Rann of Kutch is a key attraction of Gujarat – a popular place amongst the top ‘must-visit’ places for tourists. Besides becoming part of the vibrant Rann Utsav festival, it gives you an opportunity to experience the white desert landscape, understand the stories of Kutch rulers and architecture, and gain knowledge of the colourful attire, rich handicrafts, and folk music of the region.

And the 9 th class students of Anand Niketan school got to enjoy all of these in their recent trip to Rann of Kutch from 21-23 December 2024. Positive7 team ensured the smooth execution of the entire trip to provide a lifetime memorable experience.

November to February is the Rann Utsav time in Bhuj. This is the time when you can see the vast expanse of white salt deposits with a cool winter breeze at night and in early morning and bearable heat in the afternoons.

Day 1:

The trip started on 21 st December at 5:00 am when the students started thronging the school premises with their luggage and extra enthusiasm. I doubt if they could sleep the night before or maybe woke up by themselves early in the morning to get ready for the trip. After their prayers, a few Dos and Don’ts from teachers, and a goodbye to their parents, we started at 5:45 am in two
buses.

We all know how the journey matters more than the destination. And when the trip involves teens, the journey becomes double fun and exciting. The students had their fun games ready:

Playing music in buses, along with cheering, sing-along and dancing
Games like Dumb charades and Antakshari
Eating and sharing snacks
Catching up on the lost night’s sleep
Conversing and gossiping

Our first stop was the breakfast at a highway restaurant in Viramgam at around 7:30 am. After this, we started for Bhuj. It was a beautiful drive with some salt fields and other natural beauty on the way. After a few breaks, we reached our stay at Pride Rock Resort at 2:30 pm. It’s a huge property with spacious rooms, blossoming gardens and an in-house restaurant that serves delicious food. With greenery all around you and a lot of space to roam around the property, we enjoyed our stay here for two nights.

On reaching our stay, we immediately had our lunch and after that, we started for the Vande Mataram Memorial. The memorial pays tribute to the Indian freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for our independence from the British, starting from the Revolt of 1857 to the Freedom Movement of 1947. Spread over 12 acres of land, it showcases the Indian Independence journey in 4-D. You enter through the India Gate and head to the Parliament building, which depicts different historical moments in 13 episodes. It was a kind of revision of what we had learnt about independence, starting from the Britishers’ landing in India in 1608 in Surat for trade purposes up to our independence on 15 th August 1947.

The premises also houses a vast lawn for tourists to enjoy picnics, a library, and a cafeteria. You can also shop local handicrafts and traditional attire from local artisans set up here. We managed all these while waiting for the Light and Sound Show at 8:00 pm, which displays India’s culture, history, and festivals in a spectacularly colourful way. The stunning lights and melodious music of the show, along with hi-fi technology, ensured an enthralling experience for all the visitors.

At 8:15 pm, we moved out of the place while discussing the various points of the Indian freedom struggle and updating each other on any missed aspects. After this, we headed to our resort. On the way, we enjoyed the famous Kutchi Dabeli. We reached the resort by 10:30 pm and had a scrumptious dinner. After dinner, all the students and teachers returned to their rooms for a sound sleep because the next day required an early start.

Day 2:

Day 2 started early at 5:30 am with a wake-up call to all students. Everyone was ready and done with breakfast before 8:30 am. We all boarded our buses and started the day’s journey at 8:30 am. The first stop was the Prag and Aaina Mahal – the architectural marvels. Aaina Mahal, an 18 th -century palace, was converted into a museum in 1977. It houses the Darbar Hall and Marriage Hall on the first floor and the Audience Hall, State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the Pleasure Hall on the ground floor. It was built by Rao Lakhpatji from the Jadeja Rajput dynasty in the local style, but the decoration in mirrors, tiles, and glass depicts the European style.

Prag Mahal is a neighbor of Aaina Mahal, built in the 19 th century by Rao Pragmalji II. It is built in the Italian Gothic style involving Italian marble and sandstone from Rajasthan, Corinthian pillars, a clock tower which gives you a view of the Bhuj city and a stonework-based temple. Both these palaces suffered damages in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, but they were repaired, renovated, and restored to maintain their heritage value.

It was an insightful and excellent experience to know the lives and times of 18 th and 19 th -century kings and queens. Their architecture, decorations, and materialistic things owned by them gave us an idea of the lives they led. It was a brief look into the history of Kutch, which we all enjoyed seeing and listening to.

Next, we moved to Kalo Dungar (the Black Hill). It is a favourite point in Kutch because it gives visitors a panoramic view of the Rann of Kutch from a good height. Unfortunately, that day was a bit cloudy leading to a smoggy atmosphere and so we did not get good views. But the best part was the open-tempo safari on the curvy roads to reach the base of the hill – exhilarating and adventurous. All girls were in one tempo while all boys were in another. It was one hell of a ride with several ups and downs and lefts and rights, along with unsuccessful attempts to click photos during this high- adrenaline ride.

After this, we headed to our lunch place. The lunch was full of local flavours. After a bit late lunch, we headed to the White Desert – the main attraction of the Rann of Kutch trip. We were amazed to see such a vast, pristine white salt desert. Every side we looked at, we could only see the white salt. The white desert extends from the mouth of the River Indus to the Gulf of Kutch. We reached there at the time of sunset, which gave us a spectacular view. We clicked several pictures here in small groups, solo, the entire group, and had fun moments.

How could we miss the colourful and vibrant market of Kutch? We explored the local artisans’ shops and bought handicrafts, jewellery, clothes, accessories, and many other things. Some of us also indulged in some delicious food available in the market. It was a great experience to see the local arts and crafts and make some of these a part of our wardrobe and house.

After this, we started to our resort, and midway, we again had the famous dabeli. After reaching the resort, we had a scrumptious dinner and freshened up for the campfire and dance party. It was a crazy, fun time with loud music, everyone dancing, singing along, and enjoying conversations at the campfire. At around 2 am, we ended the day and all went to sleep.

Day 3:

The late-night campfire and party led to a late wake-up time and a lazy morning. We all got ready for the day and had our last breakfast of the trip. After a series of photos with each other and group photos in the beautiful resort, we started our return journey to Ahmedabad at 10:00 am. Yes, no one wanted to, but it was the last day of the trip, and everybody had to move despite their sadness about leaving the place. Again, we played music, danced, and sang to enjoy the last day with full enthusiasm and excitement.

En route we stopped at Domino’s for lunch. We also celebrated a student’s (Shaurya’s) birthday with a tasty cake. After around an hour, we started again and reached the school at around 6:30 pm. The students were taken to the amphitheatre, after which their parents took them. So, the trip ended with a lot of cherished memories. The students enjoyed the trip with their friends, made new friends, explored the Rann of Kutch, gained knowledge about Kutch traditions and artwork, and witnessed the beautiful heritage of our country.

All in all, it was a thrilling experience. With a massive number of students, the entire journey was filled with waves of smiles, laughter, and enthusiasm. With the eagerness to learn about the history and culture of Kutch district, they were mesmerised by the region’s beauty. No words can explain the crazy fun times that the gang of students experienced, but yes, it will always remain etched in their minds.

The best elements of this group trip were:

Proper planning and execution despite a big group of students
Lipsmacking food in every meal of the day, including local delicacies
Amazingly huge, beautiful, and comfortable place to stay
Fun activities during the bus journey and campfire at the resort
An able group of trip leader and volunteers from Positive7
And, above all, the incomparable beauty of Kutch

All thanks to the Positive7 team for another successful trip. Students were happy with the entire experience and would like to be a part of more such trips in the years to come.