Around Kutch

Bhupu Mama organised a car and driver for the day to take us wherever we wanted to go in Kutch. Before leaving Bhupu Mama told me that he’ll beat up the manager of the taxi company if anything happens to us! When we meet the driver, he looks slightly scared – not surprised. 

First stop was a small nearby temple (can’t remember the name). We’re greeted by the friendly Mahraj (priest) who chats with Shejal in Gujarati and gives us the tour. 

We’re in a part of India little touched by tourism, and it’s noticeable immediately at this temple; people just want a friendly chat, no touts, no hassle whatsoever. There are a couple of chaps washing their sins away in flowing water which is believed to be holy. Shejal gets chatting to one of them; turns out he’s one of Bhupu Mama mates! The chap shows us an area behind the temple which is covered in little stacks of stones. Apparently the higher you can stack the stones, the bigger your future house will be. My attempt collapsed – bugger.

We move on to another temple. Most Hindu temples have a bell outside. It’s traditional for worshipers to ring the bell before entering the temple. 

Our driver gives us a guide to the Kutchi landscape from a nearby vantage point. The area is a seasonal island. During the dry season, much of Kutch is an expanse of dried mud. During monsoon, it becomes an Island flooded by seawater. As Kutch is so flat, it was easy for the driver to point out all the major towns (even though the area is massive). It’s a fascinatingly inhospitable place.

We drove on to Mandvi, a seaside town with beaches that will one day apparently rival those of Goa (according to Bhupu Mama). Having been to Goa a couple of times, I’d have to disagree with this, but it was pleasant enough. 

During the day Bhupu Mama called the driver every two hours to check on our progress and make sure he was taking us to the best places. To decide on a lunch venue, the driver collected menus from restaurants and presented them to us in the car. We’re not used to this level of service! We settle on a restaurant that serves one thing only – great big Gujarati thalis; it’s a never ending meal as the waiter repeatedly dumps more food on the large silver dish. Best thing I’ve eaten in on this trip to far (in a restaurant).  

We spent an hour after lunch exploring the Vijay Villas palace. 

Sign of the day

On the way out of Mandvi we stop to admire the Jain temple. 

We end our quick tour of Kutch by visiting the regional capital Bhuj. Bhuj was very badly damaged in the 2001 earthquake. The town lost 10% of its population and many building were flattened. It’s obvious to see the effects as most of the remaining buildings are falling apart and there’s still rubble from those that collapsed. We visit the Swaminarayan Temple, constructed after the earthquake and in immaculate condition. I get chatting to an old man who tells me about the bombing Bhuj endured during the 1965 war with Pakistan – interesting stuff. 

We visit the Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal, both sadly falling apart due to earthquake damage. 

We finish an interesting day watching the sunset over Bhuj.