WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS: Dr Anand Narvekar.
As an adventure traveller and photographer, I have the hunger to constantly seek a new destination. Each destination in India offers you an amazing landscape, introduces you to some of the most interesting personalities, and gives you the opportunity to experience some of the most vivid cuisines on the planet.
I believe India is like a pandora’s box. There’s always something new you discover every time to try to explore this magnificent country. This time though I decided to visit a little paradise called Kutch, Gujarat. The word Kutch means ‘which intermittently becomes wet and dry. This word derived from Sanskrit is also used to describe a tortoise.
The agenda for this trip this time was to master night photography. Kutch between the months of November and February offers the perfect conditions to explore the night sky. This destination truly is heaven for many photographers just like me I started with the Little Rann of Kutch.
This is famous for the Indian wild ass and its salt pans. It is easy to get lost in its beautiful endless marshland. The second stop was the famous White Rann, an expansive salt desert. I could easily spend hours here trying to soak in the magnitude of this landscape. But I was racing against time. The next thing on my list was a visit to archaeological marvels like the Kotai Sun temple (10th Century) and the magnificent Roha Fort. The fort has a history of more than 550 years and is situated 800mts above sea level lending it a peaceful and calm atmosphere.
The highlight of the trip was Lyari Riverbed. This is home to the prehistoric rock formation. The patterns found here resemble a lot like the Grand Canyon. In fact, this place is often referred as the Grand Canyon of India. This landscape provides the perfect foreground subject for astrophotography. I can’t wait to explore this destination once again. There couldn’t be a more perfect place for an adventure traveller who is always searching for the road less travelled.
DID YOU KNOW?
The word Kutch means ‘which intermittently becomes wet and dry. This word derived from Sanskrit is also used to describe a tortoise.
