Indo-Pak border is top choice destination for Rann Utsav tourists

Amitabh Bachchan promoted various places of Kutch in his TV ad, but the hottest destination in demand among the tourists this year during Rann Utsav is one that was not promoted by Bachchan.

Rann Utsav starts with Kutch Carnival in Bhuj in the evening. Just after Kutch Carnival and dinner, the tourists are taken to Dhordo tent city. Next day in morning, the tourists are taken to Kalo Dungar in the morning. They are then taken to White Rann surface in the evening to enjoy cultural programme, and dinner under full moon. The third day of Rann Utsav is package tour day. The tourists choose one of four packages and visit the places accordingly. While one package tour takes tourists to Narayan Sarovar and Lakhpat, the other one takes them to Mandvi. The third package tour goes to Dholavira, while fourth package tour takes tourists to India-Pakistan border and it is restricted to Indian tourists only.

From all four packages, the highest number of tourists this year choose the fourth package, means they choose to visit the Indo-Pak border. On Rann Utsav’s first package tour day on Tuesday, while Indo-Pak border had 645 takers, the second hottest option – Narayan Sarovar package tour had only 120 takers. Mandvi which was promoted by Amitabh Bachchan in Gujarat Tourism’s TV ad had actually very few takers due to lacking of infrastructure facilities, and activities there.

During entire month-long Rann Utsav, the tourism department is going to organize 12 package trips. All 12 packages have Indo-Pak border tour as an option.

Rann of Kutch’s Indo-Pak border area is normally a restricted zone for common persons to enter. But every year during annual Rann Utsav, the tourism department obtains special permit from Border Security Force to take tourists upto the border.

The first group of tourists(645 persons) during this Rann Utsav visited Indo-Pak border in 17 buses on Tuesday. Mobile phone, camera etc. was not allowed inside the bus after Dharamshala post. Tourists visited Border Security Force’s bunkers. They also enjoyed lunch hosted by BSF jawans at Vighokot border post. Standing two ft away from Indo-Pak border fence, the tourists watched Pakistani ranger and an international border pillar.

Sources told DeshGujarat that the next batch of Rann Utsav tourists will be coming to Dhordo tent city on Thursday. About 450 of them will be heading to various package tours of Kutch, and 90% of them want to go to Indo-Pak border.

It should be mentioned that Indo-Pak border was positioned as a place of tourist attraction three years back during Rann Utsav for the first time. Tourists who visit this place now increasingly feel that some definate point on Indo-Pak border of Kutch region should be developed as a permanent tourist place, at par with Punjab’s Vagah border. India’s Sikkim state has very successful border tourism at China border. Gujarat should also do same on Pakistan border with whatever number of restrictions needed.