End of the World at the White Rann of Kutch

I first saw a salt flat in Bolivia, South America at the famous Salar de Uyuni.  The landscape was mesmerising, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit the world’s largest salt desert in Kutch, Gujarat. Located in the Thar Desert, the White Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh. During monsoon, the region is covered in water, and over winter, the water evaporates leaving a salty crust that must be seen to be believed.

 

Love of the salt desert

I went there with my family at the beginning of December, driving from Vadodara it is a nine hour drive to the north west region of Kutch. We stayed in the small town of Hodka, and drove to the nearby town of Dhordo, passing through several security checks, a necessary requirement given our close proximity to the Pakistan border. Parking the car at the edge of the White Rann, we apprehensively walked towards the blinding white desert. It is almost like nature is playing a trick on your eyes, from a distance it looks like it could be snow, but the temperature is warm.

The salt crunched beneath our feet as we walked on it, and some of the earth gave way beneath us where the water had still not entirely dissipated after monsoon. Before us we could see nothing but pure white land that melted into the horizon.  There were no people or buildings in sight, it was like we had reached the end of the earth.

In what is one of the most inhospitable places on earth, you can even stay in a tent overnight and wake up to this beautiful sight. Combine it with the festival of Rann Utsav held each winter in Kutch and you are in for the time of your life!

Vantage point

Eager to see the Great Rann from another perspective, we decided to head up to Kalo Dungar (black hill), the highest point in Kutch. We had hired a car to make it easier for us to get around this vast region. The drive up to Kalo Dungar is scenic because of the sparsity of the land. Being in a desert, it is desolate with large rock boulders and little vegetation. At only 462 metres, the hill itself is an easy climb. At the top is a well known religious site of India called the Dattatreya Temple where you can see the priest feeding jackals each morning and evening.

Moods of the sun

We headed straight to the top of the hill that offers a splendid view of the region. The Thar Desert and the Great Rann stretches out to as far as the eye can see. As the sun starts to set, the mountain slowly changes from red to grey to black and you will witness the salt reflecting these changing colours of the sun. In some parts, the monsoon water can still be seen, creating a little island in the middle of the salt desert. The sun reflected on the edge of the water, in a ring of bright blue.

I have never seen a landscape like this before. Where the Bolivian salt desert looks like a lunar landscape, Kutch looked like it came straight out of a fairytale, the salt flats glistened steely blue, they felt like you could ice skate on them ever so gracefully. As eagles soared above, the view was both spectacular and peaceful. As the sun came down in a brilliant blaze of orange, I reflected on just how large the world was, and perhaps how I had finally seen a part of the world that felt like it was right on the edge, where past the horizon you could almost fall right off.

Looking for a memorable holiday in the Rann of Kutch? MakeMyTrip offers convenient flights to Ahmedabad from where you can reach the Rann of Kutch via bus or taxi.