NotOnMap- Rann Niwas

Located in close proximity to the White Rann, in the village of Dhordo, Rann Niwas Homestay is traditionally designed with a large veranda, the rectangular rooms made with mud and gobar for a comforting insulation during the extreme climates of Kutch. Veera bhai Khoyla started this homestay with his blood and sweat, with the support of his extended family. The stay is managed by Veera bhai alone, with assistance from his own little boy, Sunil, and his nephews The homestay is fortunately located very close to the traditional hamlet of the Khoyla family, which makes for a fascinating visit. Even though the family has spent years keeping their traditional craft and culture alive through kutchi embroidery and leatherwork, they’ve struggled to make a comfortable life for themselves and it’s Veera bhai’s dream to provide better for all three of his children by serving tourists. Veerabhai Khoyla is a quiet, genial and respectful man. He studied until the 6 th standard and began doing leather work quite early in his life, which he learned mostly from his uncle Basar Bhura Khoyla ji who’s also received an award for his work. He has grown up in difficult times where his father would have to walk for 3-5km a day for water. Recalling his childhood, he says that the family, although respectable artisans, had gone through some struggle to secure food on some days. With utmost gratitude today, he counts his blessings, sans any complains and only wants to provide a better, more comfortable future for his children. He loves and appreciates leather work and to this day, spends about 8 hours every day working at it. Generations of the Khoyla family have lived in the same village, around one another and as tradition goes – all of their houses have connected in a way that it’s formed a hamlet (colony of houses), which makes for a really fascinating walk around. A visit to the family house is highly recommended, where the host’s mother, wife and daughters will present to you all the beadwork and embroidery work they’ve been tirelessly toiling over for months. Each product takes days to make, some pieces of clothing take months since they’re all intricately hand-stitched. The host can also arrange for a cultural program at a nominal price to appreciate the time and efforts of the local artisans: The guidance of his brothers, who have been running homestays of their own for years, echoes in the making of Rann Niwas Homestay. The 4 mud cottages are a traditional kutchi design: thick walls made of organic materials like gobar and mud, with minimal use, if at all, of cement and bricks. All rooms have a sturdy double bed molded out of mud again, with a foam mattress, pillows and beautiful, warm hand-stitched comforters for cold nights. The bathrooms are western style, with a shower and hot water facility. All the mud houses are tastefully decorated with hand-painting and mud work that is unique to the kutchi community, thereby giving you a glimpse of a heritage that’s fed and defined generations so far, and will continue doing so – in the four walls of your room. The room also offers a nice seating area next to the window, overlooking the veranda that is bestowed with the setting sun’s mellow light.