Bhuj -> Dhordo -> Kalo Dungar -> Dholavira (3.2.25)
Two solid days of pampering at the Bhuj wedding had given us a really overdue break. A high-end Gujju wedding is something to be seen, and insights into the slightly different Kachchhi rituals made watching the proceedings interesting.
By the way, if you are talking to a Bhuj resident, you will soon realise that their memory is divided into two distinct segments - before earthquake and after earthquake. The shakedown in 2001, measuring 6.9 on the Reichter scale, claimed 20,000 lives, and another 150,000 were injured. More than a million buildings were destroyed. Our host for the wedding had also lost their house. Bhuj has sprung back once again, and the Earthquake Museum is a stark reminder that Bhuj stands on the tail of a snake (a story for some other time).
Nonetheless, since we were unlikely to step into Bhuj in the near future, we took our car out yesterday for a quick spin to three touristy places in Bhuj. Below are the top picks as far as pics go.
Leaving Bhuj (8.15 am)
We had a hearty breakfast at the Hill View Resort, where we were staying, and started off our day. Overall, we had liked Bhuj, especially the food, which was more the sweet Gujarati food that we (as sweet-toothed Bengalis) liked, rather than the more spicy Kathiyawadi. The countryside, as we drove out of Bhuj, was more dry, reminding us of our Oman landscape that we were so familiar with.
White Rann, Dhordo (10.00 am)
A couple of hours north of Bhuj, the village of Dhordo kisses the edge of the Great Rann of Kutch. This has been a tourist attraction, as the ground has turned white here due to salt deposits, which stretches right up to the horizon. Since the border is at the other end of the inhospitable Rann, BSF permission is required to visit the place, which I had obtained online. Our car went past the Tent City, which is part of the Rann Festival going on there now, but we had found the Tent City accommodation quite pricy and opted to stay elsewhere.
The last couple of kilometres to the White Rann was by bus, of the type that moves only if there are at least twenty passengers inside. It was okay while going, but while returning, we practically had to chivvy passengers dawdling outside in order to encourage the driver to throw the bus into gear. It even drove in reverse for a few yards to scoop up some more passengers who were vaguely looking around.
The White Rann itself was a bit underwhelming, an also-Rann if you will, since the salt on the ground was not much and the overall colour was more light brown than white. If you go expecting a scintillating surface reflecting a million suns from iodised salt crystals, forget about it. What little salt was visible, was more like rock salt, of course. And standing on the edge, it is not possible to judge the enormity of the Rann. We made some reels, like others did, and coaxed the bus driver for twenty minutes to take us back to our car.
Kalo Dungar (12.30 pm)
Literally meaning Black Mountain, this is an escarpment east of Dhordo, around 1500 ft high, which provides a panoramic view of huge Rann of Kutch Lake. The interesting point about the view is that the edge of the water is rimmed with salt deposits all around, like a huge margarita waiting to be sipped. Kalo Dungar is also a nature preserve, and under the forest department.
Being lunchtime by the clock, and being quite British in such matters, we tucked in our napkins and had some bhel puri from a roadside vendor, because that was practically all that was on offer in terms of Michelin Star.
The road to Kalo Dungar also has a “Magnetic Point”, where the cars roll up the slope. We tried it out, and car also seemed to do so. The only conclusion that I can come to is that the “uphill” was an optical illusion.
Road to Heaven, Dholavira (2.30 pm)
We travelled 2 hours (75 km) eastward, of which, the last 30 km, crossing the Rann of Kutch Lake to Dholavira, an island in the middle, is aptly called “Road to Heaven”. Viewpoints are marked on the road, and the first viewpoint onward, the sides of the road, as far as the eyes can see are whitened out with thick salt deposits, with sky-blue patches of water peeping through here and there. This was the scene we wanted in the White Rann, and did not get. We clambered down the side of the road, like many others. However, one needs to tread lightly here since the ground is actually mushy and random walking around might land you ankle deep in black stinky gooey brine. Surely the whole area floods in the monsoon, and as the water evaporates in succeeding months, salt deposits gather. That is the whole ecosystem for miles - no animals, no birds.
Harappan Civilisation, Dholavira (3.00 pm)
We had visited Lothal in the initial days of this trip, and now we visited Dholavira, that houses one of the best instances of a Harappan time port city. Situated beside the Luni river, this 5000 year old trading post was also known for its water reservoirs and water management systems. The Great Bath, meant to rejuvenate tired travellers, is a highlight of the ruins. It is many times bigger than Lothal and had elaborate Citadel, Upper and Lower Town, and water systems.
Khadir Homestay, Sultanpur (5.00 pm)
Located on Dholavira island, also known as Khadir island, this 5-cottage Homestay is a family run business. There are three Mukeshes on the premises, which sometimes made communication pretty challenging. The cottages were very cute, hand-painted, and well-maintained. We came to check in here first because sunset was still 1.5 hours away and we could stretch our legs a bit. A cup of strong tea dealt with my flu-like symptoms that had been plaguing me from yesterday, and we set out for the last event of the day.
Sunset over the Road to Heaven (6.00 pm)
Catching the sunset meant we had to drive back to the Road to Heaven for 15 mins, but what is 15 mins between friends? We were jolly glad we did, because the sight of the magnificent sunset over the expanse of white salt was one for the books. Take a look here.
Dinner at the Homestay (8.00 pm)
One of the attractions of a homestay is pure homemade food, and this homestay was no exception. Bajra roti (or rotla), atta roti (or rotli), khichdi, sev-tomater, alu-subji, fried chilly, kadi, chhaas, ghee, sweets, gur…and each of them superbly made. This was the Gujju food style that we loved and the Kachchhis have got it right. Incidentally, one of the Mukeshes said that they hardly get any green vegetables here (understandable, with all the salt around), so rotis, ghee, chutney, gur is their staple food.
Tomorrow, we travel back to Ahmedabad, ending our sojourn.
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