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!

Memoirs from Gujarat: Reliving Bollywood, one palace at a time

The sights and sounds of Gujarat constantly remind you of one or the other Bollywood movie. Filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar, and Sooraj Barjatya, smitten by its picturesque locales and larger-than-life forts and palaces, have repeatedly taken recourse to shooting for their films in Gujarat, giving birth to such visual treats as Lagaan; Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam; Kai Po Che; Ram Leela; Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster; and most recently, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

This past December, my friends and I took the opportunity to explore the filmy charm and beauty of two such palaces in the Kutch area of Gujarat. The first palace on our royal itinerary was Vijaya Vilas Palace, which many will recognise as the British house from the movie Lagaan, and also Aishwarya's Rai's family home in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (refer to this video).

The kingdom of Kutch was established in the mid-12th century by the Jadeja Rajput rulers, who had migrated to Gujarat from Sindh and rules the kingdom for 800 years. Kutch later became a princely state under the British rule. Vijaya Vilas Palace was commissioned by Rao Khengarji III in 1920 as a summer resort for his son and heir, Vijayaraji (hence its name). Built in true Rajput style, the palace took a decade (1920-29) to be completed. Architects from Rajasthan, Bengal, Jaipur, along with the local Kutchi artisans and builders erected this marvel in red sandstone (which has yellowed suspiciously over the years, if I may add). Its huge pillared halls, domes, stained-glass windows, old-style furniture, plush interiors, and relics of a life lived royally (including a life-like stuffed tiger skin on display) make the palace a must-visit for all heritage enthusiasts. At its rear end are beautiful, sprawling lawns and water channels with fountains. The royal family of Kutch, who used the palace as a summer retreat until 2001, now reside there and run it as a private resort. Vijaya Vilas Palace Resort has its own private beach where visitors can rent out tents.

A little before dusk, we reached the nearby Mandvi Beach and watched as the sun sank beyond the western horizon (I wrote free verse about it earlier). It was so soothing that by the time we were done, it was quite late and we were told we might just be able to catch the last bus to Gandhidham. We hurried in an auto, stopping at every travel agency on the roadside to ask if a bus was leaving anytime soon. Luckily, we found one and heaved a sigh of relief. It was a luxury sleeper bus and would otherwise have been one expensive ride, but astonishingly, it cost us just ₹100 per person - exactly what we had paid in the morning for a 2-hour bumpy ride on a rickety old public bus. We were awestruck! Settling into an upper single berth, I looked out of the window into the bright moonlit night. The moon cast an eerie silver glow on the passing trees and bushes. I put on some music and lay there, quietly, for the two and a half hours it took us to reach our hotel.

Our second royal visit, a couple of days later, took us to the famous Prag Mahal Palace in Bhuj. Having expected the palace to be built in the western Indian architectural style, like the Vijaya Vilas Palace, I was surprised to find in its place a stunning specimen of Gothic architecture! Prag Mahal Palace was commissioned in 1865 by the then ruler, Rao Pragmalji II. Apparently he had a thing for European architecture, because he brought in famous Italian architect Colonel Saint Wilkins to design the palace, while the local Kutchi builder community was hired for its construction. The palace took a whole 12 years to build, but the Rao did not live to see its resplendent glory. He passed away in 1875, leaving the palace to be enjoyed by his son, Rao Khengarji, who later built the Vijaya Vilas Palace to be enjoyed by his own son, Vijayaraji. What a grand, loving family.

Prag Mahal palace is the first building in India to be built in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. It is home to one of the only two surviving colonial-era clock towers in the country, the other being in Bombay. Built in Italian marble and red sandstone, the palace shows off brilliant carvings and stucco work complemented by Rajput-style Jali work and carvings. Inside the palace are on display various artifacts used by the royal family during colonial times, such as palanquins, percussion instruments, furniture, stuffed heads of animals hunted by the kings, etc. My eye was especially drawn to the many cracked or rusted mirrors that lined the walls of various chambers. It was before one such old mirror, cracked and stained, that I took the picture that is my blog's present cover image. It isn't hard to tell how much I love it.

A rare picture of yours truly modelling for the camera in broad daylight.

Right across from Prag Mahal is 'Ranivas' or the residence of the queen, said to have been built in the 16th century. Both the palaces were severely damaged in the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, and even before repairs could be started, double tragedy struck when in 2006 robbers looted the palace of all its riches. It was much later, when Amitabh Bachchan seemingly took personal interest in its reconstruction, that the palace was declared a heritage site and restoration work initiated. It is open to visitors now from 9 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm on all days except Saturday. The Ranivas, however, is still in a sorry state. On the left of Prag Mahal is Aina Mahal, which for the lack of time I couldn't cover in its entirety. But the entire complex was so beautiful and majestic that reproducing a few pictures here just wouldn't do justice to it. I have compiled some great shots of Prag Mahal and its surroundings into a short video, and I'm rather excited about it. Check it out below!

You can visit my Youtube channel for exclusive videos I've uploaded recently (including a short film I just made). Also head over to my Facebook page for latest updates on my travels and blog posts. I've got a lot more to share from my Gujarat trip, so stay hooked until I return. Ciao!

Memoirs from Gujarat: Why Gujjus are such wonderful people

The year 2015 was all about travel for me. It took me to Bombay, Nainital, McLeodganj, Dalhousie, and the United States (some of these places twice in the same year). And if that wasn't enough geographical variety, the run-up to the New Year washed me up on the westernmost shores of our beautiful country - in Prime Minister Modi's homeland. Travelling in Gujarat was in striking contrast to all my other trips of the past year. The land was arid and devoid of colour or vitality in a lot of places I visited. Everywhere you'd look, you'd find vast, naked landscapes. Your eyes would be deprived of conventional scenery, that is, unless shrubs, grasses, and rocks appealed to your senses (which was certainly the case with me). It was while on this trip that I began to develop a deeper understanding of and a profound respect for the people of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It also occurred to me that their colourful costumes, accessories and traditions could perhaps be their way of making up for the barrenness and lack of colour that characterise their desert lands. Plausible? No? Okay.

We were a group of 5 friends travelling together for the first time. Needless to say, we were super excited, especially because we knew this was the only long holiday we were going to get while at the Young India Fellowship. We travelled from Delhi to Gandhidham on the Bareilly/Ala Hazrat Express. It was a 21-hour journey and the five of us had only 2 confirmed seats in 3AC. How we managed to sleep at night and the amount of fun we had on that train journey are subjects for another post. On the journey we got acquainted with two really sweet and friendly Gujarati families who were also travelling with unconfirmed seats in the same compartment. It made us feel all the richer for not having got confirmed seats, because if we had, we probably wouldn't have gelled with them so well. We also ran into one of the two families on Day 3 in Bhuj; a lovely middle-aged Gujarati couple, who live in Delhi, and their daughter Poorvi. The uncle was witty, and he taught us how to be a smashing player at Bluff, a card game I newly learned on that very journey. The aunty was smart, immensely caring, and reminded me of my own mom, not in the least because she had the same hairdo. Poorvi turned out to be an engineer, as are 3 out of the 5 of us, and it was most amazing to know that she had ALMOST applied for the Young India Fellowship herself! We had a beautiful, if brief, reunion in Bhuj and amidst much hugging and photographing, we avowed to keep in touch. Here's really hoping we do.

The lovely Gujarati family from Delhi who made our train journey one to cherish forever.

Tired after the journey but excited to be in Gujarat.

Our itinerary mapped five cities in and around Kutch district in western Gujarat. We de-boarded the train at Gandhidham and checked in to Chandan Hotel, located right across from the railway station and undoubtedly one of the better hotels in the city. Having a Gujju friend (Priyank) with us proved to be a blessing throughout the trip - it got us many a good bargain, as also great help whenever we needed. With his help, I also began to understand and read Gujarati very quickly. Today I can proudly claim that I can't get lost in Gujarat even if I weren't able to ask anybody anything - I can read the road signs and billboards now. Mean feat for a five-day trip, eh?

Our itinerary marked on the map of Gujarat.

On Day 1, we took a local bus from Gandhidham to Mandvi beach. This was my fourth brush with the mighty Arabian Sea, after three visits to Bombay in the last two years. There is a direct road from Gandhidham to Mandvi, but the bus took a longer route that passed through Bhuj. And so our journey unwittingly took us through the city that always reminds me of the devastating earthquake that hit it in 2001. (It was only later in the trip, while exploring Bhuj and Morbi, that we discovered that the damages from 15 years ago had still not been completely undone. Seeing the destruction with our own eyes was unsettling.) We passed through the Gujarati countryside, along the Bhuj-Mirzapur road, that basically had sparse vegetation but loads of rocks, cacti and dust on both sides. This fairly uniform landscape was broken every now and then by a tiny water body, too small to be called a lake or even pond. I had studied in high school geography how the soils of semi-arid and arid areas could grow very little crops. In Gujarat I came face to face with this reality; all I could see for miles and miles on end was shrubbery and fallow croplands. Did they grow nothing, or was it off season for agriculture? And that very instant, as if in answer to my question, the rocks on my left gave way to a particularly green stretch of land with sugarcane and mustard plantations, newly sowed fields, and lush palm trees. I was taken aback for a second. Was I still in Kutch? Clearly a lot of hard work and toil had gone into turning these dry fields into arable, fertile land. The indomitable spirit of the people of Gujarat blew my socks away.

Cacti and grassy terrain...

...interspersed with the occasional canal...

...and giving way to lush green fields and palm trees. Gujarat never ceases to surprise you!

It was an entirely pristine feeling being the only tourists on the bus. As we were to discover over the next 5 days, there weren't many tourists in any of the places we went to (except at the White Rann). It got me wondering why so less people visit this immensely beautiful and culturally rich state of India. Gujarat needs a better tourism promotion strategy. Gujarat Tourism's ad campaigns starring Amitabh Bachchan clearly aren't working very well.

While hurtling down the dusty roads, I spotted a lot of temples from the window. Some stood out in the middle of fields, while others lay cramped between narrow rows of houses in urban settings. Priyank explained that Gujaratis are intensely religious people. Their daily lives, including their professions and relationships, are greatly influenced by their religious beliefs. Everything in the state in fact begins and ends with myriad deities' names. Their unfaltering faith in the Almighty certainly seems to contribute to their happy spirits and undying vivacity. Gujjus are such warm, straightforward, gracious and generous people! The flippant and comical way in which this community is painted on TV and in films may be a case of stereotyping (remember Khichdi, Kal ho Na ho, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai?), but Gujaratis really have a great sense of humour. And they absolutely love food. To quote our wonderful taxi driver (who took us to the White Rann on Day 2), "Hum Gujarati log sabko hasa hasa kar khush rehte hain." So the stereotypes have some truth to them after all! And maybe, just maybe, this inherent sense of benevolence and bonhomie also makes them a happy clan? (Inviting all Gujaratis reading this to offer their own opinions on the matter!) 

You're right - that's a religious shrine all right. But is it a temple or a mosque? Hard to tell? Well, that's the point.

Call me crazy for over-generalising, but Gujjus are also the most optimistic people I've ever seen. A little while after I had boarded the train from Delhi, I fished out my camera to take some shots - only to find the battery slot empty! An awkward realisation hit me: I must have left the battery at home. I was disappointed beyond measure, but more profound was my embarrassment at having left behind an important component of the one reason people take me on trips with them. (Kidding...I hope that's not true.) But I was bent upon not letting my camera go to waste, so on reaching Gandhidham, I paid a visit to the nearby market to look for a camera store. Acting upon a series of directions given by random locals, I managed to locate a store after a while and was promised that they'd order a battery for me and it'd arrive by the same time next day. Happy with the turn of events, I went about the rest of the day clicking pictures with my phone. The next morning, when I called up the store owner, I was informed that there was some problem in supply due to which they hadn't got the battery yet, BUT they would surely get it the next day. Not wanting to put all my eggs in one basket, as they say, I set out for the market again to look for another store. To my utter surprise and amusement, at every shop I showed up to, they wouldn't have what I needed but they would unfailingly direct me to another shop where they thought I'd get it. In the process I paid a visit to a grocery shop, a general store, and a telecom store as well. I was utterly amazed by the Gujaratis' heights of optimism!

Need I say I didn't find a battery that day?

This sign at Prag Mahal (Bhuj) says that the 'Khushboo Gujarat ki' ad film with Amitabh Bachchan was shot here in August 2010. Some proud resident of Kutch decided to add the additional bit in Hindi right below for added effect.

No matter how marvellous I found the state of Gujarat, there was this one thing that caught my eye and irked me quite a bit: most signs, billboards, and bus routes in Gujarat were in the native language. There were very little Hindi or English translations, with the only exception being the signboards put up by Gujarat Tourism, which had English as well as Gujarati. Now I do recognise the need for every ethnic and linguistic group to assert its identity, most of all in their own homeland. But to expect visitors from across the country and the world to be able to read these signs is asking for too much, isn't it? Just because I picked it up doesn't mean everyone can, or would even want to. Whether this could be explained as a case of ethnocentrism or linguistic chauvinism, or something entirely else, I leave it to each one's own interpretation.  But in many ways, it effectively shuts off the group and their land to the outside world. But I will admit here: I'm unable to connect with this feeling of linguistic pride, since I've been brought up on Hindi and English, even though my native language is Punjabi (and part Multani). I understand and regularly speak in all three languages, but having lived in Delhi all my life, I am accustomed to a multi-lingual existence where the language I use isn't necessarily an assertion of my identity or nativity. That brings me on to the threshold of an even more complex question: do I even have a native place? Can I call pre-partition Pakistan, where my roots apparently lie, my native place? I'm not sure if any signs of my family's existence across the border remain to this day. But I'd like to cross the border and find out for myself. Someday.

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I have a lot more to recount from my days in Gujarat. So stay tuned, for I'll be back with a proper travelogue very soon. Till then, keep travelling, and keep smiling!

P.S. I've got some really exclusive pictures and travel tales up on my Instagram from when I was still in Gujarat. Check them out now!