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Gujarat
Vadodara (Baroda) - The erstwhile capital of the
princely Gaekwad family, Vadodara (Baroda), still retains some of its
old world charm and has some fine parks. The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum
and the Vadodara Museum & Art Gallery have some very interesting
exhibits and are definitely worth a visit.
Kachchh - There is no place in India like
Kachchh. Separated from Pakistan by the Great Rann (desert) in the
North, and from the rest of Gujarat by the Little Rann in the East, Kachchh is
virtually an island; its only road link to the Saurashtra mainland is the road from
Surajbari which lies on the edge of the Little Rann It is a picturesque land
with a great variety of eco-systems - land and water, plain and hill, desert
and fertile land. Some 1.25m people, belonging to many races and religions,
live in this remote district in splendid isolation - their quaint hamlets
dotted across the land. It is a land that time has all but
forgotten.
Bhuj the principal town of Kachchh, is a fascinating
walled city lying in an amphitheatre of hills. One can spend hours in the
narrow streets, lost in another world, or visit the palaces (Aina Mahal
and Prag Mahal), Swaminarayan Temple, Cenotaphs, with their
intricate stone carvings, and the Kachchh Museum.
Kachchh is an
anthropologist's delight. There are the Rabari pastoralists who decorate the
insides of their mud-and-thatch huts with colourful 'lippankam' mudwork; the
Bharwads in their exquisitely embroidered dresses and clothes; the Meghwals who
decorate the exteriors of their mud huts with alluring patterns; the nomadic
Jaths whose subgroups include the graceful Fakirani Jaths, living in huts made
of coloured reeds, and the Dhanetah Jaths, whose women sport enormous gold
nose-rings; the Ahir cowherds, the Sodha Rajputs, the Sammas, and many, many
more.
These communities have their own distinctive handicraft
traditions, each village with its speciality-embroidery, block printing,
tie-dye fabrics, woven cotton and wool, very fine lacquer-work on cloth
(Rogan), silver work on precious metal or enamelled silverware. And the
remoteness of the land has ensured that the traditional crafts and skills have
remained untouched by modern influences. One of the enduring images of a visit
to Kachchh is that of a group of Jath women walking along the road in their
brightly coloured and beautifully embroidered costumes.
The port of
Mandvi, an ancient centre for constuction of country craft, and famous
for its unspoilt beach; Narayan Sarovar, one of the five holy lakes of
the Hindu faith; the 10th century Shiv Temple at Kera; and the pilgrim
centre Koteshwar are some of the other interesting places in
Kachchh.
In winter, during years when the conditions are right, vast
colonies of flamingos, pelicans, and avocets descend on the Rann of Kachchh for
breeding. The Little Rann is the home of the Indian Wild Ass, now a protected
species.
No visit to Gujarat is complete until you have visited
Kachchh.
Saurashtra - At the north-western tip of Saurashtra is Dwarka, one of the 'char dhams'
(sacred places) for Hindus, where Lord Krishna is believed to have shifted his
capital from Mathura (in UP). The Dwarkadhish Temple here is an impressive
five-stbreyed carved structure supported on 60 columns and crowned by an
elaborately carved spire. This is the place to be in for the Janamashtami
Festival (August/September) when the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated
with great fanfare.
Further south near Veraval lies Somnath Temple,
famous for the shore temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. About a thousand years
ago, the immense wealth held in the temple was described by Al Biruni in his
chronicles. Mahmud of Ghazni learnt of it, and in 1026, descended on Somnath,
demolished the temple and carried away camel loads of gold and jewels to
Afghanistan! The temple was rebuilt and then destroyed thrice during the next
700 years. The present temple was built on the same site in 1950 and is one of
the most venerated Shiva shrines in India.
The men folk in rural
Saurashtra still wear their traditional dress - a short, pleated, full-sleeved
coat, pyjamas that resemble jodhpurs and turbans worn in their distinctive
style. This dress is also worn while dancing the 'Dandiya Ras', a unique dance
on the Ramayana theme, traditionally performed only by men. They hold short,
lacquered batons in both hands, striking them together in time to the beat of
drums, cymbals and songs as they quick-step in a whirling circle. And seeing
their coats billow out as they twirl around to the heady beat, one cannot help
feeling that their dress was designed only to facilitate dancing ! In recent
years the 'Dandiya' has become very popular among urban teenagers even outside
Gujarat, and, of course, boys happily welcome the girls to join the fun!
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