Rann of Kutch and Dholavira

  • February 11, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Rann of Kutch and Dholavira

Subject: Geography

Section: Mapping

Why in news?

  • Till not so long ago in Gujarat, the distance from Bhuj to Dholavira was around 240 km via Rapar and Bhachau.
  • But in the run-up to the G-20 Summit, the Government of India cleared 31.9 km-long Khavda-Khadir road, through the Rann of Kutch, on a priority basis
  • The road was originally sanctioned in 2019, but was delayed, and finally opened for tourists in 2023.
  • Dholavira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was once a Harappan city situated on the island of Khadir, where the remains of the famous Indus Valley Civilisation can be found.
  • Because of the new road it takes just 130 km to reach Bhuj, the capital of Kutch.
  • The Rann of Kutch is famous for its white salty desert sand and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world.
  • Motorbike tourists call it as ‘Road to Heaven’.
  • There are many other locations for nature lovers in Khadir, such as Fossil Park, Bokad Gado, Bhim Godo, Sonpari, Cheria Bet, Chhipar, Sunset point at Bhanjado Hill, and D
  • Tourists interested in bird watching, wildlife, history/archaeological, art and handicraft, tribal studies are already flocking to this area. Many of them also visit Smriti van Earthquake Memorial of Bhuj.

Rann of Kutch

  • It is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan.
  • It is located mostly in the Kutch district of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan.
  • It is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann.
  • It extends east and west, with the Thar Desert to the north and the low hills of Kutch to the south.
  • The Indus River Delta lies to the west in southern Pakistan.
  • The Little Rann of Kutch lies southeast of the Great Rann, and extends southwards to the Gulf of Kutch.
  • The climate of the ecoregion is
    • Temperatures average 44 °C during the hot summer months, and can reach highs of 50 °C.
    • During the winter the temperature can drop to or below freezing.
  • The Rann of Kutch is the only large flooded grasslands zone in the Indomalayan realm.
    • The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms.
  • It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
  • The area has desert on one side and the sea on the other enables various ecosystems, including mangroves and desert vegetation.
  • The Little Rann of Kutch is home to the Indian wild ass (khur). To conserve this species, the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary (IWAS) was created in 1973.
  • In 2008, to project Kutch as an international nature destination, the Government of Gujarat designated the area as the Kutch Biosphere Reserve.
    • Biosphere reserves aim to promote sustainable development in the surrounding area, which is reserved for conservation and research.
    • Such reserves are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, the Indian Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act.
    • The government provides funds for the conservation of the landscape’s biological diversity and its cultural heritage.

Kutch Desert:

  • Kutch Desert covers a vast area to the north of India and northwest by Sindh (Pakistan), west and southwest by the Arabian Sea, and to the northeast by Rajasthan.
  • The Rann of Kachchh comprises a unique example of Holocene sedimentation.
  • It is connected to the Arabian Sea through Kori Creek in the west and the Gulf of Kachchh in the east, and is very close to sea level.
  • The Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the Indian state of Gujarat, is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the country.
    • It is spread in the entire area of the little Rann of Kutch where small grass-covered areas, known as baits, forms the flora and is an important source to support the fauna of the region.

About Dholavira:

  • It was discovered in 1968 by archaeologist JagatPati Joshi.
  • After Mohen-jo-Daro, Ganweriwala and Harappa in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana of India, Dholavira is the fifth largest metropolis of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC).
  • The ancient city of Dholavira is an archaeological site at Kachchh District, in the state of Gujarat, which dates from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
  • Dholavira’s location is on the Tropic of Cancer.
  • It is located on Khadirbet island in the Kachchh Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann of Kachchh.

Distinct Features of the Dholavira Site:

  • Artifacts that were found here include terracotta pottery, beads, gold and copper ornaments, seals, fish hooks, animal figurines, tools, urns, and some imported vessels.
  • Cascading series of water reservoirs.
  • Outer fortification.
  • Two multi-purpose grounds, one of which was used for festivities and other as a marketplace.
  • Nine gates with unique designs.
  • Funerary architecture featuring tumulus — hemispherical structures like the Buddhist Stupas.
  • Multi-layered defensive mechanisms, extensive use of stone in construction and special burial structures.
  • It was also a hub of manufacturing jewellery made of shells and semi-precious stones, like agate and used to export timber.
  • Unlike graves at other IVC sites, no mortal remains of humans have been discovered at Dholavira.
Geography Rann of Kutch and Dholavira