Map of Kutch
Before you begin to explore Kutch, let us know few things about it!
Kutch district (also spelled as Kachchh) is the second largest district of India after Leh.It is situated in Gujarat state on the western coast of India & covers an area of 45,652 km².
The land is resembling a tortoise (“Katchua or Kachbo”) in shape.It is surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch in the south & by the Arabian sea in the west.It has Great & Small Rann of Kutch in the northern & eastern parts of it.The Great & Small Rann of Kutch are desert areas & are completely submerged by floods in the monsoon season i.e. from June to October.
Kutch is divided into 5 distinct regions :
(i) The Great Rann, or uninhabited wasteland in the north,
(ii) The Grasslands of Banni,
(iii) Mainland, consisting of planes, hills and dry river beds,
(iv) The Coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south, and
(v) Creeks and mangroves in the west. More loosely, the southern portion of the Rann is considered an island, with seawater inundating the land for most of the year. The mainland is generally plane, but has some hill ranges and isolated hills.
Talukas of Kutch :
Bhuj, Anjar, Mandvi, Mundra, Abdasa-Nalia, Lakhpat, Rapar, Bhachau and Nakhatrana
Demographic distribution :
Number of villages-966
Seismic History :
The earliest earthquake recorded in Kutch dates back to 16th June 1819. Since then, over 90 earthquakes of varying intensity have struck the region, but none as severe as the most recent one.
Climate :
Extreme climate & temperature ranges from 2°C in winter to 45°C in summer.
Rainfall is very less while average annual rainfall – 14 inches.
The three main seasons are:
(i) Summer, from February to June,
(ii) Monsoon season, from July to September,
(iii) Winter, from October to January.
Languages :
Gujarati, Hindi, and local dialects like Kutchi
Best Time to Visit :
Late October to early April
Wild Life :
The home of the last remaining population of khur (wild ass) in India. There is also a bird population, particularly of the large flamingos. Both are protected in 5,000 km Little Rann Sanctuary, near Dhrangadhra; one has to get permission to enter from the sanctuary superintendent’s office in Dhrangadhra.