Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel launched annual desert festival at Dhordo Tent City on the brink of white desert in bordering Kutch district on Thursday.
The flagship event of Gujarat Government to promote tourism in the State will continue till the arrival of summer. The Dhordo tent city where recently DGP conference was held and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed for three days has become major attraction for tourists as the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat limited (TCGl) sources said that already they are flooded with bookings from all across the globe.
“We have no space for booking till December end,” said TCGl official sources, adding that more than 400 luxurious tents have been erected at the tent city and many more attractions have been added to draw overseas tourists. There has been great demand for the tents which were used by PM Modi and other VVIPs during the DGP conference, said the source. Some more attractions including candle light dinner for honeymooners, horse riding, Spa, ATV ride, paragliding and man more activities have been added for young tourists, he said adding that new royal tents with wooden floors and traditional kutchi huts (Bhunga) have been added for the first time this year.
“People are thronging to white desert to spend full moon nights to experience breathtaking view. Besides 5000 year old ruins of Indus Valley depicting Harappan Civilization near Dholavira village near the white desert is gradually becoming famous amongst the tourist due the efforts of Gujarat government,” said the Gujarat Chief Minister while launching the desert festival of Kutch.
Kutch has been appeared in the world tourism map said Patel adding that the bordering district is a unique geographical features surrounded by sea on one side and the desert, plains as well as hills on the other side. Anandiben also offered prayer prayers at the historical Dutt Temple atop a picturesque black hillock locally known as Kala Dungar situated on the brink of the great Rann of Kutch.
Promotion of tourism in Kutch through the desert festival was the idea of PM Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. In fact 2006 was celebrated as ‘Tourism Development Year’ by the Gujarat government and as part of it Ranotsav or desert festival was initiated just for two days. Over the period of time the same desert festivals evolved and stretch for over three months.
The charm of white desert during sunrise, sunset and on full moon night is worth experiencing. The glittering white land of the world’s largest salt desert would capture one for hours as several hundred square kilometer of desert is pure white like snow with heavy deposit of salt crystal. The marshy desert becomes pure white and flat till eye can see till the horizon after the rain water has dried up by the beginning of winter.