Rann Utsav or the White Rann Utsav is one of the festivals that has gained immense popularity not only in India but on international levels too. The Rann Utsav initially began as a 3-day event in 2005, but gradually as more and more people got to know about it the festival started getting popular amongst Indians and foreigners and today it has turned into a 3-month event.
Why is the Rann Utsav celebrated?
The Rann Utsav aims to celebrate the existence of the Great Rann of Kutch and also showcase the various cultures of the region that includes food, folk dance, and music along with crafts, artistry, and the heritage of the Kutch region.
It is a festival that is celebrated to promote tourism in Gujarat and also showcase the colorful handicrafts made by the locals in Kutch. It is a festival where your cameras just won’t stop clicking pictures.
Where is the Rann Utsav Celebrated?
The Rann Utsav is celebrated in a region called Kutch in Gujarat which is the largest district in India and most of it is filled with the while salt desert known as the Rann of Kutch. The term Kutch means Tortoise in Sanskrit or in literal terms it also means something which is wet and dry at the same time.
The Great Rann of Kutch spreads across 7505 sq. kilometers and is also the world’s largest salt desert. During the monsoon season, the white Rann is covered with water and during the winters the water evaporates leaving behind a vast white salt desert.
Another reason why Kutch has caught the attention of the entire world is that this is the largest breeding ground for Flamingoes in the world. It’s hard to relate Flamingoes and dessert, isn’t it? The best way to deal with this confusion is to visit Kutch and see it yourself. It’s going to be worth your time and effort.
When is the Rann Utsav Celebrated?
The Rann Utsav is a winter festival and it is celebrated during the months of November to February every year. Moreover, this is also the ideal time to visit the Rann as the weather during these months remains pleasant and you get to experience much more than you had planned for.
How to reach Kutch?
To reach Kutch, you can take a flight or train to the nearest airport or railway station which is at Bhuj. Once you land in Bhuj you can hire a taxi to reach Rann of Kutch which is almost 85 kms far from Bhuj and will take around 4 hours to reach. If you are coming from Ahmedabad then you can hire a taxi or hire a self-drive car to reach Rann.
Packages for Rann Utsav
The Rann Utsav is mainly organized by Gujarat tourism and they offer various packages so that one can enjoy the Utsav thoroughly. There are various packages available covering the entire festival and you can buy the packages from their official booking partner AtoZ holidays for 2021 and 2022
The packages vary from each other and depending on your requirements and tie you can book the packages from 1 Night / 2 Days to 3 Nights / 4 Days.
The packages usually cover your pick up and transportation, stay, food, cultural events, full moon night landscape view, and also your local sightseeing at Bhuj city. The cost of these packages starts from approx INR 7000 and can even go up to INR 25000 depending on what you choose on the package.
We recommend you book your packages much in advance as most of the time these packages are sold out. In case you do not get a place to stay at the Utsav you can always choose to stay at the nearby places and come to the Utsav for the celebrations.
Where can I stay at The Rann Utsav?
When visiting the Rann Utsav your stay will be at the huge Tent city. There are a number of tents and you can decide if you want to stay in their premium AC tents or Non AC tents depending on your budget. You can even choose to stay at their tastefully designed Bhungas which are single cylindrical structures that emphasize the life of the Kutchi people.
What are the things to do at The Rann Utsav?
The Rann Utsav celebration happens for nearly three months and you can choose to come here anytime during the 3 months. There are a lot of things that you can do here such as
- Enjoying the cultural festival at Rann as the locals entertain you through their songs and dance on their traditional folk songs
- Go on a Desert Safari on a camel ride or use one of the desert patrol vehicles
- Enjoy a ride on the hot air balloon
- Go to the Mandvi beach to witness the sky touch the white sand
- Visit the nearby villages such as Khavda and Bhirandiyra as the locals organize workshops and you get to learn handicrafts and fabric work from them
- Indulge in their scrumptious food which includes everything locals
- Go crazy with your shopping as the Rann Utsav will offer you a variety of things to buy and you simply won’t be able to resist buying them. Some of the things which you should definitely buy are copper bells, Bandhini sarees or dupattas, garments with mirror work, silver jewelry, Rogan art paintings, and Ajrakh block printed shawls.
There are also a number of adventure activities that take place at the Rann Utsav. These activities are on a chargeable basis and you can choose from whichever activity you like such as ATV, Rifle Shooting, Archery, Bicycle rides, Para Motoring, and a complete adventure zone.
For those who love to take out some time for themselves and relax you will be thrilled to know that at the Rann Utsav you can indulge yourself in Meditations, Spa’s, and daily Yoga classes too. If you are someone who likes to stay indoors then you can indulge in a lot of indoor game activities in the clubhouse which include board games such as Pool, Chess, Carom, etc.
The other activities which you can indulge upon are
- Shopping at the Rann Utsav which is amazing
- Take a Camel Cart ride
- Watch the cultural dance performances by the locals such as Garba , Raas, and Dandiya
- Enjoy the live music concerts
- Visit Kaladungar or the Black hill and also the Hodka Village
What is Kutch famous for?
Apart from the White Rann, Kutch is also famous for its other tourist attractions such as Bhuj, Dholavira, Anjar, Mandvi, and Gandhidham. The region also gained popularity for its colorful handmade handicrafts, the beautiful virgin sea beaches, the architecturally rich forts, and for one of the largest Harappan sites belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization.
The Rann Utsav was primarily a vision of Mr. Narender Modi when he was the CM of Gujarat during that period. He envisioned increasing tourism in his state by promoting The Rann of Kutch not only in India but also abroad. Today the Rann Utsav is not only the largest celebrated festival of India but also the most awaited one.
If you haven’t visited the Rann Utsav yet then we suggest you book your tickets soon as there is still some time left for it to get over. As the saying goes “Rann nahi dekha toh kya dekha”?