. Lacquer, which finds its roots in French, Latin, Arabic and Persian is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word ‘laksha’, which represents the number 100,000, the lac insect (because of their enormous ‘laksha’ numbers) and the scarlet resinous secretion that is produces. It is interesting how this simple art form using lacquer evolved in ancient India, China and Persia. Each of these three mega civilizations had their own form of making lacquer ware and then through trade (silk route, spice route, etc.), they picked up tips from others and improvised on their crafts.



What we see today in our modern world is a sum of all these worldwide improvements. But, somewhere amidst all this modernization lie some hidden pockets where artisans still use traditional techniques and tools to build their craft. One such hidden cultural heritage of India are the traditional lacquer artisans and toy makers of Kutch, who might even be the forefathers of toymaking in Channapatna, Karnataka, another heritage hotspot of India.



Located today in a tiny village of Kutch called Nirona, these artisans are Hindus who migrated from Pakistan to Kutch many centuries back. Theirs is a family craft that has been passed on for many generations. Due to tough living conditions, remote location and lack of money and exposure, they hardly modernized their tools unlike the others who apparently learnt their craft and have mechanized the entire process. Which means that they still create their crafts using basic tools that they themselves have built by hand. The entire setup resembles a vice to hold the wood, a wooden rod based manual belt drive to turn the wood and metal based cutting and shaping tools.



Through these traditional and ancient techniques and tools, they create beautiful kitchen ware, toys, puppets and many other wooden decorative items. While the men in this family create the tools and the craft, it is the women who do the hard work of cutting wood, making the laak resin, making of natural colours using natural stones and materials and the making of adhesives using the gum of the babool tree. The end result of the efforts of the men and women of this family are natural wooden products that are look great, feel smooth to touch and that are an outcome of our ancient cultural heritage.



From the outside, this Hindu toy making family look as colorful as the other people of Kutch, but they have a slightly different story to tell. If you happen to be visiting Kutch on your Gujarat holiday or if you are on a culture and heritage trail through Kutch, do not miss the opportunity to interact with these traditional lacquer artisans and toy makers of Kutch. Their humility, story and crafts deserve to be shared with the world.



How to reach here:

The nearest airport is Bhuj, which has daily flights from Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Bhuj to Nirona should be about 60 kms and you can cover this distance in an hour by road. Local buses are available, though it is best to have your own mode of transportation if you wish to explore nearby villages.

Bhuj also has a railway station that has good connectivity with the rest of the country.

Bhuj also enjoys good road connectivity with the rest of the country.



Where to stay:

If you like traditional homestays, stay with the locals in their traditional homes in Nirona village. This will allow you to be in the midst of all the action while getting to experience the authentic life of this creative village.

If you prefer luxury, stay at Rann Utsav tent city or any of the many properties located in Dhordo. If you prefer beach luxury, opt to stay at the Vijay Vilas palace.

If you like city hotels, opt to stay at Bhuj.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) The family schooled sound engineers of Kutch who turn scrap into music

2) Rogan art, the 300 year old art form of Kutch

3) White Rann salt desert

4) Bhirandiyara village, known for its embroidery

5) Mandvi beach

6) Rann Utsav tent city

7) Gandhi nu gram weaving village

Continue Reading...

Rogan Art: 300 year old creative magic of Kutch

This art is so rare and special that the Indian prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi gifted it to the U.S president Barack Obama during his visit to the US in September 2014. The gift was a tree of life Rogan art painting made by one artisan family from the tiny village of Nirona in the Kutch district of Gujarat.



Now, you might be saying…so what is so special about this painting? Well, this Muslim family of Abdul Gafar Khatri from Nirona village is the only living family in the entire world to practice this ancient form of painting. Believed to have come to India about 300 years back from Persia, this Rogan art is a beautiful combination of Persian motifs and Kutchi colours and style. This gorgeous ancient art form has been kept alive by the men of the Khatri family who have passed on the skills and secrets to the future generations. Without them, this art form would have gone extinct. Today, a lot of the Khatri family members are National award winners and their paintings can be seen all over the world. That is the speciality of this rare and ancient art form.



Rogan, which is a Persian word, refers to the thick residue that is produced when castor oil is heated over fire for more than 12 hours and then cast into cold water. This is the main ingredient for this painting and castor oil or castor seeds for this are sourced directly from the farmers who grow this crop abundantly in the region of Kutch. Then, this Rogan residue is mixed with natural mineral pigments obtained from the earth of Kutch to get the desired colours. Finally, the artisan uses a six inch metal stick or pen to take this colorful and elastic residue from his palm and weaves his magic onto a piece of fabric. There is however an element of surprise here. If you notice the Rogan paintings closely, you will see that they are symmetrical in nature. This symmetry comes due to the creation of a mirror image of the painting when the residue is wet. While making one design, the artisan folds his fabric and presses the design onto the other side of the fabric to ensure that the design repeats itself.



In this way, Rogan art finds its way into wall hangings, bedsheets, bridal wear, pillow covers, table cloths, sarees, file folders, stoles, scarves, dress materials and other decorative pieces. And even the White house.



There was a time when the textile industry was picking up. There were no tourists visiting Gujarat. And there was hardly any visibility to such heritage. It was easy for the Khatri family to have left practising this art form and embracing the prospect of a job in the textile industry in Ahmedabad, Surat or Mumbai, but they didn’t opt for it. Instead, they painstakingly preserved this rare heritage of India through suffering and poverty. It was only in the recent past that the government floated initiatives promoting such traditional art and thus slowly their lives changed and more people got to know them and their amazing Rogan art.



This is the story of this Muslim family from Nirona village in Kutch and how they preserved a Persian art form for over 300 years in their family. This Rogan art is certainly a highlight on the handicrafts trail of Kutch and is bound to blow your mind away. Do pay a visit to see it at close quarters. And may be even buy something for yourself and/or your family and friends as they make for great souvenirs. And while you are in this region, you can also experience the sound engineers of Kutch, the embroidery artisans of Bhirandiyara, the lacquer artisans of Nirona, the folk music, the rich dash of colors, the salt desert called White Rann and the colorful festival of Rann Utsav.



Nirona village and its Rogan art family are a must-have in your kutch holiday itinerary. I would definitely recommend it to all. One can learn a lot from the colorful humans of Kutch, their rich handiwork and some of their well preserved heritage and culture.



How to reach here:

The nearest airport would be Bhuj. Bhuj airport has good connectivity with Mumbai and Delhi. Bhuj also has a railway station with decent connectivity. For a high traffic international airport, Ahmedabad would be your best bet.

Nirona is about 40 kms from Bhuj and about 72 kms from Dhordo where the Rann Utsav tent city and the White Rann are located. It is best to have your own mode of transportation for last mile commute and to explore the different handicraft villages in the region.




Where to stay:

If you prefer luxury, stay at Rann Utsav tent city. If you prefer traditional local homes, opt for village homestays in Nirona or in the nearby villages.




Best season to visit:

The winter months from November through February should be your best bet, but if you can handle warm weather, then you can visit all year round.



Nearby Tourist Attractions:

1) Rann Utsav, a winter festival that happens near the Great Rann of Kutch

2) White Rann, India’s largest salt desert

3) Colorful villages of Kutch

4) Bhirandiyara, the embroidery village of Kutch

5) Various handicraft villages of Kutch

6) Family schooled sound engineers of Kutch in Nirona village

7) Congregation of Lesser Flamingos in GRK and LRK

8) Wild Ass sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch

Continue Reading...

Rani Ki Vav: Queen of all Stepwells in India

It is an ancient water storage system. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. And it features on the back of the new one hundred (100) rupee currency note. But what makes this 11th century stepwell so unique are its intricate carvings, sculptures and visual depictions that have stood the test of time.



Above video: The above video is a walkthrough of this magnificent stepwell. Watch in full HD or 4K mode for best quality.



An engineering and creative feat, Rani Ki Vav was built as a memorial to 11th century king Bhimdev Solanki by his wife queen Udayamati. Spanning seven levels, Rani Ki Vav looks like a deep well from the top and from the front, it looks like a wide multi-storied temple complex with a maze of steps, sculptures and pillars.



Stepwells are an ancient form of subterranean water resource and storage system. It was created to help people find water in some of the driest regions of the country. But, Patan’s Rani Ki Vav, takes the stepwell concept to another level. It made this daily chore of carrying water an entertaining and informative one through its rich sculptures and carvings that tell many stories from Hindu mythology. And all this entertainment and learning takes place when people used to take breaks while climbing these 7 storeys with loads of water in hand.



In simple words, the people living here got access to water (stepwells), got protection from the sun (sheltered rooms inside the stepwell) and visual entertainment and learning (through the sculptures and carvings).



This amazing stepwell, built using Maru-Gurjara architecture as an inverted temple, is a sight to behold in the 21st century and I am assuming that it was way more special when it was built in the 11th century during the rule of the Chalukyan dynasty.



But, there was a period of time when this magnificent piece of architecture was hidden from the world after a massive flood in the nearby Saraswati river buried this entire stepwell in silt. It wasn’t discovered till the late 1980s, but this stepwell rose out of the all the silt while retaining all of its pristine glory. A few earthquakes have weakened the lower levels, but in spite of all these testing elements, Rani Ki Vav stands magnificent in all its grandeur.



Rani Ki Vav’s highlights are its 800 plus sculptures across the seven galleries. It’s side walls are the most ornate, but if you look closely, you can experience impressive visual stories almost everywhere. The sculpting gets richer as you descend into the stepwell and at the bottom, you feel like you are inside a surreal sculpted world.



The famous sculptures are:

1) The Ananta Sayana Vishu (Reclining Vishnu) that you can see at the far end of the stepwell at each of the lower levels with the Shesh Nag protecting him

2) The 10 avatars of Vishnu – Vaman, Varaha, Koorma, Narasimha, Krishna, Rama, Buddha, Balram, Kalki and the others



3) The Vish Kanyas who depict sexuality and poise

4) The apsaras who depict fashion, grace and sexuality (do pay note to all the make up elements of that era)



5) Tridev (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) with their consorts

6) Mahisasura Mardini slaying the demon



7) The demon who was cursed to lift the weight of the world

8) An ancient game played by the artisans who built Rani Ki Vav (Can be seen on the floor on one of the levels)



9) Ganesha and his consort

10) Stories of Lord Shiva

11) Brahmins and Sadhus



Rani Ki Vav is certainly an astounding place. One visit can simply overwhelm you, which is why I went there thrice. Once, to get a feel of the place. The second time with an authorized tourist guide to understand the history in depth and the third was to indulge in some photography.



During each visit, I seemed to discover more of the place. I seemed to see newer motifs, designs and sculptures. Most of you might not be able to visit many times. So, even if you manage to visit only once, do ensure that you opt for a proper tourist guide and plan to stay here for at least 2 to 3 hours.



In addition to Rani Ki Vav, you can visit the nearby Sahastralinga Talav, which is an ancient structure that was used to store water and was kept for irrigation. If you cross the Talav, you will come to the dry bed of the Saraswati river, the river that was once full of water in the 11th century and that changed course somewhere around the 13th century AD.



Unlike the dusty Patan town, Rani Ki Vav and the neighbouring Sahastralinga Talav are clean, green and full of trees and birds, thus making you feel that you are in the lap of nature. Hence, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of locals picnicking here during weekends, festivals and holidays.



Rani Ki Vav and Patan were once the jewel of the Solanki dynasty. Patan was its capital. Trade and business used to thrive. And creativity was at its very best. Even the famous Patola sarees come from here. Unfortunately today, this town is a shadow of its glorious past.



Even though it is just 3 hours from the capital city of Ahmedabad, no one prefers to visit this offbeat side of Gujarat and instead head straight to Rann of Kutch, Gir National Park or Dwarka. But, this offbeat trail is full of hidden gems! The Modhera Sun Temple, the heritage town of Siddhpur and Rani Ki Vav are places that one have to experience. There are countless other small gems in this region.



I would certainly recommend exploring this part of offbeat Gujarat. The queen of all stepwells in India, Rani Ki Vav, will blow your mind! Go on and experience it for yourself on your next holiday to Gujarat.



Rani Ki Vav Entrance Fees:

Indian Nationals: INR 35

Foreign Nationals: INR 550

Tourist Guide Fees: Roughly INR 400 per hour (price is usually negotiable). Remember to check for official ID card.



Rani Ki Vav Timings: 8 AM to 6 PM



Handy Tips for Rani Ki Vav:

1) Carry an umbrella, sunglasses, sunscreen or hat to protect you from the strong sun. There are hardly an trees around offering you shade

2) Carry a jacket in case you are visiting during the winter months

3) Do wear good shoes as you will have to climb up and down a lot of steps

4) Hold young kids at all times as the bottom level is cordoned off and quite risky for them



How to reach Patan:

By air: Ahmedabad would be your nearest domestic and international airport. From here, you can reach Patan either by rail or road.

By rail: Many long distance trains connect to Mahesana, which is an hour from Patan. You could either opt to take an auto, cab or bus from here or opt for the less frequent passenger train from Mahesana to Patan (this train is locally referred to as DEMU)

By road: Patan is about 140 kms from Ahmedabad. On a good day, it should take you somewhere between 2 to 3 hours if you are using your own mode of transportation. If you opt for public buses, it can take you close to 4 hours.



Best season to visit Patan:

September to February would be the best months to visit Patan and Rani Ki Vav as it is during these months that the temperatures are pleasant. This would also be the time when this town gets the most visitors.



Best time to visit Rani Ki Vav:

As Rani Ki Vav is many levels under the ground, natural light doesn’t reach in at all times. If photography is on your agenda, you should plan to visit between 11 am and 2 pm to get maximum light. An hour before or after is also fine, but one side of the stepwell might have shadows while the other is well lit.



Other tourist attractions in Patan:

1) Patan Patola museum where the 900 year old art of weaving Patola sarees still exists

2) Ancient paper carving of the Jadiya family

3) Sahastralinga Talav

4) Sunset at Maya Tekri



Nearby tourist attractions of Gujarat:

1) The 12th century Sun temple of Modhera, about 45 to 60 minutes away

2) The heritage town of Siddhpur, about 45 to 60 minutes away

3) The UNESCO world heritage city of Ahmedabad, about 3 hours away

Continue Reading...

130 year old Paper Carving Heritage: Hidden Artisans from Patan, Gujarat

Are you a culture aficionado? Are you one of those who is always on the look out for hidden cultural trails? Well, if you do, you will enjoy this artisan that I discovered in North West Gujarat in the erstwhile capital town of Gujarat. This artisan and his family have been practicing the art of super intricate paper carving for the past 130 years. But, paper carving wasn’t in their blood always. Rather, they were into wrestling. Sounds fascinating, right?



I met Mr. Narendra Jadiya, the paper carving artist, when I was at the Patan Patola museum trying to know more about the rich heritage of the Patola saris. Apparently, he used to practice at his home till a few years back, but once the Patola museum was built, the Salvi family (who are the traditional weavers of the Patola Sari) were kind enough to offer him a space to showcase his craft too. And that is how I managed to bump into the iconic paper carvers from the Jadiya family.

When I asked Mr. Narendra Jadiya how it all started, he told me that his ancestors were all into wrestling and they were far away from the creative arts, but all that changed during the time of his great grandfather who took to paper carving as a hobby. There was no specific effort to make money from it, but his great grandfather was so in love with the art that he kept practising it till he was alive and passed on this art form to his children and from there to his grand and great grandchildren.



Today, Mr. Narendra Jadiya continues to practice this art form started by his great grand father in his family and hopes that his son will also follow in his footsteps. Through his paper carving art, he depicts mythological stories of the various gods like Ram, Shiva, Buddha or Ganesha and many other diverse topics such as architecture, nature, birds and animals, etc.. But, the gods remain his primary interest. He either makes simple carvings or something that is extremely detailed and that is very work intensive.



First, he sketches the image that he wishes to carve onto a thick card board paper. Then he keeps it over good quality white paper and then using a semi-sharp knife like instrument, he starts carving the image on the white paper. A thick board is kept at the bottom for support and the work is either done next to a sun lit window or under a powerful table lamp so that attention to detail isn’t lost. Simple paper carving art takes a few hours and complex ones can take a few weeks or so.

Do pay him a visit the next time you are in Patan for a culture and heritage holiday. You should definitely spend time with him and watch him go about his craft. His work looks simple to the untrained eye, but it involves a lot of patience and skill. You will only realize that when you see his best work products, which he usually keeps hidden in his drawers. They will certainly blow your mind. Do remember to coax him to show a few to you! And may be, if you like anything in particular, you could even buy it from him.

In case you can’t find him at the Patan Patola Museum, you can either email him at papercarving1890@gmail.com, call him at 08866567702 / 9033719148 or meet him at his residence on Ramprasad road next to Girdhari temple in Patan. I hope you enjoy his unique paper carving art as much as I did!



How to reach here:

The nearest airport is Ahmedabad. Mahesana is the nearest long distance railway station, though Ahmedabad would be your best bet for all air, road and rail connectivity from all over India. Patan is about a 2 hour drive from Ahmedabad.

Where to stay:

You could either stay in a guest house or hotel in Patan, in a home stay in any of the surrounding villages or in a luxury hotel in Ahmedabad.

Nearby cultural attractions that you can also visit:

1) The 10th century Modhera Sun Temple

2) Rani Ki Vav, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

3) The Heritage town of Siddhpur

4) The Patan Patola Museum to know about the rich heritage of the Patola saris

Continue Reading...