Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a vast seasonal salt marsh in the Kutch district of Gujarat, on the border with Pakistan, and one of the largest salt deserts in the world. The Rann of Kutch floods with seawater and rain during the monsoon, then dries into a hard white crust of salt that stretches flat to the horizon for the rest of the year.

The Rann has two parts. The Great Rann of Kutch, in the north, is the one most visitors see, around the village of Dhordo, where the Gujarat government holds the Rann Utsav, a festival with a tent city, folk music and craft stalls, usually from about November to February. The Little Rann of Kutch, to the south east, is the only home of the Indian wild ass, protected in a large sanctuary. Flamingos breed in the marsh in huge numbers after good monsoons. Around the Rann live Rabari herders, Ahir farmers and Muslim Jat and Mutwa communities, famous for embroidery, weaving and block printing.

What to see

• The White Rann at Dhordo at sunset and under a full moon, when the salt glows
• Kala Dungar, the highest point in Kutch, with wide views over the Rann
• Craft villages: Bhujodi for weaving, Nirona for rogan painting, Ajrakhpur for ajrakh block printing
• Round bhunga mud houses decorated with mirror work in the Banni villages
• Wild ass safaris in the Little Rann, a separate trip from Dasada

What to wear

The Rann of Kutch is desert: dress in light, loose cotton that covers your arms and legs against the sun by day, and bring a warm jacket for winter nights, which can be cold on the open salt. Sunglasses are essential, as the white glare is intense, along with a hat and sunscreen. Wear shoes you do not mind getting salty. Kutch has some of India's most striking traditional dress: Rabari women in black wool with heavy silver jewellery, mirror-worked cholis and ghagras, and men in the pleated kediyu and white chorno trousers with a turban.

Local food to try

Kutchi food is hearty and mostly vegetarian: bajra no rotlo, millet flatbread with butter and jaggery, kadhi khichdi, ringan no olo, a smoky aubergine mash, and buttermilk called chhaas with every meal. Dabeli, a spiced potato bun with peanuts and pomegranate, was created in Mandvi in Kutch and is sold everywhere in Bhuj. Banni village homestays serve home-cooked Kutchi meals. Gujarat is a dry state; alcohol needs a permit.

Good to know

• Best time: November to February, ideally around a full moon; the Rann is under water in the monsoon
• Open daily; the White Rann is best at sunrise, sunset and moonlit nights
• A permit is needed for the White Rann, sold online and at the Bhirandiyara checkpoint
• Allow two nights, based in Bhuj, a Banni homestay or the Rann Utsav tent city
• Dhordo is about 85 km north of Bhuj, which has an airport and railway station
• Areas near the Pakistan border are restricted; carry your passport for checks

Nearby places

The Rann of Kutch is remote from Gujarat's other sights: Somnath Temple is about 330 km away in a straight line and the Statue of Unity about 450 km. Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is roughly 420 km north east and can follow on an overland route.