The picturesque beauty of Rann of Kutch cannot be explained in words. The breathtaking views of milky white desert once captured by your eyes stays in your memories forever. It is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert which is a perfect blend of beauty and culture. The district of Kutch has a rich and vibrant history which dates back to the prehistoric times. Even the traces of the Indus Valley civilization has been found there. The Rann of Kutch becomes a shallow marshy wetland during the rainy season and when the water dries up the wetland turns into a glittering white salt flats.
The cultural and geographical diversity of India has always attracted tourists from all around the world. It has been noticed that many travellers love visiting India at the time of some Festival. They love to enjoy the rich, colourful traditional and cultural heritage of India. That is why the Rann Festival welcomes more than 8000 tourists every year. This Utsav lasts for 3 months generally starting from the month of December and continues till March (generally winters). During the full moon nights of winter the shimmering moonlit landscape with the flavours of festivity provides the most unique experience. There is an amazing yet strange, natural dancing light activity that happens in Rann, the wetlands and the adjoining Banni Grassland is called as Chir Batti by the locals. The Government of Gujrat has been organising this festival on a large scale to promote tourism. It is the best opportunity to celebrate the diversity of Kutch and enjoy the local culture, cuisine and hospitality. The people of Kutch, the Kutchis are extremely welcoming to the tourists or any outsider as a matter of fact.
Rann Utsav is a carnival of music, dance, art and craft which is organised at various lacations within the Kutch. It is a platform of cultural and traditional extravaganza where the various art forms of the Kutch region comes together. This is the place where the rich creative industry of Gujrat is appreciated and many artisans, craftsmen, folk music and dance performers come forward to put their bit in the spirit of festivity. It is a matchless experience to live in a tent amidst the festival which is specially created to give a taste of living in a Bhonga(colourful, tent-like structures used by rurals to live). Different art forms which is exclusively exhibited in the Utsav includes Kutch weaving, embroidery, bandhani(Tie and Die), block printing, patchwork, mirror work, metal bells, leather art, pottery, wood carving, Lacquered Wood and more. Every year thousands of tourists indulge themselves in a bit of shopping here and they take home beautiful pieces of home decor especially metal bells, wood carvings and also extensive Kutch embroidery.
This year the Rann Utsav has been planned to be staged with a better flamboyancy, traditional colours and warm hospitality. It is going to be an evolved version with some new additions like different styles of dances and pageants. It has become a lot easier this year to plan the white salt desert holiday because applying for Indian Visa is now convenient with the introduction of e-tourist visa for India. Even last year the Kutch festival welcomed higher number of tourists than earlier since the e-visa India was introduced in September 2014. For a brief understanding of the e-tourist visa procedure you just need to log on to www.e-touristvisaindia.com. The website is quite explanatory which helps you to easily fill your online India Visa application, straightaway you get a reference number and in maximum of 3 business days you get your visa approval. They also provide emergency tourist visa if you have to commence your travel within 24 hours.
Martin Wynn
