Some Geography, Some History

Rannutsav has been on the cards for the last 4 years, but somehow, we couldn't make it work. When I say 'we', I am taking undue credit. I simply nod to whatever plans my hubby makes and happily tag along, letting him do all the hard work of planning, booking, etc. This time, I also wanted to do something else around those dates - attend some session which he would have had no interest in. But since we had been talking about it for the last four years, I gave this precedence and secretly hoped it wouldn't work out like the earlier years. But when I did go on the trip, I didn't regret even a moment of it!

The Main Hub 

White Rann is the main attraction of Rannutsav - vast stretches of salt that is an anomaly in a desert.

For someone who lives by the sea and has seen lots of salt harvesting over the years, it was not such an exciting sight. But what was unique was that the salt is not from the sea. The land did house a shallow stretch of Arabian Sea that got displaced after an earthquake and the land took a huge bowl shape. That bowl gets filled up by rainwater, which also seems shallow though covering several square miles, and when it dries up, the area is covered by salt. The salt is taken away for further processing and what is left behind is a thin layer of salt. During winters, when the full moon shines, it is said to be a sight worth watching. The area where we were, that layer wasn't so exciting. But another stretch called Road to Heaven is being developed and there, the salt layer was thicker and so maybe a more promising sight during sunrise and full moon.

It was chilly but not unbearably so. Being a border area, the rules on how far you can go and for long you can be up are also restricted. The sunset and sunrise views were spectacular, but not just because of the salt. I think we can stand watching these two ordinary phenomena every day and still be excited about them. The sky is like the sun's canvas and he paints it in different hues, making hours pass like seconds. And then, as he touches the horizon, he sinks in no time!

Because it was around the full moon time, the moon was already up, waiting patiently till she could shine a bright silver, stalked by an equally bright Jupiter that I kept mistaking for Venus! In the clear skies of the desert, we also managed to see some shooting stars, my first in all these years!

But, yes, you can see that the White Rann itself didn't have much novelty factor for me. The geography of the area did, the history did, and vistas were a sight one must see, but how could that be the centre piece!?

The Hilltop with a View

On the second day, we visited Kala Dungar, a hill that was green but was like a black beacon against the vast desert land, guiding villagers to reach their homes safely after traveling afar for work and trade. In a land with no landmarks, this peak - though high by no standards - was significant for the local people. And for tourists, this is a spot to definitely visit. There is a Dattatreya temple. The hill is surrounded by water, the same rain water, and stretches as far as the eye can see, making it seem like the sea. There is a bridge that takes one to Pakistan border on one side. There are check posts around that were hidden by the evening fog. 

And, this place has history, having played a role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The Indian army had been surrounded on three sides by the enemies. The bridge, one of the entry points, had to be destroyed to prevent the Pakistani army from advancing into the land. As the marshes are quicksand, entering directly into the water was impossible for them. This brought the Indian army some respite and prevented Pakistan from taking over Kutch. The army sought the help of the Air Force to help them win the war. The Bhuj runway was destroyed, and so, initially, the runway from Jamnagar was used. But later, a runway was built in Bhuj with the efforts of the local women to enable the Air Force to counter attack and keep the enemy at bay.

Today, it is picture of peace, if you can ignore the local men and boys trying to interest you in the binoculars to see 5 points of interest, or try on Kutchi garments to take photographs. The tourists too are, of course, laughing and raucous. But if you can just blend with the scenario around you, it can give tremendous peace and a few moments to connect with yourself.

Dhola Vira - A Settlement from Indus Valley Civilization

The third day was another day of highlight. In fact, I had never imagined I would get an opportunity to visit a site that was more than 7,000 years old and of historical significance. Though it is all in ruins, the historians have pieced together enough information to let us understand what we are seeing - be it the wells, the famed drainage system, the granary or the bead making and quality checking workshops. Only a part of the site has been excavated due to conflicting interest with the farmers around. The farmers will have to be compensated or given alternative land to continue the excavation here, which has come to a standstill. 

What made the people abandon this place, that too in apparent hurry? How did a thriving society vanish without trace? What language did they use - for, their script is indecipherable... So many questions, so many mysteries. Waiting to hear more... And see more such sites.

Bhuj - The Rebuilt City

On January 26, 2001, we had organized a Sumangali Prarthanai a year after my wedding in my in-laws' first-floor house in Chennai. So there was quite a gathering of aunts and cousins in laws. I had to be on empty stomach till some of the ladies had finished their meal. I suddenly said, "I can feel the ground shaking." One of the aunts said, "That's because you have not eaten anything, you must be feeling giddy." Though I was not convinced, I assumed that must be the case.

She left for her sister's house nearby and then called to talk to me. "You were right. There was a severe earthquake in Bhuj and we felt it in Chennai."

That was the first and only time I heard of Bhuj for a long time. Then, when my wildlife photographer husband started traveling to Greater and Lesser Rann of Kutch for photography, he has halted at Bhuj station and taken the cab to travel further.

For Rann of Kutch, we had travelled to and from Bhuj. On the way back, we reached Bhuj from Rann of Kutch by 11 and had to wait for nearly 10 hours for our train to Ahmedabad. So, naturally, we could go around the city. I didn't think there would be anything to see, but the guide informed us of the 5 main attractions in this city that had been devastated by the earthquake and rebuilt.

Our first stop was a museum and then the richly embellished Swaminarayan Temple. Following that, we went to a Jadeja cenotaph where shootings for movies (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and serials have happened. It is a mix of Indian, European and Islamic architecture. Poor maintenance and earthquake have left the place in shambles, but you cannot miss the richness of intricate work on the walls, the symmetry and the overall majesty in some of the surviving structures.

Aina Mahal a little farther away inspired the Aina Mahal in Bajirao Mastani movie, it seems. It adjoins Pragmahal, which is also open for visitors. Here too, some scenes from Lagaan were shot, it seems. 

Ahmedabad - Some Wow Moments

We were to catch our flight back home from Ahmedabad and planned a day extra to see the sights the city had to offer. The first was Rani ki Vav - a stepwell which has been in news of late. It was a mind-blowing experience as a guide took us around this seven-level well with rich carvings all around. Built by a queen in memory of her dead husband, the well had become flooded by the extinct Saraswati river long back. When the river dried up, it left behind mud and all the villagers could see was the top part of the well from where they drew water for their fields. Then, intrigued by some architectural designs that became visible, excavation was undertaken and this jewel unearthed.

The walls are engraved with the Vishnu's 10 avatars, apsaras, and a whole lot of our deities, rishis and munis. Though some of the sculptures have got eroded with time, what survives still speaks volumes of the skill of the artisans who worked on these sandstone wonders. The levels, the layers, the patterns, and the carvings are all so nuanced. 

There is another vav in Ahmedabad itself, at Adalaj, which has 5 levels and though not as detailed, still worth a visit. This we visited on the second day.

From Rani ki Vav, we headed to the Sun Temple at Modhera, also filled with carvings and curves. But what truly captured my heart was seeing the same themes that we see in Tamil Nadu temples being carved up west, with similar temple architecture. Though they have used sandstone and a professional eye can detect all the differences between the two quickly, in spirit and culture, they are the same.

A visit to Sabarmati Ashram by the Sabarmati river in the city was a must. It is a simple place and played an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life. The banks have been developed to allow walking but the ashram side of the walkway is closed for the public. 

We missed going to Akshardham and any other places the city may have had to offer. But this trip has me totally rooting for a visit to historical places and other excavation sites. They may be in ruins, but they still have stories to tell. For once, whatever little I studied in history came alive and visually seeing them made me connect with some of the lessons learnt. Hopefully, I will be able to cover at least some of the significant places in the times to come and share them as blogs.