Shaam-e-Sarhad is a unique rural tourism venture

It is early morning, the sun has just risen and I am bumping along an empty stretch of road in the middle of the Kutch. Clumps of weed and grass stretch into the horizon and shallow catchments of water appear every now and then on either side of the road. I am in the Banni grassland of Kutch. Formed thousands of years ago from the sediments of rivers, the 3,000 sq km grassland is a blessing for the cattle herders who move with their animals and meagre belongings in perpetual search of greener pastures. While droughts, the proliferation of the African mad weed and the destruction of the native plants are slowly increasing the salinity of the land, the Banni is holding on, for now.

But it is not the fate of the Banni that brings me here. I am on my way to Shaam-e-Sarhad, a unique community tourism venture situated in Hodka village. Hodka is one of the 46 villages that dot the Banni and was chosen as one of the centres of &lsquorural tourism&rsquo by the Indian Government and the UNDP under the Endogenous Tourism scheme.

The resort is situated just outside the village and a small signpost is all there is to indicate the dirt road leading to the resort. Hodka sarpanch Salim Bhai and Village Tourism Committee President Amin Bhai are at hand to receive us. If the word &lsquoresort&rsquo brings to mind a chic, luxurious, hotel-chain-run property, then kill the picture immediately, because Shaam-e-Sarhad, staffed and run by the villagers, belongs to that category of resorts that prides itself in keeping it simple.

The overriding theme of the resort is, well, mud. The resort is surrounded by a high mud embankment, the lobby area is built of mud and so is the seating. The dining area has no walls and faces a courtyard, which in turn leads on to the sleeping area. Now my favourite part &mdash the bhungas. A bhunga is the traditional circular mud house crowned with a conical &mdash in this case, wood &mdash roof. Villages in this area are crowded with variations of this traditional home. The resort currently offers three bhungas for guests to sleep in.

Now a bhunga may be a mud hut but, as I discovered, it is very comfortable. A traditional carved wood door marks the entrance of the hut and the walls inside are decorated with the intricate mirror-work seen in every home of this region. With its mud cot, mud seating, deep red cushions, wooden dresser, pink mosquito netting, electric fan, wide French windows and high roof, this humble bhunga redefines cosiness. Planter&rsquos chairs are strategically placed outside the bhunga from where you can watch Kutch&rsquos famed sunsets. The bathroom is housed in a separate mud building behind the bhunga and has all the facilities that an urban tourist would expect. One wall of the bathroom is made of sheer glass and, though a high mud wall surrounds it, still requires some getting used to. While the bhunga should be your first choice, you can also luxuriate in colonial-style comfort in rug-strewn, tented accommodation.

After our breakfast of toast and homemade butter, poha and an assortment of fruit, Salim Bhai took us on a guided tour of Hodka. In these hamlets and in the villages we would visit later, we were shown exquisite examples of the local artwork. Leather and mirror punkhas, embroidered tops, bedsheets and cushion covers, mirror and appliqué work quilts, all painstakingly created by the women of the village, were spread out in front of us. Kutch is, of course, famous for its crafts. Once, the women made such pieces for their dowry now people like you and me can buy them. With the men gone for days and even months with the cattle, for these women and their families their craft is a means of survival.

Village tour done, I am back at the resort for a simple Kutchi vegetarian lunch and a siesta. In the evening, we drive around Hodka and admire the stillness and emptiness of the Banni, broken only once or twice by herds of sheep and cattle on their way home along with colourfully attired herdsmen. Then we are off to Amin Bhai&rsquos house for dinner. Under a clear sky, studded with a zillion stars, we sat on the veranda of the house and had dinner. And what a dinner Fluffy rotis made of bajra and wheat with dollops of homemade ghee, a spicy potato-and-vegetable fry, a khichdi of rice and dal, kadhi, roasted papad and salad, rounded off with a glass of cool buttermilk. After thanking our attentive hosts, we stumbled back to the resort where a troupe of local musicians awaited us. I didn&rsquot understand a word of their song, but it would take a stonier heart than mine to remain unmoved by their deep-throated singing. And when, on the gentle prodding of Salim Bhai and Amin Bhai, Gagan, who works at the resort, began singing about the beauty of Kutch, the night turned magical.

Morning came sharp and quick. After a quick breakfast, we crisscrossed the area to visit a number of villages. These ranged from the prosperous Dhordo, with its concrete bhungas that had tiled floors, Godrej almirahs and attached baths, to the more traditional Ludia, where the bhungas have been painted with natural colours.

Next, the Rann. The swift change in landscape is remarkable the grass visibly thins out every few feet until only a carpet of short salt-resistant weeds remain, and then you are in the Rann. Thanks to heavy rainfall this year, the Rann was more marsh than salt desert and yet it was impressive. Ahead was absolute emptiness and, behind, grass, villages and life.

We then drove to Karo Dungar &mdash Black Hill. Atop the hill is a temple dedicated to Dattatreya. We were rewarded with sweeping views of the Rann on one side and the Banni on the other. The temple is famous for an unusual ritual. After the aarti, the priest takes the prasad a little away from the temple and sounds a gong at which foxes that live nearby come to feed on the offering. Only then are the devotees given prasad. Of course, I didn&rsquot believe the story. So I was surprised when immediately after sunset I heard the unmistakable howl of a fox. And I blinked a couple of times when I saw foxes emerging from the thick shrubs and eating the vegetarian food offered to them just yards away from where I stood. It was in this state of bewilderment that I reached the resort to another good but bland meal. I found out later that the cook was preparing bland food so as not to inconvenience his (frequently foreign) guests if you prefer your food spicy, let them know.

The final day was reserved for bird watching. We went to Vekeria Dhand, a shallow catchment of water close to the highway. Jugal Tiwari, an ornithologist and a member of the Bombay National History Society, runs the Centre for Desert and Ocean in nearby Moti Virani and was our guide for the day. He helped us spot a wide variety of birds, including the Eurasian common crane, a family of rosy pelicans and a large number of terns. We then started towards Chhari Dhand, a large wetland known for its abundance of bird life.

We were once again in the Rann. We drove over parched cracked earth and reached a vast expanse of grass and water. In the two hours that we spent there we saw not another human being. Though we saw very few birds too, I was not disappointed. The silence and stillness that I had come to associate with Kutch was exemplified here. Even our presence was an intrusion. As I stood there listening to the wind sing, I remembered Gagan&rsquos songs about his harsh but beautiful homeland. The beauty of a land where herders wander for miles with their cattle in search of food, where women walk for hours only to fetch salty drinking water and where in summer the heat and dust burn your skin.

As we started our drive back to Bhuj, the sun set behind us bathing the landscape in a warm golden glow. Even the Rann looked subdued in the light of the setting sun.

The information

Getting there

From Delhi Take a flight to Ahmedabad, and catch an air-conditioned sleeper bus to Bhuj (Swaminarayan Travels, https://shriswaminarayanbus.com). The Shaam-e-Sarhad resort is 63km away. The resort arranges pick-up by taxi.

From Mumbai Fly to Bhuj. Alternatively catch the Kutch Express (starts 5.10pm, arrives 9.20am).

Shaam-E-Sarhad Rural Resort

The resort offers three bhungas (from Rs 4,800 double), seven tents (Rs 3,200) and two quadruple rooms (Rs 4,500). Tariff goes up during festival seasons (Diwali and Christmas). The accommodation is non-AC but all facilities like fans, Western-style toilets and showers are available. Only vegetarian Kutchi food is served. Do ask the staff to arrange for a meal with a family in the village &mdash it&rsquos a great way to interact with the locals and you might also get to eat non-vegetarian food. Tariff includes meals and the folk music performances that are arranged each night. Contact hodka.in@gmail.com, www.hodka.in

What to see & do

Check out the unique embroidery and appliqué work in nearby villages. Go bird watching in Chhari Dhand and Vekeria Dhand. Birds seen here include Eurasian common cranes, rosy pelicans, black winged stilts and spoonbills. The resort arranges birdwatching tours, but you can also contact the Centre for Desert and Ocean (www.cedobirding.com). You can also visit India Bridge, the last civilian point before Pakistan and the temple of Dattatreya atop Karo Dungar. Also go on a camel safari near Karo Dungar. Kutch&rsquos clear skies are also ideal for some stargazing.

When to go

October-April. The resort is shut during the monsoon.