COLONEL SATISH SINGH LALOTRA
Each winter, the stark, otherworldly beauty of the salt-plains, flattishin layouts in the great Rann of Kutch transform into one of India’s most magical festival grounds. The ‘Rann- utsav’ has become the signature celebrations of Kutch—a festival that brings together jaw-dropping landscapes, rich local culture, centuries of old crafts, vibrant music, dance and the ilk.
‘Rann-utsav’ is a warm invitation to explore one of the most surreal places that Asian continent has to offer, leave alone India. It was not for nothing that Gujarat Tourism few years back had sought refuge in the rich baritone of Amitabh Bacchan who in one single line—‘ Kutch nahin dekha , toh kuch nahin dekha’ from a plethora of media sources revolutionized the entire area into one of India’s most sought after tourist destination.
The ‘Kutch extravaganza’ began as a modest celebration meant to showcase the culture, crafts, and natural beauty that were the hallmark of one of India’s most surreal places. A region hitherto known as the last bastion of ‘Ghudkar’ –the Indian ‘wild asses’ which are placed in the ‘vulnerable’ list of the IUCN( International union for conservation of nature) suddenly has been catapulted into the realm of a tourist’s liking that was not to be seen or heard before.
A region renowned for its famed tribal communities, unique handicrafts, and striking landscapes the ‘curse of Kutch’ in terms of its harshness of terrain turned to one of gay abandon.Of the three distinct features of this great sub-continent of ours viz endless cycles of election & by elections, countless movies churned out by our own Bollywood &festivals; it is the last feature (festivals) that still rules the hearts & minds of a majority of our populace.
The genesis of ‘Kutch festival’ can trace its history backwards from the year 2001 , when the devastating Gujarat earthquake with its epicenter as Bhuj/ Kutch area (having flattened both the economy and will of the people of the region) needed a solid bulwark to uplift the very being of Kutch. My interest in writing this article stemmed from twin factors—firstly having served while in service in an area that was closer to LRK ( Little Rann of Kutch) i.e. Dharangdhara and secondly having crisscrossed this area many times as part of ‘service retinue’ during the time when the Gujarat earthquake struck.
Coming back to the subject per se-- What better way to unleash the natural buoyancy of the region than from tourism apparatus of Gujarat on a massive scale; which caught on the idea of showcasing the resilience of the Kutch people in all its myriad shades? Today the Kutch festival offers a 100 dayrun (October through early March) and draws thousands of tourists from across India & abroad.
The overriding idea of the Gujarat government was to use the spirit of festivity as a means to preserve and promote ‘Kutchi culture’—from handicrafts and folk arts to local cuisine while simultaneously building sustainable livelihoods for local artisans and promoting responsible tourism. Though ‘RannUtsav’ Kutch is now no longer viewed from the prism of remoteness, but as a vibrant hub of cultural richness, art, history and natural wonder that lay stymied from decades of inertia of the rulers as well as buttressed from a harsh climatic ecosystem.
This year of 2025, saw the CM of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel inaugurate Kutch festival at ‘Dhordo’ highlighting PM’s Vision of transforming the Rann of Kutch into a gateway for tourism and a preferred global destination. On top of it the ‘Dhordo model’ created with the inspiration of the PM through the confluence of society, culture and prosperity has given an unbeaten impetus to this festival to touch new horizons of social integration. The CM of Gujarat went ahead simultaneously with inauguration of a vibrant cultural programme titled as –‘EkatvaDesh, EkGeet , EkBhavna ( Unity one nation, one song, one emotion) , marking the 150 th anniversary of VandeMatram , the national song on this occasion.
On the sidelines of this Kutch / RannUtsav, Mr Patel performed the e-inauguration and laid the foundation stone for various developmental works worth Rs 179 crore at Lakhpatfort, Tera heritage village, and Dhordo in the presence of labour and employment minister as well as minister of state for higher technical education to boost tourism in Kutch. The 2025-26 edition of the Kutch festival, running from 23 October 2025 to 04 March 2025 promises to be the grandest yet—with expanded offerings, historical additions, and an immersive atmosphere that draws visitors from all over the globe.
Now what makes ‘Rann-utsav’ so unforgettable? What are the myriad USPs of this festival that countless other festivals of much grander vistas don’t come nearby even by a whisker? There are dime a dozen of them, all explained in the lines following. As the night falls, the salt desert comes alive with performances of traditional folk music and dance.
Guests witness and often participate in dances like Garba & Ras, enjoy soulful tribal music on traditional instruments and attend vibrant cultural shows under the vast starlit desert sky of Kutch. Story telling sessions, puppet shows, and other performances deeply rooted in local legends, and tribal folk lore then add the much needed elixir to the ongoing festivities.
The festival’s craft bazar bristle with region’s famed handicrafts; Bandhani and tie dye fabrics , intricate mirror and bead work , embroidery , block printed textiles( like Ajrakh) , leather goods, pottery, traditional jewelry –each piece telling a story of generations –old craftsmanship. The best part is that visitors often get a chance to meet the artisans themselves, watch them work and even commission custom pieces –a living, breathing bridge between heritage and modern appreciation.
Beyond the cultural showcase , ‘RannUtsav’ offers a slice of desert adventure ; camel safaris, jeep rides, Para motoring or ATV( all-terrain vehicle) rides, hot air ballooning and even guided tours to explore nearby landscapes and historical sites. As if this is not enough of a shot of adrenaline, there’s also a ‘tent city’ –accommodations ranging from basic to luxurious –offering a chance to spend nights under the star lit sky soaking in the stark of Kutch landscape. On the local cuisine & hospitality, the more said is often less. Food stalls and communal meals bring out traditional Kutchi & Guajarati dishes—coarse –rotis ( Bajrarotla etc), kadhi Dal-Bhatichurma, farsan , sweets ;giving the visitors a taste of culinary heritage.
The new addition to this year’s Rann-Utsav includes ‘Dholavira’—a ‘UNESCO World heritage site’ –as part of its itinerary, offering visitors a chance to combine the salt desert experience with a dash of journey into ancient history. The festival’s 2025-26 season promises some of the best full moon nights, with special moon lit events aligning with dates across December, January, February and even March. The country of ours has numerous such frontier areas as Rann of Kutch, that are hidden from the arc lights of popularity both at the national and international level.
Festivals such as these are the drivers of forward movement in national integration, cultural preservation and livelihoods. Towards this end the GOI last year started the famous VVP (Vibrant village programme) from the last Indian settlement ‘Walong’ in the far eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Through conducting such festivals in the frontier areas of India, not only traditional arts and crafts are given an impetus , that are fast receding from the national psyche; but the artisans are made to feel as part of mainstream India. Sustainable & responsible tourism, one of the high lights of the present government is reflected from such efforts.
‘The Kunj’ an excellent facility at the national capital opened this year in August, is another step towards putting arts, artisans and their creations at the national level. Kutchi art, artisans and their marvelous creations occupy center space at Kunj. I am personally witness to the richness of Kutchi art that was in full display at ‘The Kunj’ when I happen to visit it this September in Delhi.
Putting Kutch on the global map, which was few decades ago a dusty, and little known region, has now been the order of the day by conductance of Rann- Utsav’. A bridge between past and present, this year’s Kutch-festival with addition of ‘Dholavira’ will be the elixir of the entire extravaganza. For anyone to reconnect with India’s roots, marvel at nature’s surreal beauty, and enjoy folk art and music –‘Rann-Utsav’ is just waiting to be explored by you.
Need I say more than what famous Bollywood icon Amitabh Bacchan said—‘Kutch nahin dekha, toh kuch nahin dekha’.
(The Author is a retired army officer and a regular scribe of Rising Kashmir and can be approached on his email: slalotra4729@gmail.com)
sameer
COLONEL SATISH SINGH LALOTRA
Each winter, the stark, otherworldly beauty of the salt-plains, flattishin layouts in the great Rann of Kutch transform into one of India’s most magical festival grounds. The ‘Rann- utsav’ has become the signature celebrations of Kutch—a festival that brings together jaw-dropping landscapes, rich local culture, centuries of old crafts, vibrant music, dance and the ilk.
‘Rann-utsav’ is a warm invitation to explore one of the most surreal places that Asian continent has to offer, leave alone India. It was not for nothing that Gujarat Tourism few years back had sought refuge in the rich baritone of Amitabh Bacchan who in one single line—‘ Kutch nahin dekha , toh kuch nahin dekha’ from a plethora of media sources revolutionized the entire area into one of India’s most sought after tourist destination.
The ‘Kutch extravaganza’ began as a modest celebration meant to showcase the culture, crafts, and natural beauty that were the hallmark of one of India’s most surreal places. A region hitherto known as the last bastion of ‘Ghudkar’ –the Indian ‘wild asses’ which are placed in the ‘vulnerable’ list of the IUCN( International union for conservation of nature) suddenly has been catapulted into the realm of a tourist’s liking that was not to be seen or heard before.
A region renowned for its famed tribal communities, unique handicrafts, and striking landscapes the ‘curse of Kutch’ in terms of its harshness of terrain turned to one of gay abandon.Of the three distinct features of this great sub-continent of ours viz endless cycles of election & by elections, countless movies churned out by our own Bollywood &festivals; it is the last feature (festivals) that still rules the hearts & minds of a majority of our populace.
The genesis of ‘Kutch festival’ can trace its history backwards from the year 2001 , when the devastating Gujarat earthquake with its epicenter as Bhuj/ Kutch area (having flattened both the economy and will of the people of the region) needed a solid bulwark to uplift the very being of Kutch. My interest in writing this article stemmed from twin factors—firstly having served while in service in an area that was closer to LRK ( Little Rann of Kutch) i.e. Dharangdhara and secondly having crisscrossed this area many times as part of ‘service retinue’ during the time when the Gujarat earthquake struck.
Coming back to the subject per se-- What better way to unleash the natural buoyancy of the region than from tourism apparatus of Gujarat on a massive scale; which caught on the idea of showcasing the resilience of the Kutch people in all its myriad shades? Today the Kutch festival offers a 100 dayrun (October through early March) and draws thousands of tourists from across India & abroad.
The overriding idea of the Gujarat government was to use the spirit of festivity as a means to preserve and promote ‘Kutchi culture’—from handicrafts and folk arts to local cuisine while simultaneously building sustainable livelihoods for local artisans and promoting responsible tourism. Though ‘RannUtsav’ Kutch is now no longer viewed from the prism of remoteness, but as a vibrant hub of cultural richness, art, history and natural wonder that lay stymied from decades of inertia of the rulers as well as buttressed from a harsh climatic ecosystem.
This year of 2025, saw the CM of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel inaugurate Kutch festival at ‘Dhordo’ highlighting PM’s Vision of transforming the Rann of Kutch into a gateway for tourism and a preferred global destination. On top of it the ‘Dhordo model’ created with the inspiration of the PM through the confluence of society, culture and prosperity has given an unbeaten impetus to this festival to touch new horizons of social integration. The CM of Gujarat went ahead simultaneously with inauguration of a vibrant cultural programme titled as –‘EkatvaDesh, EkGeet , EkBhavna ( Unity one nation, one song, one emotion) , marking the 150 th anniversary of VandeMatram , the national song on this occasion.
On the sidelines of this Kutch / RannUtsav, Mr Patel performed the e-inauguration and laid the foundation stone for various developmental works worth Rs 179 crore at Lakhpatfort, Tera heritage village, and Dhordo in the presence of labour and employment minister as well as minister of state for higher technical education to boost tourism in Kutch. The 2025-26 edition of the Kutch festival, running from 23 October 2025 to 04 March 2025 promises to be the grandest yet—with expanded offerings, historical additions, and an immersive atmosphere that draws visitors from all over the globe.
Now what makes ‘Rann-utsav’ so unforgettable? What are the myriad USPs of this festival that countless other festivals of much grander vistas don’t come nearby even by a whisker? There are dime a dozen of them, all explained in the lines following. As the night falls, the salt desert comes alive with performances of traditional folk music and dance.
Guests witness and often participate in dances like Garba & Ras, enjoy soulful tribal music on traditional instruments and attend vibrant cultural shows under the vast starlit desert sky of Kutch. Story telling sessions, puppet shows, and other performances deeply rooted in local legends, and tribal folk lore then add the much needed elixir to the ongoing festivities.
The festival’s craft bazar bristle with region’s famed handicrafts; Bandhani and tie dye fabrics , intricate mirror and bead work , embroidery , block printed textiles( like Ajrakh) , leather goods, pottery, traditional jewelry –each piece telling a story of generations –old craftsmanship. The best part is that visitors often get a chance to meet the artisans themselves, watch them work and even commission custom pieces –a living, breathing bridge between heritage and modern appreciation.
Beyond the cultural showcase , ‘RannUtsav’ offers a slice of desert adventure ; camel safaris, jeep rides, Para motoring or ATV( all-terrain vehicle) rides, hot air ballooning and even guided tours to explore nearby landscapes and historical sites. As if this is not enough of a shot of adrenaline, there’s also a ‘tent city’ –accommodations ranging from basic to luxurious –offering a chance to spend nights under the star lit sky soaking in the stark of Kutch landscape. On the local cuisine & hospitality, the more said is often less. Food stalls and communal meals bring out traditional Kutchi & Guajarati dishes—coarse –rotis ( Bajrarotla etc), kadhi Dal-Bhatichurma, farsan , sweets ;giving the visitors a taste of culinary heritage.
The new addition to this year’s Rann-Utsav includes ‘Dholavira’—a ‘UNESCO World heritage site’ –as part of its itinerary, offering visitors a chance to combine the salt desert experience with a dash of journey into ancient history. The festival’s 2025-26 season promises some of the best full moon nights, with special moon lit events aligning with dates across December, January, February and even March. The country of ours has numerous such frontier areas as Rann of Kutch, that are hidden from the arc lights of popularity both at the national and international level.
Festivals such as these are the drivers of forward movement in national integration, cultural preservation and livelihoods. Towards this end the GOI last year started the famous VVP (Vibrant village programme) from the last Indian settlement ‘Walong’ in the far eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Through conducting such festivals in the frontier areas of India, not only traditional arts and crafts are given an impetus , that are fast receding from the national psyche; but the artisans are made to feel as part of mainstream India. Sustainable & responsible tourism, one of the high lights of the present government is reflected from such efforts.
‘The Kunj’ an excellent facility at the national capital opened this year in August, is another step towards putting arts, artisans and their creations at the national level. Kutchi art, artisans and their marvelous creations occupy center space at Kunj. I am personally witness to the richness of Kutchi art that was in full display at ‘The Kunj’ when I happen to visit it this September in Delhi.
Putting Kutch on the global map, which was few decades ago a dusty, and little known region, has now been the order of the day by conductance of Rann- Utsav’. A bridge between past and present, this year’s Kutch-festival with addition of ‘Dholavira’ will be the elixir of the entire extravaganza. For anyone to reconnect with India’s roots, marvel at nature’s surreal beauty, and enjoy folk art and music –‘Rann-Utsav’ is just waiting to be explored by you.
Need I say more than what famous Bollywood icon Amitabh Bacchan said—‘Kutch nahin dekha, toh kuch nahin dekha’.
(The Author is a retired army officer and a regular scribe of Rising Kashmir and can be approached on his email: slalotra4729@gmail.com)
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