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Kutch District
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Kachchh (also spelled as Kutch) is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,612 km², it is the largest district in the state of Gujarat and the second largest district of India after Leh.
Kachchh literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; large part of this district known as Rann of Kachchh is shallow wet-land which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in the languages of Sanskrit origin for a tortoise and garments to be worn while having a bath. It is interesting to note that when its map viewed upside down, it resembles a tortoise.
Kachchh District is surrounded by the Gulf of Kachchh and the Arabian Sea in south and west, while northern and eastern parts are surrounded by the Great and Small Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kachchh. When there were not many dams built on its rivers, the Rann of Kachchh remained wetlands for a large part of the year. Even today, the region remains wet for a significant part of year.
The district had a population of 1,583,225 of which 30% were urban as of 2001. [1]
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Kutch is virtually an island, bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west; the Gulf of Kutch, which separates it from the Kathiawar peninsula, to the south and southeast; and by the Rann of Kutch, a sprawling but seasonal wetland, to the north and east. In ages past, the Rann of Kutch was an extension of the Arabian Sea. A range of hills runs east-west, parallel to the Gulf of Kutch. The border with Pakistan lies along the northern edge of the Rann of Kutch; the north-eastern border with Pakistan along Sir creek is the subject of a border dispute. The Rukmavati River originates here on its way to the Arabian Sea.
It is recorded that a massive earthquake hit Kutch on June 16, 1819. This partially changed the course of a section of the River Indus and caused a surface depression that became an inland sea.( Which is known as "Allah Bandh")
The Kutch district, with 45,652 km², is the largest district in India. The administrative headquarters are in Bhuj. The district's five main towns are Gandhidham, Bhuj, Anjaar, Mandavi and Mundra. There are 966 smaller villages in the area.
The languages spoken predominantly in Kachchh are Kachchhi and Gujarati. Kachchhi draws heavily from its neighbouring language groups: Sindhi, Punjabi and Gujarati. Script of Kachchhi language has become extinct reducing it to a dialect, occasionally written in the Gujarati script. Samples of Kachchhi script are available in Kachchh Museum. Kachchhi and Gujarati are not mutually intelligible though Sindhi and Kachchhi are to some extent.
Kutch district is inhabited by various groups and communities. Many of these have reached this region after centuries of migration from neighbouring regions of Marwar (Western Rajasthan), Sind, Afghanistan and further. Even today, one can find various nomadic, semi nomadic and artisan groups living in Kutch. While certain groups like the Kachchi Rabaris, Meghvals, Wankars, Ahirs and many others have adopted a settled lifestyle and have struck a life rhythm much close to that of the modern day towns. There are still some groups such as Dhanetah Jaths, Halepotra, Raisipotra and even the Sammas, Node and other Muslim groups who stay in the Banni region, in much more primitive living conditions.
A number of natives migrated to Africa, especially South Africa, in the early 1960's and also form a substantial expatriate population in the United Kingdom.
Kachchh has a strong tradition of crafts and is famous for its embroidery. The finest ari embroidery was woven for the wealthy people. Women in rural areas once engaged in preparing beautiful clothes and decorations for dowries.[citation needed] Unfortunately many of these fine skills have now been lost though some are being rejuvenated through handicrafts initiatives.
Another important art of Kutch is bandhani, which primarily originated in the region. Women wear saris of bandhani art on festive occasions like marriages, or holidays like Navaratri and Diwali. Handprinting is used to make bedspreads, pillow covers and other household furnishings.
Mud work is another artwork of Kutch. Artistic wall pieces made with mud and mirror work are used to decorate homes.
The dominant religions of Kutch are a form of Hinduism, Jainism and Shia Islam.
The majority of the population is vegetarian. Jains perform strict vegetarianism. They also refrain from eating kandmool food grown below the ground such as potatoes, garlic, onion etc. Hindus perform various degree of vegetarianism but certainly do not eat beef. In the villages, staple foods include bajra and milk. Bajra was introduced by a brave king of this region named Lakho Fulani. During his period of exile, he came to know about this grain in some tribal regions. They also extensively drink buttermilk during lunch. Milk is considered to be sacred food and offering it to somebody is considered a gesture of friendship and welcoming. Settlement of dispute invariably follows offering milk to each other as a concluding remark. In the Kutchi engagement ceremony, the bride's family offers milk to the groom's relatives as a symbol of accepting their relationship. Tea is the most popular drink in this region and is enjoyed irrespective of sex, caste, religion or social status. Tea stalls where groups of people chat over tea are invariable sights of every village or town entrance from early morning to late evening. Most people drink it with milk and sugar. Offering black tea to guests is considered to be a bad gesture. Tea without milk is offered when people are visiting host to mourn death of relatives. Tea was introduced in this region by the British as part of medicinal purpose to counteract the plague epidemic in the early 19th century. Liquor is another popular drink, though it is illegal to drink or possess. Most of the liquor drunk in this region is country made, distilled by local people in villages from molasses. As a rule, women do not drink.
Remote and sparsely populated while the district of Kutch may be, it has had an interesting history. The Indus valley civilization, known to be one of the first ever civilised societies consisted of the ancestors of Kutchis as well as others. However now most of the river lies in Pakistan after India was split up.
A few of major towns belonging to Indus Valley Civilization are located in Kachchh. Dholavira locally known as Kotada Timba is one of the largest and most prominent archaeological site in India belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It is located on the Khadir island in northern part of the Kachchh district - the island is surrounded by water in the monsoon season. The Dholarvira site is believed to be inhabited between 2900 BCE and 1900 BCE, declining slowly after about 2100 BCE, briefly abandoned and then reoccupied, finally by villagers among its ruins, until about 1450.
Kutch was formerly an independent state, founded in the late 13th century by a Samma Rajput named Jada, from which name the Jadeja Rajputs derive their patronymic. The Jadeja dynasty ruled not only Kutch but also much of neighbouring Kathiawar for several centuries until the independence of India in 1947. In 1815, Kutch became a British protectorate and ultimately a princely state, whose local ruler acknowledged British sovereignty in return for local autonomy. A beautiful mirror palace, one surviving relic of the princely era is the Aina Mahal ("mirror palace"), built in the 1760s at Bhuj for the Maharao of Kutch by Ram Singh Malam who had learnt glass, enamel and tile work from the Dutch.
Upon the independence of India in 1947, Kachchh acceded unto the dominion of India and was constituted an independent commissionerate. It was created a state within the union of India in 1950. On November 1, 1956, Kachchh was merged with Bombay state, which in 1960 was divided into the new linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Kachchh thereupon became a part of Gujarat state.
After the Partition of India in 1947, the province of Sindh, including the port of Karachi, ended up in Pakistan. The Indian Government constructed a modern port at Kandla in Kutch to serve as a port for western India in lieu of Karachi. There was a dispute over the Kutch region with Pakistan and fighting broke out just months before the outbreak of the Second Kashmir War. Pakistan claimed 3,500 sq. mi of the land and an international tribunal was set up. It, however, awarded only 350 sq. mi of the claim by Pakistan, the vast majority remaining with India. Tensions flared again during the Atlantique Incident as it came just weeks after the 1999 Kargil Conflict.
The epicentre of the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake was in this district. It was the most severe earthquake (out of more than 90 earthquakes) to hit Kutch in 185 years. Much of Bhuj was destroyed or damaged as were many villages. Many of the attractions of Bhuj, including the Aina Mahal, have still not been restored.
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| Capital | Gandhinagar |
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| Major cities | Ahmedabad · Surat · Vadodara · Rajkot · Jamnagar · Bhavnagar | |
| Districts | Ahmedabad · Amreli · Anand · Banaskantha · Bharuch · Bhavnagar · Dahod · Dang · Gandhinagar · Jamnagar · Junagadh · Kheda · Kachchh · Mehsana · Narmada · Navsari · Panchmahal · Patan · Porbandar · Rajkot · Sabarkantha · Surat · Surendranagar · Vadodara · Valsad | |
| Topics | Politics · Governors · Chief Ministers · History · Notable people · Cities and Towns · Education institutes · National parks & Sanctuaries | |