Memorable trip to Rann of Kutch

It was our wish of many years to visit Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. We were able to do it in Jan 2024. We combined Somnath, and Dwarka with Kutch.

After reading many blogs and going through tour packages, I prepared an itinerary for the week-long tour.

The itinerary was Bengaluru-Rajkot-Somnath-Dwarka-Bhuj-Rann of Kutch-Bhuj-Rajkot-Bengaluru.

We were two families , a total of four people.

After going through reviews of hotels at these places, I booked rooms, flight tickets Bengaluru to Rajkot, a taxi from Rajkot for entire trip, including the drop to Rajkot on last day.

Day 1: Bengaluru-Rajkot-Somnath

We took a flight from Bengaluru to Rajkot. While other options like Diu, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar etc. were also possible, I felt Rajkot is convenient for this itinerary.

We landed in the Rajkot International Airport in the afternoon and taxi was waiting. I had booked a taxi from Kailash Tour and Travels, through a reference. Rajesh, who owns the travels, drove us around himself. His number is 8160609264. He is very friendly, polite and also very knowledgeable about the tourist attractions, hotel accommodations etc.

We then proceeded to Somnath, which is about 4 hours journey from the Rajkot airport. We checked into the “Lords Inn Somnath” Hotel, a nice hotel located about 1 km from temple. After freshening up we headed to the Somnath temple.

At the temple, any kind of electronic items, mobile phones, purses, handbags are not allowed inside. The better option is to leave them in the room or car. Another option is to deposit them in lockers. If you want to deposit only mobile phones, power banks, any small electronic items, there is a “Digital Locker” available just before the entrance to the temple. There was no queue and it was fast. If you have to deposit hand bags there are normal lockers, but availability might be issue and one would have to wait in long queue.

After depositing mobiles, we stood in queue for the darshan and it took about 15-20 minutes. Temple remains open up until 9:30 PM. We were informed that there is light and sound show every day from 7:45 to 8:30 within the temple complex. Unfortunately, we missed it as we arrived late.

The temple complex is spacious and very well maintained. Darshan was very peaceful and fast. The entire temple was decorated with colorful lights and looked very beautiful.

Before returning to the hotel, we had Kathiawadi Thali in a restaurant, which was very delicious. When you are in Gujarat, this thali is a must try.

Day 2: Somnath-Porbandar-Dwarka

The journey from Somnath to Dwarka takes about 4 to 5 hours with a stop at Porbandar.

We checked out from hotel and went to the Darshan once again. The view during morning was different from previous evening. The weather was pleasant, the darshan finished quickly. Inside the temple complex, you can walk along the path way and enjoy the breeze and the view of the Arabian Sea.

After the darshan, we visited Triveni sangam where two rivers meet, and a third one underground . Not much water flowed in the rivers.

We then visited Geeta mandir, which is a complex of various temples. There are temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and Balram. They have beautiful marble idols. This is the place where Krishna came after he was hit by an arrow from a hunter. Lord Krishna and Balram proceeded to heaven from this place.

Then we proceeded to Bhal ka Thirth, a very beautiful temple. This is the place where Krishna was hit by an arrow from a hunter.

I heard that Gir national park is about 1.5 hours and can be included if you have time. We were short on time and could not do so.

We proceeded to Porbandar to visit Sudhaama temple. It is said that this is the birth place of Sudhaama and the temple is dedicated to him.

We arrived in Dwarka and checked into the “Dwarkadhish Lords” hotel, a pleasant hotel located very close to beach. There is a trail in front of the hotel, along the sea, leading to the Dwarkadhish temple. We went to the Darshan at Dwarkadhish temple. Mobile phones had to be deposited at the entrance. The service is run by temple, is safe, fast and free.

There wasn't much queue for darshan and the darshan was over in around 30 minutes. The complex has lot of small temples dedicated to various other gods and goddesses. Around 7:30 PM the temple was lit with colorful focus lights. It was an amazing veiw. There are lots of shops and hotels located close to the temple.

Day 3: Dwarka

We proceeded to Bet dwarka, an island said to be the residence of Lord Krishna during his reign at Dwarka. It derived its name from the word ‘bet’ meaning ‘gift’. It is believed that Lord Krishna met his friend Sudhaama here and received a gift (rice flakes) from him.

There is a bridge under construction from Mainland to island which might be opened shortly. Tourists would then be able to drive directly to the island.

The boat we travelled by was crowded, but was worth it. When we approached main temple, there were not many people. Mobiles were to be deposited at the entrance.

The devotees are allowed in batches and the priests explain the history and importance of the temple.

We then returned to Dwarka. In the evening we visited Rukmini mandir,the sunset point and the darshan once again at the Dwarkadhish temple.

Day 4: Dwarka - Bhuj

We started our journey to Bhuj, which is about a 7 hours drive from Dwarka. Bhuj is a historical city in the Kutch district. Once we are in Kutch area, we see salt related industries all around. On both sides there are fields, where water is collected. From these fields, salt is extracted and transported in lorries to be processed in factories.

We checked into the hotel and visited the Swaminarayan temple. It is a beautiful marble temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple closes at 8 PM and there is aarthi right before closing. The temple also provides bhojan prasada in their dining hall. The food was simple and tasty.

Day 5: Bhuj to Rann of Kutch

We started from Bhuj and continued towards Rann of Kutch. Our driver Rajesh suggested we visit the Dholavira village, which was not a part of our itinerary. He said the road to Dholavira is very beautiful with lakes on both sides, spanning 15-20 Kms. Dholavira has a Harappan civilization site. We decided to go and it was the right decision.

After few kilometers of drive, the lakes were seen on both sides of the road. It was one of the most scenic route we ever saw so far. After a couple more kilometers, the lakes on both sides gave way to salt deserts. It was pure white stretch as far as the eye could see. We stopped to take some pictures with the scenic background of white desert.

We reached the Harappan site. If you are interested in history and archaeology, this should not be missed. This Harappan Civilization site, is claimed to be from 3000-1500 BCE. The city or the ruins of it, comprise a castle, a ceremonial ground, streets and houses for different classes of people. They had an ingenious, efficient water management system implemented back in those days, which comprises several canals, water storage tanks, water filtering systems etc. There exist ruins of workshops for different crafts, kitchen area, watch tower etc.

After Dholavira, we headed to the Rann of Kutch. We reached the Rann utsav area.

The Rann utsav starts from November and lasts till February. The Rann utsav area has makeshift shops, food courts etc., giving a festive look.

There are tents available for stay in the tent city managed by the government. These were quite expansive. Close to the tent city, there are other options available.

We had booked accommodations in the “Rann Sagar Home stay” which had reasonable rates and also included dinner and breakfast. They have Bhungas, which are traditional, circular walled mud houses with thatched rooves. These beautiful houses are built using mud and other locally available materials like clay, bamboo, timber etc. They were decorated with various handicrafts, paintings that showcase the life and culture of the people of Kutch. The bhungas in this home stay are new, very clean and spacious. The walls have handcrafted paintings, and there were attached bathrooms.

After freshening up, we started, at 5 PM, to the White desert which is about 4-5 Km from the home stay.

You need a permit from security forces to visit White desert. You can get it on-line at https://rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in/ (very simple) or get at the entry point, but queue may be long at the permit counter during holiday season.

From the parking, the entry to the desert is about 2 kilometers. We took a camel cart ride to reach the entry point to the desert. There are also individual camel rides available. People can walk too.

The Great Rann of Kutch is part of Thar Desert which also extends into Rajasthan, and is claimed to be the largest salt desert in the world. It is known for its white desert, the most popular attraction of all tourist places in Kutch. A large part of the Great Rann of Kutch is submerged in the water during the rainy season and dries during the winter season, leaving behind a vast expanse of salt land that dazzles like diamonds under the scorching sun and turns into bluish glow during the night hours.

The White Desert is really amazing to see during the sunset and under the full moonlight as it sparkles and offers a spectacular view.

We had planned our visit to Rann on a full moon day and we were able to see the sunset at one end of the desert and moon slowly rising from the other end. When the moon turned bright, the whole stretch changed its colour. It is really worth visiting on full moon day, if possible.

Tourists are allowed up until 1 AM on the full moon night.

There was a light and sound show on the history and culture of Kutch and Gujarat.

During ride back, we saw the white desert lit with flood lights of different colors giving a different view. The whole area was buzzing with festive look.

We had good tasty Guajarati dinner at the home stay.

Day 6: Bhuj-Mandvi

We returned to Bhuj and then proceeded to Mandvi, which is about an hour drive from Bhuj. It has a small palace called Vijay vilas palace, which is very beautiful. We visited the palace and then went to Mandvi beach. The beach is very beautiful, clean, and safe to enjoy.

We returned to Bhuj and went shopping. The Bhuj market has a variety of shops selling various kinds of dresses, dress materials and other local products.