“Rann Bhoomi – Padhaaro Maare Des re…” 

The Great Rann of Kutch is the only largest flooded grassland zone in the Indomalayan realm. It has desert on one side and sea on the other, thus forming home to many wildlife species. The total area of Rann is about 4950 sq km, and the Great Rann is about 7850 sq km desert. Rann has a marshy salt flat land, giving the land the ultimate white look. One can witness the endless landscape of white land as far as their eyes can see. In the monsoon due to rainfall, water gets accumulated here and hence this makes it a seasonal salt marshland. 

Historic legacy 

Back in time, centuries ago, Rann was a vast and huge part of the sea, until an earthquake turned it into a desert. Today, it’s a white desert made out of salt marshland in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The division of Rann is into two parts – The Great Rann and the Little Rann, part of which extends to the Sindh province of Pakistan. 

Rann is famous for its handicrafts, its white desert, camel rides during the season and most recently the Rann Utsav. Rann Utsav is famous for its craft bazaar and beautiful handicrafts. Thus, Rann of Kutch is the most attractive natural beauty. Stay overnight in desert tents, enjoy the tent city experience, and gaze at the stars at night. Rann of Kutch is amongst the most unique and mesmerising deserts in India.

Things to do in Rann of Kutch. 

Located to the north of Tropic of Cancer, Rann of Kutch has loads of activities in store for its tourists.  

• Watching the most beautiful sunset at Rann in the most picturesque landscapes one can ever witness. 
• Enjoy the camel rides and remarkable local handicrafts at Rann during the season. 
• Visit the white Rann during Rann Utsav and enjoy the local bazaar, handicrafts, camel rides and some lip-smacking chat, street food and Chinese food. 
• Apart from the salt marsh, visiting the Kutch museum to view the ancient monuments of Gujarat is also quite interesting. 
• Tourists can enjoy the local folk dance performance and the melodious folk songs Kutch. 
• The Mandvi beach, Aina mahal and the Narayan Sarovar sanctuary are other tourists attractions at Bhuj. 
• And lastly, enjoy some delicious Gujarati delicacies and enjoy the modern-traditional art forms at the Rann Utsav festival. 

Present-day use of land 

As white desert has its spectacular beauty, presently the dessert is used for many Bollywood movie shoots. The popularity of this place can be seen in many movies like Ramleela, Refugee etc. The picturesque landscapes make this place quite alluring and inviting to many tourists every year. 

Also, the recent attraction of the place is The Rann Utsav festival that takes place during the winter around November to February. It’s a popular and grand festival wherein people from different corners of the country visit as tourists. Also, many dance troops and artisans showcase their handicrafts and artwork.  

Shopping is very famous in Rann for finest artwork, handicrafts where tourists can bargain for different embroidery work, sarees, jackets, carpets, clothes, bedsheets, home décor, handbags, purses, wallets etc.  

Travel tips for Rann 

• Carry wholesome amount of water bottles along as Rann is a complete desert area and is always drier in terms of weather.
• Liquor is prohibited, so carry liquor only with an appropriate and approved license. 
• Identity cards of every individual are mandatory to carry at Rann of Kutch, as it lies between India- Pakistan border.
• Do the hotel bookings prior, especially during the peak season to do the reservations as per choice. 

Hence, Rann of Kutch is one of the most iconic attractions and the ultimate white desert and thus the land is blessed with the salt marsh. This white dessert is best to visit from October to February, as the climate is cool and do not miss the special Rann Utsav festival which is the major tourist attraction during the season.

Therefore, The Great Rann of Kutch, is a spectacular region with a rich cultural heritage and its beautiful breathtaking landscapes make the most magnificent sunset that one can’t miss. So, the new saying goes like this, “Kuch din toh guzariye Rann mai!” 

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