The Rann of Kutch - A Photo Tribute

A friend who is planning a trip to the Rann called the other day and the call took me down memory lane. My experience of the Rann or Land of White Souls ranks second to only the Himalayas. The Rann is an experience you will never forget, its leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment and yet humbles you with the power of nature and just much you are the mercy of it.

I did do a write-up after the ride and you can read it here but the photo service I used back then has disappeared, so here are a few photos.
If you want to read up on the Rann you can read about it here on Wikipedia.

The Rann is so vast and sees such extreme temperatures that if a local is lost in it, no search is done. They are just considered lost and the locals call those lost in the Rann white souls. The Greater Rann borders Pakistan and the Indian Army here cannot patrol the border all the time. The patrol method is to walk the border on camels in the early morn and if footprints are seen, a search is set-up to check who crossed the border at night. (This I heard from locals but ofcourse there was no way for me to verify it but having seen the Rann I believe them.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sunset at Tikar"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Me"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Salt Pans in the Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Salt Pans that Look like a Mirage"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Real Wild Ass and Other Asses"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Boats used when the Rann Floods"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Riding in the Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Rann, Musafir and Me"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Rann, Musafir and Me"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="A Chakara - the local transport"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Local Fauna in Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Line-up"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Line-up with a Chakara"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Land in the Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Land and Modern Art"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Me and the Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Salt Pans in the Small Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Salt Pans"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Small Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Rann from Varnu"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Varnu and the Small Rann"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sunrise at Kala Dungar"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Greater Rann from Kala Dungar"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="India Bridge in Greater Rann separating India and Pakistan"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Dattatreya Temple on Kala Dungar"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Arrow Straight Road between Kala Dungar and Bhuj for about 100km"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="170 km for the first time"][/caption]