Todays Special

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

 

The Sanctuary is mainly established to preserve the nesting ground of a magnificent bird; the flamingo or Greater Flamingo. It is the largest sanctuary encompassing a true saline desert, not to be found elsewhere in the world. It covers the only area in the country, where the Greater Flamingo breeds regularly in the north and northeast of Kala Dungar. Great Rann is very interesting from biological, ecological, geological and climatic points of view. It represents one of the largest seasonal saline wetland areas having the water depth ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 m. After October- November, water dries up and the area turns into saline desert.
For preserving the nesting ground of the flamingo or greater flamingo, a magnificent bird, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is established. It is the largest sanctuary, which encompassing a true saline desert which cannot be found elsewhere in the world. It covers the Northest of the Kala Dungar where the Greater Flamingo breeds regularly found.

 

Visitors can exposed to fresh-cum-saline water wetland from monsoon to early winter and true saline desert from late winter to summer. They also can find four hilly and rocky island viz., Pachchham,  Khadir, Bela and Choar, the first three being located in Kutch district and the last being located in Patan district. Khadir is the only island in true sense, other three being connected to the mainland from one or the other side.

 

The highest point within the Sanctuary is ‘Kala Dungar’, which is supported by the Pachchham Island at the distance of about 80km from Bhuj, is about 25km long and 9 km wide. Another hill called ‘Goro Dungar is slightly shorter and narrower than Kalo Dungar. Both the hills represent rocky habitats, with or without throny scrubs like Ganda Baval (Prosopis Juliflora) and Thor (Euphorbia nivula). Khadir bet (80 km north of Rapar), having an area of about 313 sq. km supports the hill called Chhapariya Dungar, whose northern flank overlooks the mudflats of the Great Rann. Bela bet, the eastern most major hilly island in Kutch district, supports two hills namely ‘Nilvo’ and ‘Muvano’.

 

Flamingo City

In the Mudflats of the Rann, the world famous ‘Flamingo City’ is located, at the distance of around 10km from the Nir out-post on Kala Dungar. Hundreds or thousands of greater Flamingoes breed here, normally during the year at the optimum level of inundation. They construct their muddy nests, lay eggs and rear young ones. The nesting was first reported in 1883 by the late Maharao Shri Khengarji of Kutch and recently by officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and State Forest Department (Bhuj –Kutch) in 1998. Dr. Salim Ali visited Flamingo City and estimated a population of half million birds at nesting city, in 1945. Besides Greater Flamingo, Rosy Pelican, Lesser Flamingo and Avocet are also recorded having bred here in the Great Rann in the past.

 

Dholavira

Dholavira is remarkable for its magnificent planning, sophisticated architecture and amazing water-management system. Cultural remains of 5000 year old civilisation of Indus Valley lie buried at Dholavira, one of the most distinct sites of all the Harapana Sites. It is the sixth largest city of the Indus Valley civilisation. A well-fortified city was spread over an area of almost 48 hectares, housing within it three distinct complexes- a citadel, a middle town and a lower town. They were fully aware of the technology of copper working, pottery, stone dressing and manufacturing of moulded bricks of standard dimensions. They excelled in mass production of beads and pieces of ornaments and domestic items of semi-precious stone and shells. The culture started declining around 2100 BC.

 


An eco-tourist visiting the Sanctuary is exposed to fresh-cum-saline water wetland from monsoon to early winter and true saline desert from late winter to summer. He would see four hilly and rocky islands ('bets') viz., Pachchham, Khadir, Bela and Chorar, the first three being located in Kutch district and the last being located in Patan district. Khadir is the only island in true sense, other three being connected to the mainland from one or the other side.
The Pachchham island at the distance of about 80 km from Bhuj, is about 25 km long and 9 km wide and supports the hill called 'Kala Dungar', which represents the highest point (438 m) within the Sanctuary. Another hill called 'Goro Dungar' is slightly shorter and narrower than Kalo Dungar. Both the hills represent rocky habitats, with or without thorny scrubs like Ganda Baval (Prosopis juliflora) and Thor (Euphorbia nivula). Khadir bet (80 km north of Rapar), having an area of about 313 sq. km supports the hill called Chhapariya Dungar, whose northern flank overlooks the mudflats of the Great Rann. Bela bet, the eastern most major hilly island in Kutch district, supports two hills namely 'Nilvo' and 'Muvano'.
Flamingo City
The world famous 'flamingo city' is located in the mudflats of the Rann, at the distance of around 10 kIn from the Nir out-post on Kala Dungar. Hundreds or thousands of greater flamingoes breed here, normally during the year at the optimum level of inundation. They construct their muddy nests, lay eggs and rear young ones. The nesting was first reported in 1883 by the late Maharao Shri Khengarji of Kutch and recently by officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and State Forest Department (Bhuj- Kutch) in 1998. In 1945, Dr. Salim Ali visited Flamingo city and estimated a population of half million birds at nesting city. Besides Greater Flamingo, Rosy Pelican, Lesser Flamingo and Avocet are also recorded having bred here in the Great Rann in the past.
Dholavira
Cultural remains of 5000-year-old civilisation of Indus Valley lie buried at Dholavira, one of the most distinct sites of all the Harappan sites. It is remarkable for its magnificent planning, sophisticated architecture and amazing water-management system. It is the sixth largest city of the Indus Valley civilisation.
A well-fortified city was spread over an area of almost 48 hectares, housing within it three distinct complexes- a citadel, a middle town and a lower town. They were fully aware of the technology of copper working, pottery, stone dressing and manufacturing of moulded bricks of standard dimensions. They excelled in mass production of beads and pieces of ornaments and domestic items of semi-precious stone and shells. The culture started declining around 2100 BC.