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 In
prehistoric times, an island on the edge of the Arabian Sea, Kutch
is still a place apart, and worth the effort of getting
there. The largest district in the western Indian state of Gujarat,
Kutch is cut off from the mainland by large stretches of salt
pan and shallow seawater known as the Great and Little Rann of
Kutch.
Sindh, Gujarat and Rajasthan are
three coastal states linked together by Kutch. The word "Kutch"
has many meanings, one of which is "Land of Rain" or
"Land with the strength of the sea". It's tortoise-like
shape also inspired the name Kutch from "Kachbo" or
tortoise.
Kutch
has four Ports Khandla, Mandvi, Mundra and Jakhau. The Khandla
Port is one of  India's
8 largest Ports. It is India's only Free Port, which has led to
a proliferation of a thriving business industry here.
The climate is arid and, though now mineral
resources are being extracted on a growing scale, the economy
has traditionally been based on cattle grazing. and a few arid
crops, such as cotton.
Located between the Desert and the Sea,
Kutch's isolation has preserved the culture of its many nomadic
tribes. Together they practice an extraordinary variety of crafts
traditions of a quality that is hard to find anywhere else in
India.
The isolation of the region has also
protected a great variety of wildlife, including the endangered
Indian wolf and great flocks of flamingoes in winter time.
In the Mahabharat and ancient scriptures,
one can find reference to human existence in  Kutch
even in the Stoneage. In the Rann of Kutch in the northwest
of India's Gujarat state, excavations of what was thought to
be a minor outpost have turned up a huge, exceptionally well
preserved town.
Dholavira, was probably not as important a center as Mohenjodaro
or Harappa. But it was large and it is less disturbed by modern
encroachments. Most important, evidence shows that it was inhabited
both before and after the Indus Valley network of cities was
at its zenith.
Nevertheless the full story of the earliest days of urban life
in the subcontinent is a long ways from being told: script samples
on the seals have so far been too short and cryptic to be deciphered.
Jain
Religion is widely followed in Gujarat since years. A large
number of Jain temples, ancient and modern, can be found throughout
the Indian subcontinent. 
Mount Shatrunjaya in Gujarat, and Mount Abu in Rajasthan are important
pilgrimages. The oldest Jain temple is believed to be of Shankheshwar
Parshwanath in North Gujarat.
The `Temple City' of Palitana in Gujarat is India's principal
Jain pilgrimage site, the temples are dated 5th century. It is
built on the Shetrunjaya mountain which rises 591 metres above
sea level. Because of it's sanctity, every devout Jain in India
aspires to climb to the top of the mountain atleast once in his
lifetime to pay homage to the gods and to make a little offering.
The Jains, well-known for building temple cities upon holy spots,
have contributed some of the most magnificent examples of Jain
architecture in India. Shetrunjaya is the largest of these temple
cities - with around 900 shrines resplendent upon its crest.
For more information please contact
Ms.Chaula Kuruwa - Public
Relations Marketing, Gujarat Tourism at 91-79-7475968
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