Pa kutch ja madu – chhele ker kutch vya aiyu? (when is the last time you have been to kutch?)
Most of our parents were born and raised in Kutch. Not necessarily raised till they got married, but atleast they spent their early childhood there. Again it may not be true for everyone among us. They remember kutch as total different place than it is now with better facilities (regarding light, sanitation, water etc.)
Most of the kutchis have now setteled down in Mumbai and other places, so visit to kutch has become limited to “Chheda Chhedi”, “Mundan”, or some “mahotsav” during “chomasu” (monsoon season). And we being in America, get to visit kutch even less often.
So when was the last time you visited kutch? (you can also share the purpose of the visit and the places you visited in Kutch)
If you can’t remember when was the last time you have been to Kutch, it’s probably time to visit out native place during next trip to India. 🙂
We went to Kutch in 2003. Did “pantirthi” and visited several other villages including naturopathy center in Mota Asambiya. Stayed a night in Naredi Sanatorium, which was quite an experience.
Also visited 72 Jinalay. And stayed there overnight.
Prashant & myself visited Kutch in summer of 2003. We visited with his parents, my mom & sister. Purpose of trip was manifold – “Chheda Chhediâ€, family outing. Parents will readily agree to come along so we thought we can all spend some time together. And I always like to go there. In 3 days trip we visited lot of places. We went to Naredi, Sabharai, Panch Tithi, Dedhia, 72 Jinalay, Mandhvi, Nani Khakhar, Bhuj, Beidadda and two more villages whose name I can not recollect at this point. In my all past 2/3+ weeks trips I may not have gone to more then two places.
In childhood I have spent lot of vacations in Kutch mainly in Nani Khakhar. I have stayed by myself with grandparents or gone with whole gang of cousins under my mom’s supervision. Oh… those days were lot of fun. We would play whole day in vandhi (backyard) and then after early dinner will go to different vadi(farm) each day. In our 3-4 weeks stay there, we would barely go out of gham to visit any other place.
Yaad aa gaya woh gujara janama……woh ghagare mai pani bharna or woh Mor (peacock) ka cahekna
We went to Kutch Dec 2000, just right before big tragedy (Earthquake Jan 26th 2001). It was for Matagi Darshan and ALL NISHAR’S daughter’s get together-since this was kids first visit to India.
Devanshi was 4 when we were there and she just loved it. Playing with cows, goats, and kutch gee Matti. She actually enjoyed kutch better than Mumbai. We went to lot of places (Vagad) including Aakel Ma temple very famous in Vagad.
I think it’s time for us to visit kutch again. Thanks Amisha for posting this. This one brought lot of memories. I been to kutch lot of time before coming to state– since our family hosted Updhyan Tap, Pag Pala Jatra under KalaPurna Maharaj sahebh and lot of other functions.
It’s been more than a decade since i visited kutch. Hope to go there some time/some day/some year 🙂 Since you brought up a topic about kutch, i remembered about Pilgrimage places – have more memories about this and hence created a poll.
We went to kutch in Dec of 2005. It was for Saahas’s chigwaar and he had the best time in pratapur playing with puppies and goats. We visited many other gham like Kapaya,Bidada,72 Jinalay,Bhujpur,Bhuj,Mandavi,Mundra,Desalpur,Moti Khakhar also went to Haji Peer and Mata na madh. I have been visiting Kutch in my every visit to India since marriage. Used to go very rare before marriage. Also by-passed many other gham on our way to above places.
we had visited Kutch, Bhujpur in Feb 2007 for Niyom’s chijwaar. during this we also visited Bhuj, 72 jinalay and other gaams on the way.
Had visited Kutch as a child; I recollect quite a few glimpses of several places around from that time.
Good to know that Kutch still resides in our hearts.
I wish I can spend more than just couple of days (flying visit) in Kutch with the family.
wow vandana every visit to India u go to Kutch and Pune (see old post in Connextions). How long are ur trips to India anyway 🙂
the best part is people in Kutch are so friendly and make you feel at home.
The small and so many peda shops, pickles shops; bejora, gunda. aahhaa.
We visited a place Bhujodi, close to Bhuj. very traditionally made small shopping area where the artists themselves sell their handicrafts. reasonable and so original.
the air in kutch, fresh n healthy..
Yaadein Yaad aati hai..
Samir, So far it has been minimum 2 months. I wish I could keep the same duration in future trips.
Very true Honey. During last visit to kutch, in suthri we had lunch. And I remember those fulka rotis on “Sagdi” , (aahaa haaaa) and simple “dudhi jo shaak”. In Naredi, for dinner we had Khichdi, Kadhi, Bajar ji maani and Bijora pickle. (ymmmm) That taste no where else to find… Even milk tastes so good.
And we went to vidh in the evening, almost all kutchis that were residing in Vidh that time came to meet us. Of course not only us, my parents were also there with us..
And all that medava that they do…..
Anyone willing to spend their retired life in Kutch? Nilesh always teases me on that, that life in kutch is very peaceful and should be very good to spend for retirement.
The last time I visited Kutch was about 16 years ago for Prashant’s and Samir’s Mundan ceremony.
Kutch… mmmmmm i can smell the mitti.
Last time we had visited kutch was in 2004 for RR’s chir-jowar, we didn’t stay there too long i guess it was 2-3 day trip and we had been to Maatji’s stahaan, Kotda Roha, Devpur, Baadreshwar, 72 Jinalay and few more places i guess.
And ofcourse how can we forget those vadis (farm)ummm yummy fruits…. and baadreshwar ki kharek vah vah vah vah !!!
I went to Kutch in November 1999. Did Panch tithi , stayed at Alaphar & Naredi & Visited many places Godra, Mandvi, Nalia, 72 Jinalay, Jhakau etc. and once had visited Kutch in childhood.
Well, looks like I am the latest visitor to Kutch. Went there in September 2006 to meet my dadi. Stayed in Sadau for 3 days I think. I personally like visiting Kutch, and enjoy the village environment a lot. Being in a small place has its own charm, its a nice feeling. We visited many places on the route from Mundra to Mandovi – like Pragpar, Bidada, Bhujodi, Botteir Jinalay, Mandavi Palace etc. However, I found that Kutch has changed a lot since my previous visit (2001). One can see lots of non-Kutchi people (UP Biharis) with the coming up of Adani port in Mundra and lots of industries due to the SEZ’s and other tax incentives offered by the government. The landsacpe is changing fast, and Kutch may not remain what it used to be in a few years from now. People call it “development”, but I somehow felt a sense of loss when I saw what I saw.
Our folks in India were also telling that trains going to Kutch are full of Biharis and other caste people due to job opportunities available in Kutch.
we went to kutch in Dec 2007 . We went for my sis in law’s son’s mundan and Miloni’s chir javar. Kutch i san amazing place . it is complete relaxation . Comapred to any other vacation it is completely unwinding no schedule to go for sight seeing . when we went in 2003 we also discovered a resort nearsadau with punjabi and chinese food
Neelam
Neelam – do you have time machine?? You travled to Kutch in Dec 2007 😉
This is all the Kamaal of Friday the 13th. On this date, blackout dates are removed and people are free to travel thru time.
I visited Bhuj in Feb 2008 after along gap of over three years. It looks like Kutch is changing everyday post earthquake. Earlier it was a pleasent lovely but a lazy province where it looked as if time has stood still there. It was so nice and great then … I really miss those early years. I felt as if somehow we should not allow Bhuj and Kutch alltogether to follow rest of the world and get “urbanised”. I realy want it to be continuing its homely state.
We are just back from our trip to Kutch. First went to Naredi. There was a “daayro” (musical program) by Visan Nagda, Gita Dharod, Laxmichand Gogri. They also sang “adhyatmic” songs in Upashray in front of Maharaj Saheb. Also got chance to visit “wadi” (of cotton plants, Mango trees etc.) during our way to Devpur. (Devpur is relatively bigger village than Naredi and one can see Tailor and beaury parlour shops also in the village)
We spent 2 days in Naredi and 2 days in Kukma, a village near Bhuj. We also went to Royal beach in Mandvi (around 1 hr drive from Bhuj) and visited a palace there. It is a very clean and hardly populated beach with entrance fee of 100 rs. Palace is also worth a visit. A song from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was also picturised in the palace.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Kutch. I met so many old acquaintances during this trip.
Kids loved playing in the sand, enjoyed watching peacocks.