Every year nature presents a clean white crisp canvas and invites the artists to use their wild imagination to colour it in the most vibrant shades. The canvas is the vast expanse of the Great White Rann of Kutch and the artists, us!
Rann Utsav is an amalgamation of everything cultural, energetic, rustic and charming. A festival that celebrates life and colour. People throng the Rann of Kutch in large numbers each year when the monsoons have receded leaving behind a crusty layer of salt covering the entire land of Rann. The salt is so pure and white that it glistens in the moonlight. A full moon night experience at the Rann gives an illusion of one being inside a snow globe. Magical, to say the least.
When does the Utsav happen?
Just when the Weather Gods bless the land of the dry Rann with an abundance of water to let the salt come up and form a crust and just when the Sun God decides to be kinder to the open land. In other words, the time is post-monsoons and through the entire winter season. The Utsav starts near Diwali time in October and is on till winter lasts i.e., February of the subsequent year.
What is the hullabaloo all about?
A travel experience like none other! Staying in a tent in a temporarily created village. Experiencing the essence of Gujarat in just a couple of days. A tent stay yet luxurious. A complete holiday experience with adventure, luxury, cuisine, shopping, and sightseeing; all aspects are taken care of. Authentic flavours of Gujarat and from other parts of the country too prepared by chefs with a five-star experience. Folk dances and arts keep you enthralled. And when you are just too tired to walk back to your tent, a buggy ride through your make-believe village to your little hut/tent.
Need we add more?
How long must one stay there?
A two-night stay is definitely a must to be able to explore the regalia that Rann Utsav is. After these two fun-filled enriching days, you might be tempted to extend your stay by a couple more days. The days at Rann Utsav are busy, jam-packed with action all around, evenings are engaging and entertaining and the dusk enhances the magic of the white desert. A wholesome experience can only be had over a couple of days.
What can one do at the Rann Utsav?
1. First and most cherishable is the stay in a tent, rather a tent city. You have a neighbourhood which also stays in tents, now is that not exciting enough? Tents that are equipped with all the luxuries of a hotel room, beds, electricity, air-conditioning, tea-coffee maker, amenities and a spic n span washroom too.
2. Gujarat is known for its various arts and crafts. Visit the craft bazaar and interact with the artisans directly. Pick what fancies you. Home decor, accessories, home furnishings and pottery are among the most popular products here.
3. Utsav, mela and fair are synonymous with joyrides. Here too there are many rides available – big or small, fast or slow, high or low, take your pick and enjoy the ride. Past Rann Utsavs have seen para-sailing and ziplining as popular activities.
4. Gujarati cuisine is very popular the world over. Who doesn’t prefer carrying methi theplas for a road trip? Indulge in the authentic Kutchi flavours cooked in pure desi ghee with the most aromatic freshly-grounded spices. A Gujarati thali is a must-have when at the Rann Utsav.
5. Close to the venue of Rann Utsav are the culturally rich and very famous villages of the Banni Grasslands. Visit these villages during the day and interact with the villagers who also are skilled herdsmen (goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes, camels too) and craftsmen and create wonders in needlework, lacquer, wood, leather etc. Meet the villagers and visit their workshops, learn a stitch to two too! And do not forget to taste the fresh and sweet Mavo at Bhirandiyara and Kutchi dabeli along the way.
6. Kutch must be visited during the full-moon phase though other days too are equally enchanting. But the charm of a full moon night in the white desert definitely stands out. The snow globe experience as you stand on the crusty white salty earth of the Rann and are engulfed by the pearly white light of the moon reflected by the shining salt crystals. This is the most serene and surreal experience that one can get at the Rann Utsav.
7. Mention of the desert brings the thought of camels instantly, they are in an eternal relationship with each other. Camels can navigate large expanses of deserts with ease, be it the sandy desert of The Thar or the salt-crust desert of the Rann of Kutch, camels can be seen loitering around on the deserts, sometimes taking a passenger for a joyride and sometimes just like that without any purpose.
8. Gujarat holds the distinction of having the longest dance festival in the world – Dandiya / Garba lasts full 10 days! There are other dance forms too from Gujarat that are famous for their history and style. Siddi tribe from the jungles of Sasan Gir perform a vitality-infusing Dhamaal dance, do not miss their live performance. They originally hail from Africa but have settled in Gujarat for long.
What’s more, you also get a sightseeing tour of other attractions of Kutch on the last day of your stay at The Rann Utsav. While you carry on with an engaging tour which takes you to the villages, the local artisans’ homes, the many museums and other attractions, do not forget to get down from your ride and take a picture at the Tropic of Cancer which cuts across the road that connects Dhordo to Bhuj. There is a magnetic field too along the way where if left in neutral, the car moves slightly backwards.
How to reach?
Bhuj is your nearest railway station as well as the airport. If you are booked to stay at the Rann Utsav, their pickup buses will meet you outside the railway station / airport. Similarly, you will also get a drop at the railway station / airport on the day you check out.
Rann Utsav can easily be called a tour of all of cultural Gujarat in just a couple of days. For other destinations, monuments, wildlife parks, pilgrimages and other attractions though one needs to take a tour of the state. There is so much that one can see and explore in Gujarat. Truly a vibrant state.
