Rarely yes
When even a small memory of Kutch creeps in, a unique feeling is felt. Kutch is thus a land, but its folk culture and love of the people give it a distinct identity. When Amitabh Bachchan says 'Kachch Nahi Dekha To Kuch Nahi Dekha…' the statement is not only true but resonates with the entire culture. Kutch has seen many ups and downs. After all these years, I get to go to Kutch many times, I get to meet the people of Kutch, I get to read and feel Kutch, I can say that two words can describe Kutch perfectly. These people have two precious eyes, and their names are Jijivisha and Vijigisha. It is sung in a poem that 'You stand firm in the earthquake…' That firm man is Kachchimadu. If we talk about the features, first we have to talk about the geographical feature, where the desert, desert and mountains stand together, Kutch is an example of how the region becomes sohaman. In the dark of night in the vast desert, sometimes you know what the desert is, and sometimes the moon shines and the whole earth looks like a beautiful maiden standing in white, if you go for a walk in the desert, and the aura descends to embrace you. When you know what the vastness is, what the sky is and where these two meet, where the eye feels a new bliss, you know what Kutch is. The black hill looks like a jogi, sitting in trance! Sometimes the black hill adorned with evening smoke looks like an ascetic in ashes! For this Kutch, Ghayal Sahib has truly said, water of love, water of bravery, water of his mighty flood, laughing and playing desert in the desert, water of sat and vermilion, wow re 'Ghayal' water of Kachchh! The cultural traditions of Kutch resonate even today in village life. How precious was Sant Mekarandada's folk education, when you hear it from village to village Bhoomi and from an old Gadvi or Dada Kapadi tradition singer, you realize how the small stories of Dada Mekaran's prophecy and righteous living made life interesting and positive. Yuval Novah Harari, in his latest book Nexus, asks the question that we as humans have gained a lot of power, become the supreme among all living beings, but not wisdom, and we live today in an environment where we stand in the face of apocalypse. Then one realizes how much Mekarandada's stories were useful in the work of building society, because infrastructure alone does not make people great, people also have to draw a map of their emotional development from such folk teachers. Due to thousands of years of culture, Kutchi man today still has a sense of hospitality or concern for humanity. In a remote village of Nakhtrana or Rapar, the bhajans sung on winter nights and the instruments of the desert that accompany the beautiful vocals give an ethereal feeling, the reason for this is the auspicious nature of the people molded by the penance of Mekarandada and many other saints. Just as the roar of the sea in Mumbai might make you think, walking in the sands of the Kutch desert, and listening to the lapping of the sea waves, one realizes that the sea and the desert, though they appear to be very different, both figuratively and geographically, evoke a juxtaposition that reaches deep into our hearts. Get stuck. Dulerai Chari, who is called the Meghani of Kutch, has done as much as a university can, bringing to light the stories of sacrifice hidden behind village khambhi. The bright royal tradition of Kutch is the backbone of good governance. Maharao Deshlaji's example of development and people-oriented public administration has been brought to earth by his successors in a wonderful way. The encouragement and willingness of these kings to stand with the people is at the root of the bravery and strength to stand up in these people of Kutch who faced many natural calamities. It is because of this eco-system that revolutionaries like Shyamji Krishnavarma were born here. Tejashwi Shyamji Krishnavarma, a life-long struggle against the British, remains a role model for the youth even today. In folklore, the story of Haji Kasam's thunderbolt continues to teach people a unique combination of love and bravery. So Jaisal Jadeja's story is a case study of transformation. This is a shining example of how a woman can fundamentally change a human being with her devotional power. The folk culture of Kutch, full of such stories, is unique in all of India, as the water of Kutch is unique. That is why it is said, e panje kachde jo pani…
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
