About Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann of Kutch is a vast seasonal salt marsh in Gujarat, accessed via Dasada village in Surendranagar district. Part of the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, it covers about 4,954 sq km of saline desert, mudflats and scrub. Notable for being the only habitat of the Indian wild ass (khur), it also hosts migratory birds, salt pans and traditional Agariya salt workers, offering stark desert landscapes and wildlife safaris.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a stark white salt desert landscape with flat mudflats, scrub and seasonal wetlands. Access is via guided open-jeep safaris from Dasada and Bajana entry points. You can see herds of Indian wild ass, desert fox, nilgai, and seasonal migratory birds including flamingos, cranes and pelicans. The area includes active salt pans where Agariya workers harvest salt, and small elevated islands called bets with sparse vegetation.
Key highlights
- 01
Only natural habitat of the endangered Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur)
- 02
Vast seasonal salt flats and desert landscape of the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary
- 03
Important birding area with flamingos, pelicans, cranes and other migratory birds
- 04
Traditional salt farming by the Agariya community on the Rann
- 05
Guided jeep safaris across bets (islands) and wetlands
History of Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann of Kutch is a former gulf of the Arabian Sea that became a saline desert due to geological uplift and siltation. The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary was established in 1973 to protect the Indian wild ass. The region has a long history of traditional salt production and pastoralism.
Culture & Context
The Rann is culturally associated with the Agariya community, traditional salt farmers who have harvested salt here for generations using age-old techniques. The area also reflects the pastoral culture of the region and seasonal coexistence of wildlife and human livelihoods.
Route
| By air |
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