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  • Travels to the West : Day 3: Dholavira

    Travels to the West : Day 3: Dholavira

    After the brilliant sunrise on the Raan we made our way to Kalo Dungar the highest point in Kutch before going to Dholavira.

    We stopped at a Kharad ( carpet ) weaver’s home in Ratadiya village. Vegetable dyes are used to dye the wool from camels and goats used to weave the carpet. While carpets in this workshop are made to order, the weaver showed us his original pieces, some of which depicted everyday village life.

    Up the down road

    Did you know that in Kalo Dungar area there is a spot where the forces of gravity do not act ?

    Just before Kalo Dungar we came to a magnetic zone where it seemed that the car rolled up the downward slope! Similarly we took turns in spilling some water in the middle of the road and watch it climb upwards instead of rolling down !

    On the way up we saw a tempo load of people going up the steep hill, the old people looking decidedly petrified that they would fall off !

    Atop the hill is a new temple built on the site of the old temple that was destroyed in the earthquake . Similarly, a few metres downhill is another modern structure that guards the eternal flame marking the spot where Dattatreya was said to have prayed .

    Some distance away, there is a spot where the offerings made at the temple were left for the jackals to eat . Till a few years ago jackals did come to eat the Prasad.

    Standing at the highest point makes you feel you are at the edge of the world . With the vast landscape of hills, white sands of the Raan and Pakistan in the distance , you really get a feeling of awe.

    The road to Dholavira was magical. A straight tar road dividing the lake made created amazing landscapes with various hues of blue white and brown. Bits of salt crystals floated on top like the foam on a water body and it was hard to imagine that the lake was only a few inches deep .

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    Travels to the West : Day 3: Dholavira

    Finally around lunch time we arrived at Dholavira which is an island in the middle of the lake. We checked in to our newly made bhungas .

    After a quick lunch went to the UNESCO heritage sight to see the ruins of an ancient civilisation dating back to Harappan times.

    Our Bhunga for the night
    Doesn’t this cow look like the one on the Harappan seal ?
    A huge water reservoir
    A sewage opening
    The Royal jacuzzi and shower
    A stone stool, grinder and mortar

    It was fascinating to see these excavations of a civilisation that once had a vibrant trade with Mesopotamia. Sadly the museum was shut so we had to rely on the local guide’s information .

    Jurassic Park

    I didn’t quite understand what Mr Mitul meant by Dinosaur Park until we visited the Fossil Park. Flat rocks with interesting formations and a piece of petrified wood rendered this a place of undeniable beauty.

    The fossil park with its specimens of petrified wood and fossils dating back to the Jurassic era is definitely worth a visit .

    We watched the sun setting on the Rann for a bit before making our way back to the Bhunga for dinner. Before retiring to bed we sat in the open air listening to folk songs by the local artistes .

    Tomorrow would be our last day and I was looking forward to more treats unfolding before we went back home .

    Ciao

  • Westward Ho! Dhordo here we come

    Westward Ho! Dhordo here we come

    Today it is exactly a month since I found myself on the Rann of Kutch . A nasty cough that lingered for three weeks prevented me from recording my trip.

    Along the way we spotted this grid that collects and distributes all the alternative electricity produced through wind turbines and solar panels .

    Mr Mitul insisted we stop at one of the street stalls in Khavda, famous for its Rabdi like milk sweet – thick, caramelised and granular .

    A large pot in which the milk is boiled down to a thick granular caramelised toffee

    On our way to the Rann of Kutch, we passed through vast stretches of scrubland called the Banni Grassland which is the largest grassland in the subcontinent. The 1819 earthquake of the Rann of Kutch caused the Indus River that once flowed here to change its course, converting this once fertile land to scrubland. Despite its barren appearance it has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna . It is still used for grazing and you can see sheep and cattle.

    Nirona village is famous for Rogan Art and beaten copper bells. Rogan art which is a traditional form of printing with oil based vegetable dyes has been revived by Abdul Gaffar Khatri who has been awarded the Padmashri for his efforts. And we were fortunate to visit him at his home and see how the intricate patterns were drawn out with a fine stylus .

    An example of this art form finds a place in the Obama household as a gift to the American President by our PM Shri Narendra Modi
    Next up was the visit to the copper bell workshop where we saw a traditional cowbell beaten into shape !
    Copper bells with their fine timbre make decorative knick knacks as well as musical instruments !
    Intently watching the bell being made
    Craftsman in action

    We still had another artisan to visit: the Laquer craftsman with his brightly coloured wooden spatulas, spoons and rolling pins .

    The lathe on which the object is turned while the laquer is pressed on it.
    A colourful array of lacquered kitchen ware

    Our final halt on the handicraft trail was the village of Ramdevpir Nagar a settlement of Megvad Marvadas famed for their embroidery. Even today, the women were dressed in colourful elaborate garments intricately embroidered. The traditional circular mud house or bhunga was beautifully decorated both inside and outside.

    The round shape makes the dwelling earthquake proof. The paints used are vegetable dyes and the roof is made out of the local Banni Grass . The inner walls are decorated with mirror work called lipi. Three brothers who shared a common kitchen live in this compound in their individual bhungas

    Welcome to Dhordo

    Did you think that the Rann of Kutch was a roast leg of lamb kutchi style ?
    Or did you think that the Rann of Kutch was a forest where raan meant forest ?

    While I knew that the Rann was neither a forest nor a leg of lamb, I didn’t know it was a salt desert !

    Yes, the famous Rann is actually a salt marsh. There are many ways to get to the Rann but we chose to access it through Dordo, a village close to the Tent City Village put up by Gujarat Tourism. This tent city and other spin offs come up for the Rann of Kutch festival from January to March every year.

    We stayed in a tent city closest to the BSF post and were amazed that beyond the great whiteness lay the country of Pakistan. Luckily our guide had bought our tickets to enter the Rann and after settling down into our allotted tents we prepared to watch the sunset .

    The winds became chillier as the sun went down and we decided to spend sometime at the handicraft stalls set up as part of the Festival of the Rann. The stalls are a great place to shop for block printed and Ajrakh fabrics, different embroideries of Kutch, leather work and other local handicrafts. It also had great food stalls where we enjoyed some interesting variations on Pizza and sipped on hot tea in Khullars.

    We were dead tired by the time we went to bed, determined to wake up early the next morning before we set off on the next leg of our journey.

    Ciao

  • Westward Ho ! Bhuj and Beyond

    Westward Ho ! Bhuj and Beyond

    To Bhuj : Day 1

    It was a chance remark during a Diwali lunch that led to a wonderful trip to Bhuj, a place I’d long wanted to visit.

    It was almost a month ago that I got onto a propeller plane at the crack of dawn with four other intrepid travellers to BHUJ
    After a short nap, I began noticing wind turbines and fields of Dragon Fruit and Date Palms
    Desperately hungry we insisted on a hearty breakfast before setting out on the exhaustive tour organised by Mr Mithul Jethi of Jethi Travels
    The only breakfast available was on the street stalls and we greedily dig into a sumptuous Daal Pakwan , the regional specialty
    3 km to the North East of Bhuj is the Khari Nadi gorge. This deep ravine created by water erosion thousands of years ago is worth a visit for it stunning rock formations
    The different layers of rock exposed by the erosion due to water . The gorge is easily accessible on foot but we were scared to start our journey with a fall or sprained ankle .
    It was cold even at mid day there was a nip in the air but it didn’t deter these two lovebirds from having a shoot down in the ravine.
    Our next stop was the maharaja chattardi, a park that has memorials built for the rajas of yore . This beautifully domed memorial with mosaic is one of the few left undamaged by the earthquake
    The memorial to king Lakhpat with his 15 wives who committed satee on his funeral pyre which took place a few metres away .
    A close up of the dome
    Despite its rich heritage the historical information is badly collated as can be seen from this signboard
    The remaining columns and beautifully carved plinth of the red sandstone chattardi of raja Lakhpat
    Another beautiful cenotaph damaged by the earthquake of 2001
    A water body alongside the Chattardi makes Bhuj a birder’s delight
    Hotel Hill View Resort is a well appointed hotel with a warm hospitable staff that even packed a breakfast for us before our flight back home !
    Resuming our tour, we went to the city Museum that was formerly a prestigious Alfred High School
    However, we found the museum was shut on Wednesday so we sipped some cool coconut naturally chilled water on a cart across the road .
    Our next stop was a very disappointingly dirty and pretty unimpressive step well – Ram kund that was nearby the museum.
    We then went to the largest palace called Prag Mahal . It is situated in the same complex as the old Palace ( Aina mahal) and made in the Gothic style familiar to colonial India
    The magnificent Darbar Hall with its stained glass windows and Belgian chandeliers
    The Clock Tower is a replica of London’s Big Ben

    After this we made a pit stop at the Excise Department to get a liquor permit as well as buy some liquor.

    In case you want to drink in this dry state remember to take along your PAN, Aadhar and another Govt ID like a Driver’s License or Passport. Equally important is the boarding pass or train ticket to prove that you are a recent entrant to the city . Liquor permits are only issued within 48 hours of arrival so make sure you don’t dilly-dally.

    Normally this job takes around 15 minutes (according to the resourceful Mr Mitul) but with our geriatric minds working in unfamiliar territory it took us a good 45 minutes that ate into our lunch time!

    Eat your heart out

    However, that didn’t deter us from enjoying the local flavours at JALEBI where the fine bajra rotis and crispy, hot jalebis were served by warm hospitable wait staff.

    This sumptuous lunch was washed down by the local brew or CHAAS, a popular, watery buttermilk that is a favourite any time of day.

    As we left the eatery we heartily rang the bell outside to show our satisfaction !

    Mandvi : A shipyard and a Palace

    The weather was still pleasant in the afternoon while we made our way to the sea. Suddenly we came across a half built wooden craft that reminded me Of the delightful book “Behram’s Boat” .These boats made entirely of wood are made in the traditional way and are sturdy oceanfaring commercial ships.

    The magnificent VIJAYA VILAS palace set amidst a chickoo orchard has beautifully kept gardens and allows visitors a glimpse into royal life, replete with stuffed animals and well appointed living rooms.

    One of the Chattris atop the palace. This palace is well maintained and truly gives a glimpse into a Royal lifestyle of tiger hunts, exquisite furniture and past splendour.

    Mandvi is famous for another culinary delight the DABELI which sadly we were unable to try because we were stuffed to the gills.

    So we made our way back to the Hotel for a night’s halt before we carried on with our trip.

    Ciao,

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