India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (323 page)

A raised, newly resurfaced tar road leads north of Bhuj to the Banni Villages and the
craft hubs of
Hodka,
Dhordo,
and
Khavda,
where decorated mud thatch-roofed huts
(liponkan)
form the stop-off for your meeting with traditional Rabari and Ahir cultures, and an opportunity to inspect their handiwork and wares. These tiny clay villages are all gathered close together (about 40 min. or so apart) and depending on where you are based, either at Shaam-e- Sarhand or Infinity Resort, it will take you not less than 2 hours to reach the closest village. Our advice is therefore to set out very early and reach the farthest village of Khavda first, then work back down to your base.
Tip:
Ask your hosts to provide a packed lunch or at least some snacks and take plenty of chilled water, preferably in an ice chest.

Ludia
is another good stop to meet the locals and inspect the work, and is your second visit after Khavda if working back down. Take your time doing this and be patient. The traditional dress is arresting and their
cholis
(backless blouses) will have you literally asking for the shirts off their backs. The mood is relaxed and there is very little pressure to buy, so take your time and do not be shy to have a good look at all the work. It may seem like a lot of effort to unpack but try to see it as an education and there is no reason not to have a healthy interaction without buying. We did however encounter a certain surliness when we didn’t buy from a woman in Hodka, who apparently is famous in Paris with the French media. Beautiful embroidery can be found at
Bhirendiara,
just a 20-minute drive south of Ludia, and stop at the famous NGO
Kala Raksha
(see box below;
02808/277238;
www.kala-raksha.org
) that provides a fixed-price outlet, small museum, and workshop.

Covering 4,851 sq. km (1,873 sq. miles), the Little Rann, to the east of The Greater Rann is a vast, salt-encrusted desert plain that becomes a marsh during the monsoon rains. It is home to nine nomadic communities—the
Mir, Kharapat Rabhari’s, Bharawads, Bajania, Kholi, Patels, Padhars, Jats, and Wadi’s
(the latter incidentally known as snake charmers)—as well as the endangered wild ass, a petite tan and chestnut relative of the horse that consistently bucks the locals’ repeated attempts at cross breeding (and refuses to pose for pictures!).

WHERE TO STAY & DINE

Less than 32km (20 miles) north of Bhuj,
Hodka
is an obligatory stop and the
Shaam-e-Sarhand Rural Resort
(
02832/654124;
www.hodka.in
), a successful sustainable eco-tourism project run by the local
Halepotra
tribe, is located here. It is indeed rural, offering rustic accommodation in mud huts or
bhungas
(Rs 2,500), or six luxury tents with private bathrooms (Rs 4,000), which are far more comfortable, although if you’d like to live as the locals do, then try a night in a
bhunga.
While it is very basic, this “Sunset at the Border” is an authentic homegrown project that is run by the people for the people and will give you not only the proximity you need to the local villages but also the insight to witness the daily lives of a local Kutchi community at work. The most comfortable place for an overnight stay in this area, although a little off the beaten track, is the
Infinity Rann of Kutch Resort
(
02835/273431/2;
www.campsofindia.com
; [email protected]) located at Chari Fulay,
Nakhatrana,
60km (37 miles) from Bhuj. With 16 luxury, A/C, tented en-suite cottages set around a green lawn and a large blue pool, it is an ideal base for comfortable accommodation into the Banni area of the Greater Rann.

The only place to stay and the real reason for visiting the Little Rann is the eco-friendly
Rann Riders
,
based just outside the charming little village of
Dasada
and a stone’s throw from the
Little Rann.
The passionate and erudite owner, Mr. Muzahid Malik, a veritable mine of information on the area, together with his helpful and welcoming team, will attend to your every need. With the amazing activities and outings available (such as overnighting in the Little Rann on a camel cart), your experience here will be memorable. The pretty resort contains 22 deluxe suites in cottages resembling the
kooba
houses of the
Bajania
community of Dasada, and the
bhunga
houses of the
Kutchi Rabari’s.
Moreover, they are all designed using locals materials and labor, tastefully decorated and set amid a lush flowering indigenous garden with a newly renovated infinity pool. Gardens produce organic food (grown out back) and the kitchen serves good local and Continental cuisine. Mr. Malik’s family has deep local roots, a committed passion for the area, and a real understanding of international tourism and its demands—all rare commodities in Gujarat.

Rare Gifts North of Bhuj

Working out of Sumrasar Sheikh, 25km (16 miles) north of Bhuj, the Kala Raksha Trust (10am–2pm, 3–6pm;
02808/277238;
www.kala-raksha.org
) is an authentic and successful grassroots social initiative dedicated to the preservation of traditional arts. The trust has a small museum displaying works by over 800 artists from seven different communities and can arrange visits to villages to meet with the artists. There are some magnificent pieces on sale, of which a substantial proportion goes to the artists who also help price the works. Aside from learning about the various crafts and styles, you can ask to be taken for a village tour where you can observe the women meticulously plying their craft in embroidery, dyeing and patchwork techniques. Another excellent local cooperative is Shrujan, in Bhujodi, 12km (7 1⁄2 miles) north of Bhuj, which also works with a network of 80-plus villages and has some excellent pieces. If your interest extends beyond the ordinary, contact Judy Frater while in Bhuj. She is a specialist in textiles on the local ethnic tribal cultures and communities, has lived with and studied them for many years and is author of the informative book Threads of Identity, Embroidery and Adornment of the Nomadic Rabaris (Mapin Publishing, 1995). She can be contacted at [email protected] for specialist tours or can be arranged by Mr. Malik at Rann Riders.

Chapter 13: Higher Altitudes, Higher Powers: Amritsar, Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh

The ancient Sanskrit poet Kaldisa called the Himalayas “the measuring rod of the world”—in size and scale and splendor there is little on earth that compares in magnitude to the high altitude ranges that shelter these far northern reaches of India. Proclaimed by ancient Indian texts as
Devbhumi
—“Land of the Gods”—and believed to be the earthly home of the mighty Lord Shiva, the beautiful, far-flung
Himachal Pradesh
has an almost palpable presence of divinity. Bordered by Tibet to the east, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, and the Punjab to the west, the landlocked state is one of great topographic diversity, from vast bleak tracts of rust-colored high-altitude Trans-Himalayan desert to dense green deodar forests, apple orchards, cultivated terraces, and, everywhere you look, sublime snowcapped mountains. This is also where you’ll find the largest concentration of Buddhists, their atmospheric
gompas
(monasteries) a total contrast to the pageantry of Hindu temples.