Desert Delight-Little Rann of Kutch

Moonwashed in Little Rann of Kutch

Some of my favourite  hobby from childhood are lie on the roof to behold the sky above gazing stars. I am so passionate to exploit the Sky Watch from balcony in my home from where I can see the morning &evening sky. The balcony is my favourite place to stand and watch the world go by in between my chores . , I spend a few minutes watching the night sky lie on the couch to behold the sky above gazing stars & point out specific stars and marvel. I love spotting craters on the moon and I just get astonished at the night sky. Watch the stars and galaxies and understand the mysteries of the universe!

While planning a road trip to Little Rann of Kutch; I was quite influenced by the advertisement on television by matinee idol Amitabh Bachchan describing the beauty of the moon against the pristine pure white salt desert.

 

 Covering an area of 4954 Km. Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat State, India.It is one of the most remarkable and unique landscapes of its kind in the entire world. 

 

Wild Ass Sanctuary is located in this Rann which harbors the last population of Wild Ass Which is the only Sanctuary in India. It is a vast desiccated, unbroken bare surface of dark silt, encrusted with salts which transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after the rain.

Our jeep moved through the desert area, negotiating through thorny shrubs, patches of desert vegetation and a group of white animals appeared in a far corner. The desert can be a lonely yet tranquil place.. 

 

we reached  before the sunset and were mesmerized by the view. It was a beautiful experience to walk in the desert. That place is endless. Heat mirages disturb the vast horizon – bushes and trees seem to hover above the surface. 

 

 Sunset.... It's a great place to enjoy sun set against mirage. As we went 1km far we could see no one nearby except the sunset. The good part was seeing the sun set and the full moon rise at the same time. it is a day before full moon, so it wasn’t the brightest but it was still magical in its own ways This phenomenal experience can't be explained in words, one has to go there to see its uniqueness. 

It’s also similar to purity spread across,as there is no construction,no obstruction,no nothing is this vast white piece of land. You can choose to walk as much as you can,you would still after a while see some more white salt. That I reminded myself that even if I walked till my eyes could see “The horizon would continue”.

 

we walk up into the desert sometimes seeking inspiration in the stillness. I rediscovered the light show in the blanket of the Milky Way - shooting stars and countless satellites accenting all the familiar constellations. I stand in the middle of snowy milky white expanse of salt with fading red reflections of a beautiful sunset on one side and coming up moon rise on another;both simultaneously crisp,clear and round as if they had exchanged roles just now! 

 

I was excited. The moon rays and the whiteness of the Rann merged into each other creating an ethereal environment. I sat there, staring into the moon and enjoying the infinite beauty of the White Rann. As I was getting moon washed with the pure moon light permeating through every cell of my body, I felt a sense of peace and calm that urged me to continue sitting there and reflect on life. As my sole light source, the moon trekked across the vastness of the night sky. I'd pause under the stars, listen to the wind, slow my breath, calm my nerves.

 I am very much attracted to the beauty of the moon. completely in awe of the beauty in the sky., it was a journey of taking in the moonlight bit by bit Amazing Whiteness, Vastness, Peace. Natural patterns witnessing nature in all her glory was me falling in love with that land. The true joy of a moonlight night is something we all love to experience.