30 Jan SH page 8 - KALPANA SUNDER · Soran, near Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site....
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8 DECCAN HERALD Sunday, January 30, 2011 Sunday Herald travel Eco tourism village in Indonesia According to a report, Indonesia will soon have the first eco tourism village in the world. It will be located in a village called Soran, near Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. VIBRANT The Venetian island of Murano. PHOTO BY AUTHOR M elting into the bright skies, the pearly lagoons of Venice are a surreal Salvador Dali land- scape. Several islands hide out here in the calm sections of the Adriatic, like Burano, Murano and Tor- cello. At one time, there were 39 lagoon is- lands, which were densely inhabited. But now, all but a few have been abandoned. For a change of scene from the palazzos and the tourist-swamped city centre of Venice, we decide to take a vaporetto — the public wa- terbus to the islands of Murano and Burano and spend a lazy day there. We cruise the green waters of the lagoon, past the apricot brick walls of San Michele Island, Venice’s cemetery fringed by a line of cypress trees, where famous cit- izens were laid to rest. Grave space has been used up here and Venice’s dead have to be buried now in the mainland cemetery. All along the waters, we see taciturn cor- morants sitting on wooden posts, topped by orange lamps, used by the Venetians to navigate the treacherous seas. Herons and sea-birds pick their way through the rush- es in the watery sunlight. Venetian glass We get off after a ride of 40 minutes, at the island of Murano, known as the glass island. In 1292, the production of the famous Venetian glass was shifted here due to a fear of fires in the kilns, in the city centre. We hear that in yesteryears, the glassmakers were even allowed to marry into Venice’s blue-blooded families, but they were never allowed to leave the republic. If they tried to escape, they had their hands cut off by the secret police! We get off the vaporetto and are accost- ed by many representatives of glass facto- ries, who indulge in a high-pressure sales pitch, to view their kiln and of course enter their shops. We choose to walk into one that is open to the public, and watch the expert glass-blowers fashion works of art in glass from raging furnaces. We watch entranced as the handsome glass-blower nips, tucks and fashions a flower with practiced hands in a most theatrical performance. As he catches sight of us, he says, “There is no time to think because the glass cools rapidly!” There is a glass museum here that hous- es about 4,000 pieces and shows the devel- opment of the glass blowing industry over time. We see a colourful glass Christmas tree which is made of blown glass and is said to have 1,000 blown glass tubes! A lit- tle distance away, we see a fountain resem- bling a human figure made of blown glass. Behind it is a typical Venetian canal lined with quaint shops selling lamps, beads, goblets, vases and over-the-top chande- liers. I rue the fact that some of these frag- ile masterpieces are so expensive that they may be locked up forever in a glass-case without being used for a really special oc- casion. Taking a break from glass, we visit the Church of San Pietro where there is exqui- site art on display — masterpieces by Tin- toretto, Bellini and Veronese. We catch up with an Italian student at a café over a Tiramisu gelato, and he says that Casano- va, the notorious philanderer and woman- iser (a resident of Venice), used to visit the convents and churches on this island, though he was not a pious man. Lore has it that a young nun on this island fell in love with him. Back on the vaporetto, we traverse the la- goon this time visiting Burano. We are awestruck by the sight of some fisherman walking on water! They were actually walk- ing on sand flats, digging for clams and crabs. Chugging past some uninhabited islands with abandoned towers and villas, indicating grand pasts, we reach Burano, which has been inhabited since Roman times and has been known as a centre for lace-making. Fishermen have lived in Bu- rano since the 7th century because the marshland has been excellent for the an- chovies, sardines and mackerel. Legend has it that a Venetian sailor brought an exquisite sea-weed from remote seas for his sweetheart. This was preserved on fishing net by her for eternal remem- brance — a masterpiece of perfection — and was the origin of the lace trade that has brought fame to this isolated community. As we get off at Burano, we see benches lining a green promenade. Burano looks like Lego land at first glance. Everything here, the houses, the bridges, are painted in brilliant, vivid colours of blue, hot pinks, green, lavender, ochre and terracotta. I am told that the fishermen painted their hous- es in these colours so that they could iden- tify them when they were returning home (and perhaps a little inebriated) in the thick Venetian mist. We hear that if someone wants to paint his home, he has to apply to the government for permission. There is a small two-storey lace museum here, where you see old pieces of lace and women wielding their needles in this an- cient tradition, oblivious to tourists watch- ing them. We try hard not to spend our sou- venir budget on the exquisite doilies and tablecloths here (though I suspect a great deal of it is machine-made in Taiwan!). In the central square devoted to Galuppi, the local luminary of Burano (who was famous for comic opera), we see the 16th century Church of San Marino lined with Tiepolo’s Crucifixion. This has what the locals call the drunken tower or the leaning bell-tower. A little further away is the most brightly painted Bepe’s house — an eclectic mix of colours and geometrical shapes of dia- mond, triangles and bars. We see tourists seeking inspiration, staring at menus out- side restaurants, offering a plethora of sea- food and ogling lace-trimmed tableware and parasols. We wander to the quietest corners and shady parks. We see fishing nets hang drying in yards while small boats dawdle along the banks of the canals. Burano is said to have a vibrant artistic community and noted French designer Philippe Starck is said to have invested in three colourful houses here (which are now a fashion statement). We amble through workshops of local artists, listening to the sounds of their mellifluous local dialect, and succumb to the temptation of a water- colour painting of the local multi-hued houses. We have lunch at Alfresco Café, which consists of trofie pasta in pesto sauce, washed down with carafes of crisp white wine. We also taste the Bussola Buranello which, when translated, means the com- pass of Burano. This organic cookie looks like an outline of a circle and can be had dunked in local wine. As we chug through the waters of the lagoon back towards Venice, I wonder whether the colourful houses, foundries and forsaken churches were just misty figments of my imagination. BURANO IS SAID TO HAVE A VIBRANT ARTISTIC COMMUNITY AND NOTED FRENCH DESIGNER PHILIPPE STARCK IS SAID TO HAVE INVESTED IN THREE COLOURFUL HOUSES HERE (WHICH ARE NOW A FASHION STATEMENT). Spiritual and artistic grandeur H e is Lord’s lone servant in the wilder- ness. Hailing from Kerala, Reverend K J Kunjumon is the pastor, garden- er, sweeper and watchman — all turned into one — at St John’s Church in the Wilderness, the 158-year-old Gothic-style church in Mcleodganj, also called Upper Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. McLeodganj was known as the Ghost Town after the British left India in 1947. This little hilly town came into promi- nence after the world famous Tibetan spiritual leader and Noble Peace Prize winner, Dalai Lama, settled here with thousands of his followers, after fleeing from Tibet in 1959. The historical cathedral here, which was once an Army Church for the British sol- diers, today, attracts a large number of lo- cal tourists and foreign travellers. As many as 500 visitors come to see this artistic wonder every day. The official visiting hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, but the pastor of- ten keeps the church open from early mornings to late evenings. The church is also renowned for its artis- tic design and its Belgian stained glass win- dows, painted by an Italian artist from the 18th century. These stained glass windows were donated to the church by Countess El- gin. Her husband, Lord Elgin, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, died in 1863 and was buried next to the church. Colonial past The cathedral nestles amid thick pine and deodar tress and is a place of serenity. “It’s always calm and quiet here. Everything about the place is special — the trees, moun- tains and snow in the winters. Everything around reflects the beauty of God’s cre- ation,” extols Kunjumon. Scenes from the life of St John the Baptist are depicted on a pair of stained glass windows. As the sun’s rays filter through the deodar and cedar trees surrounding this gray-stone church, the colourful stained-glass paintings light up in all their brilliance. Outside the church is a beautiful and impressive memorial of Lord Elgin, which has been declared a protected monument of national importance by local authori- ties. McLeodganj reminded Lord Elgin of SERENITY BECKONS IDEAL WORLD his native Scotland. It is said that had he lived longer, then Dharamshala, and not Shimla, would have become the summer capital of the Raj. The church is named as St John’s Church because the place was located in the midst of complete wilderness when it was built in 1852, says pastor Kunjumon. Incidentally, a brass plaque in the church reads that a man was mauled to death by a bear in 1883. The vast cemetery around the church com- pound also reveals similar incidents through their epitaphs. A devastating earthquake in 1905 struck the Kangra Valley, razing most of the build- ings to the ground, but the church re- mained unaffected. It was just the spire and the bell that suffered some damage. However, its stone-slated roof is often dam- aged by monkeys, which abound the area. A new bell, weighing about 600 quintals, and made of nine different metals, was brought from London in 1915. Some bur- glars once made an attempt to steal the bell, but apparently called off the task consider- ing its heavy weight. They could barely manage to lug it up to the nearby road. Since then, the pastor has put this bell along with the brass reading stand (weigh- ing 150 kilograms) and the oil lamps under lock and key. The oil lamps, imported from Germany, used to illuminate the church instead of the candles. Ask the pastor for any interesting expe- riences in this wilderness and he recalls amusingly, “Once on a moon-lit winter night, I was taking a walk around the church with my dog. I suddenly saw a huge dog-like figure blocking our path at a distance. My usually shy dog started barking. The figure menacingly started moving towards us. To my utter shock, I discovered that it was a leopard. On in- stinct, I threw the torch at him with full force and it vanished into the deep, dark forests.” The 55-year-old jovial pastor Kunjumon continues to follow God’s will and is happy serving this wonder for the last 20 years now. Twice every year, he offers a feast of chicken curry with rice to several beggars living in the area. MANPREET SINGH Palpable charm Instead of visiting the tourist-swamped city of Venice, spend a day at the two beautiful islands of Murano and Burano located nearby, suggests KALPANA SUNDER CMYK THRIVING ART CULTURE The Rann of Kutch WHITE BEAUTY T here was seamless white landscape as far as my eyes could see. The sheer whiteness of the land, which made me a little cautious about leaving my foot- prints behind, the sparkling salt frozen un- der my feet, the wild expanse which bears no vegetation and that was suddenly trans- formed into an enthralling sight with the sunrise, left every one of us in awe. The White Rann in Gujarat, an incredible sight, is a salty marsh that has been left behind by the receding seas. Stretches of junglee babool that dot the landscape, rows of castor fields, sunflower beds, saltpans on either side of the road, herds of camel carts transporting men and goods, chhakada (improvised motorcy- cles), a popular means of transportation, cattle grazing in the vast expanse of land tended by herdsmen, women in their tradi- tional chaniya choli moving in groups, cat- tle crossing the road that can bring the traffic to a halt, is what defines Kutch. Warm soul and a colourful character Kutch brings to mind embroidered, bright-hued fabric with intricate hand-wo- ven patterns, inimitable jewellery and a wide range of handcrafted articles. The sight of cattle grazing in large tracts of land is an indispensable part of the Kutch land- scape, which boasts of a huge livestock population, and is one of the main sources of their livelihood for the locals. The place is home to nomadic tribes of Rabaris, Ahirs, Jats, Maaldharis and the Meghwal community. The picturesque ar- tisan villages of Banni, a traditional Rabari house called Bhunga, the market area in Bhuj district, rich and vivid colours of tie- dye fabric that form the tapestry of Dhamadaka village, Kachchi pots with its distinct patterns — all make Kutch picture perfect. Local textiles and costumes lend Kutch its character. Intricate embroidery and mir- ror work, which is distinct to each commu- nity in the region, helps distinguish Kachchi people. For, Jat women wear only red or black chunis, while the women from Rabari community dress up with open blouses or cholis with odhanis to cover their head. Chaniya choli is what women wear here throughout the year, and they come in myr- iad designs and a wide spectrum of colours. Abha and kanjari complete the Kachchhi costume. Abha is the typical choli worn by women folk. It is a top garment or a mantle. A long blouse with beautiful sequins and mirror work is kanjari. Large stretches of saline expanses, hills of moderate height, sandy plains and mud flats, which form the predominant terrain of the Kutch region, is home to a variety of wild fauna. Wild ass, which is not to be mis- taken with ordinary domesticated donkey, is found only in Little Rann. It is taller than the ordinary donkey and mightier than many species of racehorses. A herbivore, it has the features of a majestic race ass and can never be domesticated. Kutch is also home to the great Indian bustard, leop- ards, hyenas, jackals, chinkaras, flamin- goes and a variety of bird species which are mainly migratory. In addition to its interesting landscapes, colourful fairs, and rare species of ani- mals and birds, Kutch is a treasure trove of rich culture, art and heritage. The dis- trict produces salt in large quantities and has the distinction of housing the first general free trade zone of the country — Kandla. Home to world famous embroidery, art and handcrafted works, block printed fab- ric, leather work, silverware, ornaments, in- comparable natural phenomena interest- ing geographical locations, the district offers tremendous potential for tourism. The annual Kachchh Ranotsav, the desert festival, is a step in the right direction to boost tourism in the state. Also, it is an in- genious way of showcasing Kutch’s rich culture to the world — a place where art is an integral part of human existence. It is a place where world-class art blooms beautifully against the background of a harsh physical environment. R S RANJEETHA URS |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Travel tips AMIDST WILDERNESS The St John’s Church at McLeodganj. PHOTO BY AUTHOR Travel junkies can also explore the fol- lowing places which are in and around Kutch: ■ Dholavira ■ Swaminarayan Temple in Bhuj ■ Koteshwar ■ Mandvi Palace ■ Roha Fort ■ Kera Temple ■ Lakhpat ■ Mundra port ■ Pingaleshwar Beach ■ Mandvi Beach ■ Tapakeshwari
Transcript of 30 Jan SH page 8 - KALPANA SUNDER · Soran, near Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site....
8 DECCAN HERALD Sunday, January 30, 2011
SundayHerald travel Eco tourism village in IndonesiaAccording to a report, Indonesia will soonhave the first eco tourism village in theworld. It will be located in a village called Soran, near Prambanan Temple, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
VIBRANT The Venetian island of Murano. PHOTO BY AUTHOR
Melting into the bright skies, thepearly lagoons of Venice are asurreal Salvador Dali land-scape. Several islands hide outhere in the calm sections of
the Adriatic, like Burano, Murano and Tor-cello. At one time, there were 39 lagoon is-lands, which were densely inhabited. Butnow, all but a few have been abandoned. Fora change of scene from the palazzos and thetourist-swamped city centre of Venice, wedecide to take a vaporetto — the public wa-terbus to the islands of Murano and Buranoand spend a lazy day there.
We cruise the green waters of the lagoon, past the apricot brick walls of SanMichele Island, Venice’s cemetery fringedby a line of cypress trees, where famous cit-izens were laid to rest. Grave space hasbeen used up here and Venice’s dead haveto be buried now in the mainland cemetery.All along the waters, we see taciturn cor-morants sitting on wooden posts, topped byorange lamps, used by the Venetians tonavigate the treacherous seas. Herons andsea-birds pick their way through the rush-es in the watery sunlight.
Venetian glassWe get off after a ride of 40 minutes, at theisland of Murano, known as the glass island.In 1292, the production of the famousVenetian glass was shifted here due to a fearof fires in the kilns, in the city centre. Wehear that in yesteryears, the glassmakerswere even allowed to marry into Venice’sblue-blooded families, but they were neverallowed to leave the republic. If they tried toescape, they had their hands cut off by thesecret police!
We get off the vaporetto and are accost-ed by many representatives of glass facto-ries, who indulge in a high-pressure salespitch, to view their kiln and of course entertheir shops. We choose to walk into one thatis open to the public, and watch the expertglass-blowers fashion works of art in glassfrom raging furnaces. We watch entrancedas the handsome glass-blower nips, tucksand fashions a flower with practiced handsin a most theatrical performance. As hecatches sight of us, he says, “There is no time to think because the glass cools rapidly!”
There is a glass museum here that hous-es about 4,000 pieces and shows the devel-opment of the glass blowing industry overtime. We see a colourful glass Christmastree which is made of blown glass and issaid to have 1,000 blown glass tubes! A lit-tle distance away, we see a fountain resem-bling a human figure made of blown glass.Behind it is a typical Venetian canal linedwith quaint shops selling lamps, beads,goblets, vases and over-the-top chande-liers. I rue the fact that some of these frag-ile masterpieces are so expensive that theymay be locked up forever in a glass-casewithout being used for a really special oc-casion.
Taking a break from glass, we visit theChurch of San Pietro where there is exqui-site art on display — masterpieces by Tin-toretto, Bellini and Veronese. We catch upwith an Italian student at a café over aTiramisu gelato, and he says that Casano-va, the notorious philanderer and woman-iser (a resident of Venice), used to visit theconvents and churches on this island,though he was not a pious man. Lore has itthat a young nun on this island fell in lovewith him.
Back on the vaporetto, we traverse the la-goon this time visiting Burano. We areawestruck by the sight of some fishermanwalking on water! They were actually walk-ing on sand flats, digging for clams andcrabs. Chugging past some uninhabitedislands with abandoned towers and villas,indicating grand pasts, we reach Burano,which has been inhabited since Romantimes and has been known as a centre forlace-making. Fishermen have lived in Bu-rano since the 7th century because themarshland has been excellent for the an-chovies, sardines and mackerel.
Legend has it that a Venetian sailorbrought an exquisite sea-weed from remoteseas for his sweetheart. This was preservedon fishing net by her for eternal remem-brance — a masterpiece of perfection —and was the origin of the lace trade that hasbrought fame to this isolated community.
As we get off at Burano, we see bencheslining a green promenade. Burano lookslike Lego land at first glance. Everythinghere, the houses, the bridges, are paintedin brilliant, vivid colours of blue, hot pinks,
green, lavender, ochre and terracotta. I amtold that the fishermen painted their hous-es in these colours so that they could iden-tify them when they were returning home(and perhaps a little inebriated) in the thickVenetian mist. We hear that if someonewants to paint his home, he has to apply tothe government for permission.
There is a small two-storey lace museumhere, where you see old pieces of lace andwomen wielding their needles in this an-cient tradition, oblivious to tourists watch-ing them. We try hard not to spend our sou-venir budget on the exquisite doilies andtablecloths here (though I suspect a greatdeal of it is machine-made in Taiwan!). Inthe central square devoted to Galuppi, thelocal luminary of Burano (who was famousfor comic opera), we see the 16th centuryChurch of San Marino lined with Tiepolo’sCrucifixion. This has what the locals call thedrunken tower or the leaning bell-tower.
A little further away is the most brightlypainted Bepe’s house — an eclectic mix ofcolours and geometrical shapes of dia-mond, triangles and bars. We see touristsseeking inspiration, staring at menus out-side restaurants, offering a plethora of sea-food and ogling lace-trimmed tablewareand parasols. We wander to the quietestcorners and shady parks. We see fishingnets hang drying in yards while small boatsdawdle along the banks of the canals.
Burano is said to have a vibrant artisticcommunity and noted French designerPhilippe Starck is said to have invested inthree colourful houses here (which are nowa fashion statement). We amble throughworkshops of local artists, listening to thesounds of their mellifluous local dialect,and succumb to the temptation of a water-colour painting of the local multi-huedhouses. We have lunch at Alfresco Café,which consists of trofie pasta in pesto sauce,washed down with carafes of crisp whitewine. We also taste the Bussola Buranellowhich, when translated, means the com-pass of Burano. This organic cookie lookslike an outline of a circle and can be haddunked in local wine. As we chug throughthe waters of the lagoon back towardsVenice, I wonder whether the colourfulhouses, foundries and forsaken churcheswere just misty figments of my imagination.
BURANOIS SAID TO
HAVE A VIBRANT ARTISTIC COMMUNITYAND NOTEDFRENCH DESIGNERPHILIPPE STARCK IS SAIDTO HAVE INVESTED INTHREECOLOURFULHOUSES HERE(WHICH ARENOW A FASHIONSTATEMENT).
Spiritual andartistic grandeurHe is Lord’s lone servant in the wilder-
ness. Hailing from Kerala, ReverendK J Kunjumon is the pastor, garden-
er, sweeper and watchman — all turnedinto one — at St John’s Church in theWilderness, the 158-year-old Gothic-stylechurch in Mcleodganj, also called UpperDharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.
McLeodganj was known as the GhostTown after the British left India in 1947.This little hilly town came into promi-nence after the world famous Tibetanspiritual leader and Noble Peace Prizewinner, Dalai Lama, settled here withthousands of his followers, after fleeingfrom Tibet in 1959.
The historical cathedral here, which wasonce an Army Church for the British sol-diers, today, attracts a large number of lo-cal tourists and foreign travellers. As manyas 500 visitors come to see this artisticwonder every day. The official visiting hoursare from 10 am to 5 pm, but the pastor of-ten keeps the church open from earlymornings to late evenings.
The church is also renowned for its artis-tic design and its Belgian stained glass win-dows, painted by an Italian artist from the18th century. These stained glass windowswere donated to the church by Countess El-gin. Her husband, Lord Elgin, Viceroy andGovernor-General of India, died in 1863and was buried next to the church.
Colonial pastThe cathedral nestles amid thick pine anddeodar tress and is a place of serenity. “It’salways calm and quiet here. Everythingabout the place is special — the trees, moun-tains and snow in the winters. Everythingaround reflects the beauty of God’s cre-ation,” extols Kunjumon. Scenes from thelife of St John the Baptist are depicted on apair of stained glass windows. As the sun’srays filter through the deodar and cedartrees surrounding this gray-stone church,the colourful stained-glass paintings lightup in all their brilliance.
Outside the church is a beautiful andimpressive memorial of Lord Elgin, whichhas been declared a protected monumentof national importance by local authori-ties. McLeodganj reminded Lord Elgin of
SERENITY BECKONSIDEAL WORLD
his native Scotland. It is said that had helived longer, then Dharamshala, and notShimla, would have become the summercapital of the Raj.
The church is named as St John’s Churchbecause the place was located in the midstof complete wilderness when it was built in1852, says pastor Kunjumon. Incidentally,a brass plaque in the church reads that aman was mauled to death by a bear in 1883.The vast cemetery around the church com-pound also reveals similar incidentsthrough their epitaphs.
A devastating earthquake in 1905 struckthe Kangra Valley, razing most of the build-ings to the ground, but the church re-mained unaffected. It was just the spireand the bell that suffered some damage.However, its stone-slated roof is often dam-aged by monkeys, which abound the area.
A new bell, weighing about 600 quintals,and made of nine different metals, wasbrought from London in 1915. Some bur-glars once made an attempt to steal the bell,but apparently called off the task consider-ing its heavy weight. They could barelymanage to lug it up to the nearby road.Since then, the pastor has put this bellalong with the brass reading stand (weigh-ing 150 kilograms) and the oil lamps underlock and key. The oil lamps, imported fromGermany, used to illuminate the churchinstead of the candles.
Ask the pastor for any interesting expe-riences in this wilderness and he recallsamusingly, “Once on a moon-lit winternight, I was taking a walk around thechurch with my dog. I suddenly saw ahuge dog-like figure blocking our path ata distance. My usually shy dog startedbarking. The figure menacingly startedmoving towards us. To my utter shock, Idiscovered that it was a leopard. On in-stinct, I threw the torch at him with fullforce and it vanished into the deep, darkforests.”
The 55-year-old jovial pastor Kunjumoncontinues to follow God’s will and is happyserving this wonder for the last 20 yearsnow. Twice every year, he offers a feast ofchicken curry with rice to several beggarsliving in the area.MANPREET SINGH
Palpable charmInstead of visiting the tourist-swamped city of Venice, spend a day at the twobeautiful islands of Murano and Burano located nearby, suggests KALPANA SUNDER
CMYK
THRIVING ART CULTURE The Rann of Kutch
WHITE BEAUTY
There was seamless white landscapeas far as my eyes could see. The sheerwhiteness of the land, which made
me a little cautious about leaving my foot-prints behind, the sparkling salt frozen un-der my feet, the wild expanse which bearsno vegetation and that was suddenly trans-formed into an enthralling sight with thesunrise, left every one of us in awe. TheWhite Rann in Gujarat, an incredible sight,is a salty marsh that has been left behind bythe receding seas.
Stretches of junglee babool that dot thelandscape, rows of castor fields, sunflowerbeds, saltpans on either side of the road,herds of camel carts transporting men andgoods, chhakada (improvised motorcy-cles), a popular means of transportation,cattle grazing in the vast expanse of landtended by herdsmen, women in their tradi-tional chaniya choli moving in groups, cat-tle crossing the road that can bring thetraffic to a halt, is what defines Kutch.
Warm soul and a colourful characterKutch brings to mind embroidered,
bright-hued fabric with intricate hand-wo-ven patterns, inimitable jewellery and awide range of handcrafted articles. Thesight of cattle grazing in large tracts of landis an indispensable part of the Kutch land-scape, which boasts of a huge livestockpopulation, and is one of the main sourcesof their livelihood for the locals.
The place is home to nomadic tribes ofRabaris, Ahirs, Jats, Maaldharis and theMeghwal community. The picturesque ar-tisan villages of Banni, a traditional Rabarihouse called Bhunga, the market area inBhuj district, rich and vivid colours of tie-dye fabric that form the tapestry ofDhamadaka village, Kachchi pots with itsdistinct patterns — all make Kutch pictureperfect.
Local textiles and costumes lend Kutchits character. Intricate embroidery and mir-ror work, which is distinct to each commu-nity in the region, helps distinguish Kachchi
people. For, Jat women wear only red orblack chunis, while the women from Rabaricommunity dress up with open blouses orcholis with odhanis to cover their head.Chaniya choli is what women wear herethroughout the year, and they come in myr-iad designs and a wide spectrum of colours.Abha and kanjari complete the Kachchhicostume. Abha is the typical choli worn bywomen folk. It is a top garment or a mantle.A long blouse with beautiful sequins andmirror work is kanjari.
Large stretches of saline expanses, hillsof moderate height, sandy plains and mudflats, which form the predominant terrainof the Kutch region, is home to a variety ofwild fauna. Wild ass, which is not to be mis-taken with ordinary domesticated donkey,is found only in Little Rann. It is taller thanthe ordinary donkey and mightier thanmany species of racehorses. A herbivore, ithas the features of a majestic race ass andcan never be domesticated. Kutch is also
home to the great Indian bustard, leop-ards, hyenas, jackals, chinkaras, flamin-goes and a variety of bird species which aremainly migratory.
In addition to its interesting landscapes,colourful fairs, and rare species of ani-mals and birds, Kutch is a treasure troveof rich culture, art and heritage. The dis-trict produces salt in large quantities andhas the distinction of housing the firstgeneral free trade zone of the country —Kandla.
Home to world famous embroidery, artand handcrafted works, block printed fab-ric, leather work, silverware, ornaments, in-comparable natural phenomena interest-ing geographical locations, the districtoffers tremendous potential for tourism.
The annual Kachchh Ranotsav, thedesert festival, is a step in the right directionto boost tourism in the state. Also, it is an in-genious way of showcasing Kutch’s richculture to the world — a place where art is
an integral part of human existence.It is a place where world-class art blooms
beautifully against the background of aharsh physical environment.R S RANJEETHA URS
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Travel tips
AMIDST WILDERNESS The St John’s Church at McLeodganj. PHOTO BY AUTHOR
Travel junkies can also explore the fol-lowing places which are in and aroundKutch:■ Dholavira■ Swaminarayan Temple in Bhuj■ Koteshwar■ Mandvi Palace■ Roha Fort■ Kera Temple■ Lakhpat■ Mundra port■ Pingaleshwar Beach■ Mandvi Beach■ Tapakeshwari
