The annual Rann Utsav, held on the white salt desert, is organised at which place?

The Rann Utsav is an annual cultural festival held at Dhordo, a village on the edge of the Great Rann of Kutch, in the Kutch district of Gujarat. It is organised by the Gujarat Tourism department and usually runs for about three to four months, from November to February.

The Great Rann of Kutch is a vast seasonal salt marsh in the Thar desert region. During the monsoon, it is flooded with sea water and rain water, and in the dry season, when the water evaporates, it leaves behind a huge, flat expanse of white salt that stretches as far as the eye can see. The white desert looks especially beautiful on full moon nights, when it glows in the moonlight.

During the Rann Utsav, a large "tent city" with hundreds of tents is set up at Dhordo, where visitors stay. The festival showcases the culture, crafts, music and food of Kutch. Visitors can enjoy folk music and dance performances, camel cart rides, visits to the white desert at sunrise, sunset and on full moon nights, and visits to the craft villages of Kutch, which are famous for their embroidery, bandhani (tie and dye), Rogan painting, block printing, mirror work, leather work and pottery. Adventure activities such as paramotoring and hot air ballooning are also offered. In 2023, Dhordo was named one of the "Best Tourism Villages" by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The Rann of Kutch is also home to the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch, the last refuge of the Indian wild ass (ghudkhar), and to Dholavira, a major site of the Indus Valley Civilisation, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) holds the Desert Festival (Maru Mahotsav).
• ✗Bikaner (Rajasthan) holds the Camel Festival.
• ✗Leh (Ladakh) holds the Ladakh Festival and the Sindhu Darshan.