Rann Festival attracts thousands of tourists in its first month with many more expected to witness the majestic wasteland glowing under the magnificence of the full moon
Almost 10 years after PM Narendra Modi mooted the idea of promoting the barren salty marshes and sands of the Rann of Kutch as a tourist destination, the majestic Rann has turned into an oasis for domestic and foreign tourists from across the world. And although culture, music and food combine to lure people, there seems further potential for using the great wasteland for adrenaline pumping sports. The Gujarat government has indicated that it is open to the idea of opening the salt marshes for high speed racing and motor enthusiasts across the world who want to use the salt lands for breaking land speed records on their high powered specially designed cars and bikes. Gujarat's tourism minister Patel sounded optimistic on Rann's potential, "No proposal has come to us yet. But if we can get the necessary clearances, then we are ready to do whatever it takes to further promote tourism in the Great Rann of Kutch."
What works in Gujarat's favour is the abundance of big industrialists who are also actively promoting sports across India and have also taken keen interest in developing Gujarat's tourism potential to the hilt.
If high speed racing does come to Rann, it will be one of the few places in the world that host such magnificent events. When one thinks of land speed records, what comes to mind are the Boneville Salt Marshes in Utah in the US. The scene of numerous records and countless racing movie settings, Boneville serves as an inspiration to what Rann can achieve if thrown open to motor enthusiasts.
The state government has already put the requisite ancillary infrastructure in place that will be conducive for hosting high speed racing events. Various tent cities abound around the salt marshes that provide all kind of facilities to tourists. The icing on the cake is the Rann Utsav (Festival). The Rann Festival which kicked off on November 18 and will continue for three months till February 23 has already attracted thousands of people to witness the glory of The Great Rann glowing in the luminescence of the full moon and exuding breathtaking hues of the rising sun and its setting avatar on the expansive horizon of India's very own Wild West. The festival is all about music, food, culture, meeting new people and making friends for life. Enthralling tourists are live performances of 32 troupes from the Rann region who churn out adrenaline pumping music providing an evening of joy for everyone who is in attendance.
The Gujarat government has left no stone unturned to provide avant garde tent accommodation to tourists who drive for many hours to reach this great wasteland. In addition to tents, tourists also have the option of renting homestays in nearby villages. This allows an interaction with the communities of the Rann region and tasting their simple, nutritious and wholesome food while watching the mastery of the Kutch women who work tirelessly to churn out colorful handicrafts. The sale of these handicrafts is also an additional source of income for many of the villagers in Kutch.
"We expect several thousand more tourists over the next two months in Rann. Every year we are witnessing greater interest, both in India and abroad," added tourism minister Patel. And with ideas of high speed racing doing the rounds in Gujarat's tourism ministry, the wastelands of the Rann hope to soon see a display of raw fuel guzzling horsepower that would set the white sands under the full moon on fire.
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