Travel Guide

Little Rann of Kutch – Dasada

Little Rann of Kutch is not too far from Ahmedabad (just about 2 hrs) is famous for the Wild Ass Sanctuary and the migratory birds from all over the world who arrive in droves in winter. The otherwise dull surrounding acquires a flaming red along the water bodies when the pelicans decide to flap their delicate wings. A 2 day visit to Little Rann is a precursor to the natural and man made wealth that lies ahead in the Kutch Region. Riding around the Rann, you will see the salt pans where salt is being made from the rich deposits in the soil.

Great Rann of Kutch

The Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is about 7,505.22 square kilometres (2,897.78 sq mi) in size and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people. The name “Rann” comes from the Hindi word ran (रण) meaning “desert”. The Hindi word is derived from Sanskrit/Vedic wordiriṇa attested in the Rigveda and Mahābhārata. As early as 325 BCE, Alexander the Great was aware of the area.

Kutch Deserts in Gujarat Kutch is the name of the district wherein it is situated. The Rann of Kutch comprises some 30,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. The Luni River, which originates in Rajasthan, empties into the northeast corner of the Rann.

The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in the state of Gujarat. Kutch is the name of the district wherein it is situated.

In India’s summer monsoon, the flat desert of salty clay and mudflats, averaging 15 meters above sea level, fill with standing waters, interspersed with sandy islets of thorny scrub, breeding grounds for some of the largest flocks of Greater and Lesser flamingoes

The Rann is also famous for the Indian Wild Ass sanctuary, the Little Rann of Kutch, where the last of three species of Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur or khar), the only ones in Asia, still exists along with wolves, foxes, jackals, chinkara gazelles, nilgai antelope and blackbucks. The Rann of Kutch is also the only place in Pakistan and India which plays host to migrating flamingoes. There are 13 species of lark in the Rann of Kutch.

Kutch is synonymous with the Great Rann of Kutch which stretches across India and Pakistan. “Love across the Salt Desert” which inspired the Bollywood movie Refugee is a nice read for anyone intending to romance the virgin white desert that stretches towards infinity. A moonlight night on the Kutch can perhaps unlock the answer to your existence in case you are seeking one. Visit the other nearby sanctuaries specially Chari Daand at dawn to watch the birds playfully move around in water.

Travel Tips & Permit

Being a border area, you need a permit to enter Great Rann of Kutch. The permit is available depending on the number of days stay at the check post on the way to the Rann after filling in a simple and submitting a copy of an identification document and showing the original for verification.