Salt crust
To the horizon.
Ranjith Kumar Inbasekaran — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ranjith Kumar Inbasekaran — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carol miranda of Themirandaroute — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carol miranda of Themirandaroute — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch district of Gujarat, western India. Its most visited part, the White Rann near the village of Dhordo, lies about 68 km north of Bhuj in a straight line. The Rann covers about 7,500 square kilometres and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world; it is the southern extension of the Thar Desert and has long been home to the Kutchi people. The word rann comes from a Sanskrit word meaning salt flat or barren ground. The area was once a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea until the land rose and cut it off. In the summer monsoon this flat land of salty clay fills with standing water. In winter the water dries and a crust of white salt stretches to the horizon, perfectly flat, turning pink and orange at sunset and glittering silver under the moon. Visitors walk on the salt crust at sunset or on moonlit nights, and many stay in camps during the winter Rann Utsav festival. A permit, arranged locally, is needed for the White Rann, and November to February is the best time.
To the horizon.
Pink and orange.
Silver salt.
Dhordo, Kutch district, Gujarat, India
November to February.
Yes, arranged locally.