The Black Hills (Kalo Dungar)

My memories of my visit to The Black Hills or Kalo Dungar are unforgettable ones. The top of the Black Hills is the highest point in Kutch at a height of 462 meters. It is situated 25 kilometers north of Khavda. From this place, the desert and the sky often become indistinguishable as the entire northern horizon vanishes into the Great Rann.

This is one of the few non-coastal locations where one feels at the edge of the earth. This feeling of standing on the brink of incomprehensible vastness that fades into infinity is beyond description. The sight from the Black Hills makes one understand the tremendous effort that those who cross the Great Rann have to put in.

The Black Hills is one of the places where a civilian can come closest to the Pakistan border. There is an army post at the top. Beyond that point, only military personnel are allowed.

The Black Hills is also the site of a 400 year-old Dattatreya temple. Dattatreya is the three-headed “avatar” of Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in the same body. According to a legend, when Dattatreya walked on the earth, he stopped at the Black Hills and found a band of starving jackals. He offered them his body and as they ate the body, the body continually regenerated.

Because of this legend, for the last four centuries, the temple-priest prepares a batch of “prasad” for feeding the jackals after the evening “aarti”.

Reaching the Kalo Dungar hilltop, by public transport, is difficult. The only bus that travels to the Black Hills from Khavda is on weekend evenings. It returns in the early morning. One can also hire a jeep from Khavda. Visiting the Black Hills in the early morning or late afternoon is preferable. If one has a few hours of time, nice hikes can be enjoyed around the hill.

It is preferable to take your own food and water while traveling to the Kalo Dungar. If one wants to stay overnight, one can lodge in the Dharamshala next to the temple.

No need to say that Kalo Dunger at Khavda has spiritual and religious importance apart from that you will see the jawan of indian army doing their duty 24 hours, you can felt almost 48 degree in May and 2 degree in Dec. at Kala Dunger.

Narayan Sarovar is home to a huge array of wildlife. The inhabitants include many species of birds, reptiles and mammals. Around fifteen of these species are considered threatened. Chinkara, or Indian Gazelle, is the main species here. This is a harsh landscape with strong winds, extreme heat and frequent storms. Only animals who are well-adapted to desert climate can survive here. Many such species, that are not easy to find elsewhere, can be seen here. This sanctuary mainly comprises of desert, scrub forest and thorn forest. There are some dry savannah-type vegetation and seasonal wetlands too. Have any of you visited the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary?

Yes, I have been to the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary, a couple of times. The Gorad plant species prevails in the east, while the Babul prevails in the west. The sanctuary has nearly 252 species of flowering plants. Some of these are the “hermo”, “pilu”, “ber”, “thor”, “carissa”, “kerdo”, “salai”, “gugal” and “ingorio”. The invasive “gando baawal” or Prosopsis Juli Flora are also found here.

Chinkara is the only gazelle in the world that has horns on both males and females. Eighty per cent of the 7000 existing endangered Chinkaras live in Kutch. The scrub and thorn forests are their primary habitat.

The climate and topography of the Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary is appropriate for the well-being of the Chinkaras. The Sanctuary is home to many other mammals. These include wild boar, spotted deer, endangered Indian wolf, desert fox and wildcat like the caracal or African or Persian Lynx.

The “most fearless animal”, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the “ratel” or honey badger, also lives here. This animal is renowned for its snake-killing ability and fierce self-defense against lions, leopards, swarms of bees and poisonous snakes.

This sanctuary has a rich treasure of birds. An employee of the sanctuary told us that there were almost 184 distinct species of birds here.

For a bird lover, the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary is a dream come true. The Black Partridge, nineteen different birds of prey and varied species of waterfowl are found here.

All three species of bustards, namely the Great Indian Bustard, the Houbara Bustard, and the Lesser Florican live here.

I will never forget the hours that we spent in the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Santuary. It was exciting and fulfilling. One can find pure peace and joy of mind in proximity of nature and its animals.

If any of you plan to visit this sanctuary soon, you can contact -

The Assistant Conservator of Forests, Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kutch West Division, College Road, Bhuj, Gujarat. Ph: 02832 230766