One of the few places in North America that I would like to visit and have not succeeded in doing so is the Grand Canyon. So imagine my delight when one of my colleagues put up photographs of Kadiya Dhro on Facebook, stating it to be the Grand Canyon of India. That did it. I was determined to go there and planned a trip during the winter vacation.
Kadiya Dhro is located in the desert district of Kutch, western state of Gujarat, India. Once we reached the parking lot of Kadiya Dhro we had to abandon our car. We were taken in a dilapidated truck through a non-existent Road in a forest of Gando Bawal (the mad tree-Prosopis Juliflora). It was a bumpy ride to say the least. The driver was an expert and kept us from falling into the many ditches along the way.
With the extreme dry desert weather conditions in the district of Kutch, water in the gorge and the river in Kadiya Dhro had depleted. In a way that turned out to be good because the rocks were dry and not slippery or covered with moss. We were able to climb down on the river bed and walk on the rocks.
As we reached the site a number of local guides surrounded us and explained why a guide was required. We were not fully convinced, but nevertheless hired a guide. We were hoping that he would be able to explain the nature of the rock formations and other details of the Grand Canyon. We were soon to be disappointed. All he knew was the best angles to take photographs. Obviously Gen Z that visited the site were only interested in a photo shoot for social media. The result was that we were able to get some excellent photographs from various angles of the gorge, rocks and the river.
These rocks had been formed by ages of wear and tear from the rain and very strong winds that blew the desert sand across the gorge. The location was referred to by cattle herders as “kotaro” in the local Kutchi language. It was very interesting that the rocks seemed to be in layers of different colours. We would really have liked to be enlightened about the geological reasons for these rock formations. I searched the net, but was unable to find any information on the rock formations in the Indian Grand Canyon.
The guide, for all he was worth, told us that there were three main view points on this site. The first was a well among the rocks.
The second view point was a waterfall! The water was depleted and did not exactly look like the Niagara Falls! All the same it had its own rugged natural beauty.
The third and main site was the gorge or canyon through which the river flowed. The guide coaxed us to pose in various holes and stand on the rocks. I refused to enter the ‘hole’ that looked dangerous to me. So we have photos of my brave companions ‘on the rocks’!
Kadiya Dhro is definitely worth a visit. We were able to view it in all its natural beauty. A decade later it would probably be trampled by tourists and the over zealous tourism drive would strip it of natures true charm. Cheers to the Grand Canyon of India!
Unni-Verse 