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The Rann of Kachchh is a salt marshy land in the Thar Desert in the Kachchh district of western Gujarat. It lies between Gujarat in India and the Sindh province in Pakistan. It comprises of around 30,000 sq. km of land which includes The Great Rann of Kachchh, The Little Rann of Kachchh and Banni grassland.
The Rann of Kachchh is famous for its white salty desert sand and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world.‘Rann’ means desert in Hindi which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Irina’ which also means desert. The inhabitants of Kachchh are called Kachchhi and have a language of their own with the same name. Most of the population in Rann of Kachchh comprises of Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Sikhs.
The Rann of Kachchh region is also home to a range of ecologically rich wildlife such as the flamingos and the wild ass that can be spotted around the desert often. Rann is also a part of a few sanctuaries such as the Indian wild ass sanctuary, Kachchh desert wildlife sanctuary etc. It is a paradise for wildlife photographers and nature enthusiasts alike.
The government of Gujarat holds a three month long festival known as ‘The Rann Utsav’ every year starting from December to February. This is the main source of income for the locals around who welcome visitors from across the globe to savour in local delicacies and to witness the culture and hospitality of Kachchh.
History of Kutch
This popular city is quite old and dates back to almost prehistoric times and its shreds of evidence have been witnessed from the traces found in the Indus Valley Civilization. According to the historical shreds of evidence, the great king Alexander has mentioned about Rann of Kutch in his writings and in that he had stated that the region was under the complete control of Greek rulers before it came under the rule of Mauryan Empire. Later on, for a period of time, it came under the control of various other dynasties like Chalukyas, Chavdas, Guptas, Western Satraps, and Jadeja brothers. Rayadhan II was the last ruler of Kutch and it is believed that Kathiawar was also discovered by his ancestors only. Later in the year 1819, Kutch came under the control of Britishers after getting defeated in the battle. Before getting declared as a separate state in the year 1950, Kutch was called as “dominion of India”. Also, in the year 1956, the region got merged with Bombay state and then finally in the year 1960, when the two different states of Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed, Kutch was declared as the part of Gujarat and got separated from Bombay.
Best Time To Visit Rann Of Kutch
Being a dry region, Rann of Kutch is not an ideal destination to visit throughout the year. One needs to check the weather updates before planning their visit to this desert land. Tourism rate in Gujarat starts rising up in the month of October and goes on till the month of February.
How To Reach Rann Of Kutch?
The most preferred and the convenient mode of transport is the roadways as there is no connectivity of this desert destination with railways and airways. Kutch doesn’t house any specific railhead or an airport and so is not connected directly via airways and railways.
Gujarat Tourism On the western coast of India, the state of Gujarat is the "Jewel of the West" in India. In Gujarat, one of India's most industrialized and prosperous states, you find the modern milieu and the age-old traditions happily married. The state derives its name from 'Gujjaratta' - meaning the land of the Gujjars, a tribe who migrated to India long back in 5th century AD. But some archeological findings from areas like Lothal, Dholavira, Rangpur, date back to the period of the Indus Valley Civilization. Since then, the state has seen the rise and fall of a number of mighty empires like the Mauryas, the Khiljis and other Muslim rulers, the Marathas till the British. The people of Gujarat reflect the vibrant culture of the state. They love to wear colorful dresses and the women prefer wearing a lot of ornaments. Most of the people speak in Gujarati. Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi and English are also spoken in Gujarat.
