Femina Miss India Queens Shine at Rann Utsav

The huge, shimmering white expanse of the Rann of Kutch lately welcomed two radiant faces of Indian magnificence and beauty: Shreya Poonja, Femina Miss India 2023 1st Runner-Up, and Rekha Panday, Femina Miss India 2024 1st Runner-Up. Their go to to the enduring Rann Utsav introduced collectively glamour, cultural immersion, and a strong message of accountable journey in considered one of India’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Set amid the limitless salt flats that stretch towards the horizon, the journey captured the essence of Gujarat’s evolving tourism story—one which balances awe-inspiring pure magnificence with considerate preservation. The duo’s journey started away from the pageant crowds, on quiet desert roads much less traveled by most guests. Using by means of open stretches beneath dramatic skies, they skilled the uncooked serenity of the terrain, the place silence and scale create a profound sense of freedom.

Shreya Poonja mirrored on the journey with real marvel: “I biked by means of a few of the lesser-known desert routes in Kutch, and it actually felt just like the street by means of heaven. There’s a lot openness and calm round you that it means that you can decelerate and actually take within the panorama. Anybody travelling this route would really feel that very same sense of freedom and stillness.”

This off-the-beaten-path exploration highlighted Kutch’s rising reputation as a vacation spot for immersive, slow-travel experiences, significantly interesting to those that favor biking journeys that encourage mindfulness over rushed sightseeing.

The journey gained deeper historic resonance with a cease at Dholavira, a UNESCO World Heritage Web site acknowledged for its extraordinary contributions to historical city planning. As one of many largest settlements of the Indus Valley Civilisation, Dholavira showcases subtle water harvesting methods, reservoirs, and drainage networks—exceptional examples of sustainable engineering from hundreds of years in the past. The go to served as a quiet reminder of India’s long-standing legacy of ecological innovation and concord with nature.

The center of the expertise unfolded at Dhordo, the colourful hub of Rann Utsav and a village honored as a UNWTO Greatest Tourism Village in 2023. This recognition celebrates locations that efficiently combine heritage safety, neighborhood empowerment, and eco-conscious practices. On the pageant, the stark white desert comes alive with colour: conventional Kutchi music and dance performances, intricate handicrafts on show, and genuine regional delicacies draw guests right into a residing celebration of native tradition.

What units Rann Utsav aside is its dedication to sustainability. The Tent Metropolis features as a no-plastic zone, backed by environment friendly waste administration and environmentally delicate operations. These measures be certain that large-scale tourism enhances reasonably than harms the delicate desert ecosystem.

Rekha Panday captured the considerate spirit of the occasion: “I skilled the pageant figuring out that each facet of it has been deliberate consciously. From the no-plastic zones to the best way waste is managed, it makes you are feeling that celebration and accountability can go hand in hand — one thing guests genuinely respect at this time.”

Past the primary pageant website, the cultural richness of Kutch shines by means of in artisan communities like Gandhi Nu Gam. Right here, time-honored crafts—Ajrakh block printing, detailed Kutchi embroidery, and the distinctive Rogan artwork—proceed to thrive, preserving tales of resilience and generational ability. Supporting these villages permits vacationers to attach instantly with residing traditions that outline the area’s identification.

As evening falls, the Rann takes on a magical high quality. Moonlight bathes the salt plains in silver, whereas people tunes float by means of the cool air, mixing historical rhythms with modern appreciation for conscious journey. Gujarat’s capability to host an internationally admired pageant whereas prioritizing environmental care positions the state as a forward-thinking chief in accountable tourism.

Via this elegant but grounded go to, Shreya and Rekha illustrated how magnificence pageantry can intersect meaningfully with cultural promotion and sustainability. The White Rann stands not solely as a visible marvel however as an inspiring instance of tourism that uplifts communities, honors heritage, and safeguards the atmosphere for future generations. On this luminous desert, timeless magnificence finds its truest reflection.