Food Intern Travels: Return to Kutch

Five years ago, in January 2014, I travelled to Kutch. This was my first visit to India’s largest district. But within just hours of landing there, I knew it wasn’t going to be my last!

That first visit visit changed my perspective on food in several ways: It deepened my desire to understand traditional food practices that still existed in rural India. It brought a lot of new learning my way (read more). And it led to some serious reflection on my part (read more)…

But the short visit also left me wanting more. And I knew I would return. To revisit the places I went to on my first trip, and to explore the places I didn’t manage to cover the first time around. I was just waiting for a good enough opportunity to plan a second visit. And that opportunity presented itself in November 2018, in the form of the LLDC Folk Festival 2019 (more about the festival itself in another post).

And so, off I went again, in January 2019, almost exactly five years later to the date!

Off to Kutch: 2014 and 2019

Revisited the Vankar (weaver) family in Bhujodi, who had so warmly hosted me for a meal in 2014 (read more about it).

Conversations before dinner, back in 2014

The traditional home-cooked meal they served me, in 2014

Meeting my hosts again in 2019!

Revisited the LLDC Museum in Ajrakhpur, which on my last visit was still under construction, but now was full of life and activity.

At the LLDC Folk Festival 2019: Namaste

Managed to go to Dholavira, India’s newest archaeological site which was discovered as recently as 1967-68 and where ASI’s excavations began only in 1989, to unearth what is believed to be one of India’s oldest settlements (estimated anywhere between 3000 and 8000 years old)!

Had the opportunity to visit salt pans and meet some salt harvesters of Kutch, which is one of India’s largest salt-producing regions.

Got to meet some traditional fishermen living and working in what is predominantly a vegetarian state.

 

Stay tuned to read about all this, and so much more…