Kutch Rann Utsav 2017 | A winter carnival in Gujarat

The nights are beginning to get longer, the moon is shining a little brighter, there's a nip in the air, and the heart constantly yearns for a hot cuppa.

It seems to be that time of the year again!

Time to whip out the woollens, hug a blanket to sleep at night, and plan that winter holiday you've been waiting for all this time. Goa, Gokarna, Hampi, or Kerala - there are countless destinations south of the Tropic of Cancer that offer an escape from the gloom and cold of North India. But two years ago, when I was faced with the same question - where to go for a winter vacation with friends - I chose to take the offbeat route. I headed to a place I knew precious little about - a place not too hot or cold, but exceedingly beautiful and known for its hospitality and rich culture.

In the winter of 2015, I travelled through Gujarat, and it remains one of my most amazing travel experiences ever. We explored the ruins and palaces of post-earthquake Bhuj, we watched the sun set on the westernmost beach of India, we met and dined with the most friendly local families, and we gorged on the famous Gujarati thali. Above all, we caught stunningly surreal sights of the white desert in all its glory on a full-moon night.

Sunset on the white desert.

A twilight capture of the White Rann (I added a little light for clarity)

 

Kutch Rann Utsav - the desert festival of Gujarat

The Rann of Kutch is an expanse of salt desert in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The word "Rann" is pronounced "रण", which in Hindi means "desert". Rann Utsav, or Kutch Rann Utsav, is a winter carnival held on the white desert every year. It has Gujarati delicacies and all kinds of Indian street food on offer, folk dance and music performances, handicrafts exhibitions, ATV rides, and many more activities designed to let tourists immerse in the unique culture and natural beauty of Kutch. The festival boasts of luxurious tent accommodations for those who wish to stay a few nights. There are tents suited to different budgets, all fitted with lavish furniture and fully functional modern toilets, as well as separate dining halls, common recreational areas, a spa and a yoga centre. What started off as a 3-day desert festival some years ago has quickly turned into a 4-month festival, to be held this year from 1st November to 20th February.

The food stalls were a real crowd-puller.

Chasing the sun in a race against time

We had driven up to the checkpoint near the Rann Utsav venue, only to find a long line for the permit. So we decided to drive up to Kala Dungar, the highest point in Kutch, to catch a panoramic view of the area. But while we were casually roaming about, our driver informed us that it was late in the afternoon and we would have to rush if we wanted to catch sunset at the White Rann. I remember the drive back as the most thrilling car ride of my entire life. We raced for several miles through barren lunar landscape, with not a soul in sight and the sun threatening to plunge lower and lower in the sky with every passing minute. It was a race against time, and we seemed to be losing. We had hoped to catch at least the last rays of the sun before it set behind the salty white horizon. But the faster we went, the farther our destination seemed to be.

We drove at top speed through the vast barren desert to reach the Rann Utsav venue.

Props to our driver, however, for we reached in the nick of time and were able to catch a most mesmerising sunset.

After the sun went down, we headed further into the desert. The moon was soon up in the sky and, despite there being no light sources around, we could see everything on that utterly bright full-moon night. The temperature had dropped drastically in the last hour, and we found ourselves borrowing scarves and extra clothing from each other to keep warm. The salt on the ground was damp with what I assumed was condensation. There was tarpaulin laid out for the tourists to walk on. The whole sight was heavenly, but even after several attempts, I was unable to capture its full splendour on my camera.

After a while, we headed back to the Rann Utsav festival area, our stomachs rumbling and hands trembling. We got a bite to eat at the food stalls, looked around at the heritage displays in a hurry (it was getting late in the night) and finally left for our hotel back in Gandhidham. But the thrill of the drive and the calming moon-lit walk on the white desert that followed stayed with us for the rest of our trip through Gujarat.

Packing tips for winter at the Kutch Rann Utsav

While packing for a winter vacation in Kutch, it pays to remember that the weather is sunny and warm during the day but gets progressively colder once the sun sets. It would be prudent to carry a scarf and a sweater/jacket. Also carry extra footwear and wear comfortable shoes while walking on the desert. It's hard to imagine that a salt desert could be damp and muddy, but that's how we found it in many places. Most of our footwear was unsuitable for walking on such terrain, and it got ruined. So keep extra, just in case.

Tip for budget travellers: If you can afford to spend lavishly on vacation, you should stay at least a night in the luxury tents at the Rann Utsav. But if you're looking to travel on a budget and see more of Gujarat on the same trip like we did, just visit Rann Utsav for a day. Start early in the morning so that you have more time to participate in cultural activities and sample the food until sunset, after which you can leave the festival grounds, tired but satisfied. 

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If you're thinking of visiting Gujarat, you might want to read my Memoirs from Gujarat for handy tips, itinerary details, and pictures that will have you lusting (or wanderlusting?). You might also like my travel series on Sikkim, with its picture postcard landscapes, lush meadows and cascading waterfalls.

Weekend Getaways from Bombay | Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Silvassa is a dusty, sun-kissed town in the westernmost part of India. It is spread over a small area with a permanent population of about a lakh, mostly comprising the indigenous tribes of the Konkan region, while another couple of lakh form its transient population - those who come in from neighbouring states for work and trade.

Known mainly for its industries, Silvassa is the capital of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, an erstwhile Portuguese settlement and now Union Territory of India. Surely you've never found Silvassa on any common list of tourist getaways from Bombay. Must be a rather boring place, right, not to have featured on any popular travel guide or listicle?

Wrong.

Silvassa is a hidden gem that travellers are yet to discover. It is a perfect weekend getaway from Bombay (and nearby areas), and for every kind of traveller too. Whether you want a weekend picnic with family, a solo wildlife expedition, or just a relaxing sojourn from daily life - this town will not disappoint.

 

Witness the beauty of Silvassa captured on my camera lens (and then I will tell you how to plan).

Breathtaking view from the top of Madhuban Dam on the river Daman Ganga (the Ganga of Daman?) You can actually take a walk along the narrow road pictured, provided you've taken prior permission from the project office 2 km downtown.

There's a beautiful park and a lot of greenery at the Madhuban dam site. Found this jumpy little Black Drongo there that took a tremendous amount of effort to capture.

Get up, close and personal (but not too much) with a mating pair of lions at the Lion Safari, Vasona. There's another lion on the premises, but it is sick/old and doesn't socialise with its human visitors.

Lioness loves to pose.

Apparently, so does the sleepy lion.

"Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! No, I'm not a reindeer. I'm a Sambhar, can't you see?"

Spotted many of these gorgeous Spotted Deer/Chital during our open jeep safari at the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary.

"What are YOU looking at?"

Boat ride at the floating jetty on Dudhani Lake. Astonishingly peaceful experience.

Wondrous Dudhani Lake. And remember, this is Silvassa, bang in the middle of the piping hot state of Gujarat.

Our boatman belonged to one of the indigenous tribes of Silvassa and was quite happy to talk. These tribal boatmen aren't allowed to own these boats and are given measly wages to work for the boat-owners. We tipped him generously, but I'm not sure many people do.

Swaminarayan temple: I loved it for its architecture, but not quite for its gender-based segregation practice. Yes, men sit at the front, nearest to the idols, while women sit behind them in a cordoned-off section. Indian temples, heh.

Such views all around.

Convinced? On to matters of more importance then.

How to reach

Silvassa is 27 kilometres from Vapi railway junction. Vapi is easily reachable by train from all major cities. (It took me 2 hours on the August Kranti Rajdhani from Bombay to reach Vapi). From there, a mere 35-rupee shared auto ride will take you to Silvassa bus stand. The best thing about this town is that you can walk everywhere. And if you aren't a fan of sweating it out in the heat, cheap autos are always at hand.

Things to see and do

The entire city of Silvassa, with all its wonderful sights and sounds, can be covered in one day. We booked an AC cab at INR 1500 for 8 hours, and roamed the city from noon to sunset. But that meant we spent less time at each location. If you're there for two days, I'd suggest you divide your sightseeing over two days and enjoy every site at leisure. Experiences not to miss include the Lion Safari at Vasona, the Madhuban Reservoir on River Daman Ganga, the Deer Safari at Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary, the boat ride at Dudhani Lake, and the Tribal Museum (a very fascinating journey into the culture of the indigenous tribes of the region). While the latter is free, the tickets to the rest of the listed places are extremely cheap.

Where to stay

Silvassa has plenty of budget and luxury hotels to choose from (here's a sample list for reference). Personally, I'd suggest you do not stay at Hotel Pioneer. Its reviews on the internet may speak otherwise, but my experience was extremely frustrating. The hotel was fairly empty, and there was no further reservation for our room, but the hotel management insisted that we check out on time, despite repeated requests to let us stay a couple of hours more because our train was in the evening. The management had no qualms in watching two women travellers, one of them aged 50+, sit uncomfortably on the couch in the stuffy hotel foyer for 2 hours in the heat. You won't want to run into problems like these, knowing that the hotel staff will not help. There are hotels that offer much better service at the same price for the same kind of rooms in Silvassa. Look around and settle for one where you're most comfortable.

Pro Tip: Club Silvassa and Daman into one trip

In hindsight, I've come to realise you can fit both Silvassa (D & N Haveli) and Daman (Daman & Diu) into one weekend's itinerary. You can reach Vapi on Saturday morning, spend the day exploring Silvassa, stay the night, and then move on to Daman (30 km away) the next morning for a day full of Portuguese forts, churches, and a beach quite unlike your usual west coast beaches. An auto or taxi ride from Daman will take you back to Vapi on Sunday evening. Weekend successful? I'd say so.

Just your neighbourhood travelling girl with her camera.

Drop me a line if you're planning a trip to Silvassa. I'd love to help! Comment/Share/Connect on Facebook if you liked this travelogue and would want to see more.

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This post was originally published on my new blog, Delhi Girl in Bombay. While that project is very close to my heart, I have recently moved back to Delhi and am not sure if and when I will be back. I am therefore transferring all my posts from that blog to this one. There's some interesting content out there, so stay tuned!

Gorgeous in Winter, Mesmerising in Fall | Tsomgo Lake, East Sikkim

9th Sept: It was cold and wet outside. I lay in bed, clutching the blanket to my throat, wondering what had gotten the Gangtok weather so drafty all of a sudden. The room was flooded with natural light, and I could see what a mess we all had made the night before in our room. I looked up at the window and, in that one glance, knew the sun wasn't going to be up in the sky today. The next moment, the guys were outside our door, blaring music on the speakers in a bid to get us out and ready to go. So I jumped out of bed, skimpily clad for a chilly morning like that, and rushed to the bathroom to get ready. This day seemed promising.

The view from my hotel window. The clouds are covering the valley, which is otherwise visible on a clearer day.

 

Permits and permissions: A horror story?

We set out early, for we were told that the security forces didn't allow cars past the first entry point on the road to Tsomgo lake and Nathu La. We even had to arrange ourselves in the cars according to the grouping of names on each of the three permits we had obtained the previous day for our journey. As fate would have it, we reached the first entry point a little after 10 am - the supposed deadline - and we were dreading not being allowed to go ahead. But the officers let us continue our journey without any reprimand, though with strict instructions not to take any pictures in the military area on our way uphill. Like responsible citizens and travellers, we kept our promise and only took pictures/videos where there was no obvious sign of military presence.

The drive up rugged mountains and winding bends was memorable, especially for the way the clouds totally covered the valley as we ascended to higher reaches. It was a bumpy ride, as the roads were in bad condition because of recent rains. You could see local men and women labouring away on particularly dangerous stretches of road, removing rocks and debris so that cars would pass without accident. Tsomgo Lake is 35 km from Gangtok, and there is a steep rise in height from 5410 ft (Gangtok) to over 10,000 ft within the first 15 km. Literally nothing but a white fluffy blanket was visible from the car window through most of the drive. The air was clammy and there was more than just a nip in the air, so we stopped for hot tea and bought woollen caps and drapes on our way up to save us from the icy winds.

I made a short video clip of the drive. Watch the clouds play hide and seek over the valley as soulful music plays in the background.

Tsomgo Lake: More beautiful in the winter or fall?

I will admit, I had embarked on this trip with little research and a blind trust on the beauty of the Himalayas. I knew the general itinerary and believed we couldn't go wrong with anything on this trip. What I hadn't thought of was the drastic change I would go on to witness at these places that I had already been to in December 2016. It was unbelievable for me how much Tsomgo Lake, and the entire area around it, had changed in a matter of a few months just because of a change in season. The rugged brown mountainsides of the winter had given way to lush greenery, and the shiny blue water of the lake now appeared silvery-green, shrouded in mist and low-hanging clouds. You can see the change - I've got pictures for comparison.

December 2016 - 'Before'

September 2017 (nine months later) - 'After'

It was during this second trip that I also realised Tsomgo Lake, viewed from this point, looks like an inverted map of the Indian subcontinent.

I cannot possibly decide if Tsomgo Lake is more beautiful in winter or in the fall. I'm waiting to visit in the summer next year. I'll post yet another set of pictures, and we'll compare all three. Though I'm sure there won't be a verdict even then. This place is as mesmerising in fall as it is gorgeous in winter!

 

Are we being responsible as tourists/travellers?

Another change I discovered over my two visits to Tsomgo Lake, nine months apart, was the impact of garbage on the beauty, and probably ecological balance, of the place. At the same spot along the edge of the lake, where I'd found crystal clear blue water last year, I found accumulated garbage and algal blooms this year. While the algal blooms may be a natural phenomenon owing to the season, I strongly believe they had something to do with the pollution caused by the garbage left behind by tourists as well.

Clear waters in December 2016. The tourist season hadn't begun in full swing yet, I guess.

September 2017. Off-season, but I am guessing no one bothered to clean the lake after the last tourist onslaught.

Would you believe these two pictures were taken at the same spot? It's a shame, what we're doing to our fragile mountain ecosystems and water bodies in the name of 'finding ourselves' and discovering new 'offbeat' places to travel to. Can't we simply take our garbage back with us to the cities, to designated garbage bins, where we can at least be partly sure it'll be disposed off properly? Plastic, liquor bottles, food packaging and the rest of our modern wastes do not belong in the lake or the mountain valley, much as they don't belong at the beach or the riverside. Be mindful while you travel. Don't litter. MAKE SURE YOU CARRY YOUR LITTER BACK TO WHERE IT BELONGS.

I have read one too many research articles about the weak ecosystem of Ladakh being destroyed by the onslaught of tourism since the turn of the century. Let it serve as a cautionary tale - don't destroy nature for your pleasure. Be a responsible traveller, and the planet will reward you with its bounty. I encourage more travellers to discover the sheer joy of travelling through Sikkim, but I desperately hope they do not end up turning the relatively untouched ecosystem of Sikkim into yet another dumping ground for tourism and modern capitalism. I will not be able to bear that loss.

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Also read the previous post from my Sikkim travels- Stairway to Heaven: Yumthang Valley | North Sikkim.
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