Kuldip Gadhvi, the owner of Kutch Adventures India, was born and brought up in Bhuj (the capital of the Kutch region). Passionate about nature and the surrounding land, he started his tour business as a way of sharing it with visitors and uplifting the local communities who live there.
An important focus of Kuldip's business philosophy is sustainable community-based tourism. Through his tours, he aims to promote and bring awareness to the lesser-known artisans in the region, to help them get recognition.
This is important, as the growing influx of tourists is resulting in many artisans and parts of Kutch becoming increasingly commercialized, while others are neglected.
Kuldip's background places him in an excellent position to bring visitors to the villages and develop community-based tourism in a respectful way, rather than making a spectacle out of the villagers. After he and his family lost everything in the severe earthquake in Bhuj in 2001, he went to work with some of the aid agencies that came to the area. Later, after completing a commerce degree, he became a project coordinator with a local NGO that worked to improve the lives of impoverished communities through sustainable development. This brought him into close contact with numerous villagers in the Kutch region, and he's built a trusted relationship with them over many years.
Kuldip also spent nearly two years studying and working in the UK. As a result, his English is near perfect and he's well attuned to the needs of foreign tourists.
My Tour with Kutch Adventures India
I embarked on a four-night / three-day tour of Kutch with Kuldip in early April 2014. In planning the tour, I gave him a wide brief -- handicraft villages, Great Rann (including the salt desert), and whatever else he wanted to show me.
After arriving in Bhuj on a flight from chaotic Mumbai, the start of my tour felt so surreal. Kuldip took me out into nature, to one of his favorite sunset spots overlooking a tranquil watering hole near his house. Waterbirds congregated there, village children led a herd of cows to drink, and as darkness descended, large bats hovered overhead and dived down to briefly gulp the water as well. It was blissful!
The next morning was devoted to exploring Bhuj, along with a visit to the workshop and classes of award-winning bandhani (tie-die) artist Aminaben Khatri. After lunch, we headed to the nearby villages of Bhujodi and Ajrakhpur to see weaving and block printing, including one of the last three remaining mashru weavers in Kutch.
The following day, we crossed the Tropic of Cancer and headed into the arid Great Rann of Kutch, stopping in at various villages along the way. Sunset was spent in the eerie but magical salt desert.
On the last day, Kuldip took me to Mandvi to see the ship-building yard, a pristine secluded beach, and a magnificent Jain temple. We feasted on Gujarati thalis (platters) for lunch and then went inside the ruins of a 10th-century Shiva temple on the way back to Bhuj.
Undoubtedly, Kutch is one of the most remarkable regions I've visited in India in terms of culture and diversity and the tour was one of the most insightful. Kuldip's intimate knowledge of the region, which he spends most of his free time exploring, is immense. In addition, he's great fun to be around. The villagers that I had the opportunity to interact with were such friendly, humble, and talented people. Some wanted to know what interest westerners had in visiting them, after all their lives were so simple and challenging. Yet, it's this very simplicity and the ability to get a different perspective on life that's appealing. A lot can be learned from them.
There were two important things that really struck me during the course of the tour -- Kuldip's honesty, and how highly regarded and well-liked he seemed to be all over Kutch. His genuine willingness to help people really stood out, and everywhere we went people stopped to greet him and welcome him. He has friends even in the most obscure villages! And, it's really admirable how he's following his passion and making a difference in the world.
Kutch Adventures India Homestay
Kuldip has a homestay at his family's house in Bhuj, which is where I stayed. The guest quarters are on the top floor, away from the living area on the ground floor, and consist of a bedroom, a bathroom with a western toilet, and cushioned chill-out zone. Kuldip put a lot of effort into choosing the decorations, and the accommodations are as attractive, clean, and comfortable as a hotel.
The homestay is ideal if you'd like to experience Indian family life. His parents speak a little English, were welcoming and kind to me, and have a great sense of humor. (His mom makes delicious omelets for breakfast as well!).
Know About labyrinthectomy surgery in India?
A labyrinthectomy is used to decrease the function of the labyrinth, which resides in the internal ear.
This procedure is performed either surgically or chemically.
The primary concern is to treat vestibular disorders.
Relief from vertigo is achieved at the expense of the residual hearing in the ear to be operated.
Through this article we aim to provide in-depth information pertaining to the US CPA Course and what it entails.
A US CPA is a Certified Public Accountant, a designation administered by The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants AICPA to a professional who has earned the CPA license by clearing the uniform CPA exam from any of the 55 state accountancy boards of USA all of which are part of NASBA (National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy).
US CPA is the most sought-after global career option for an accountant, as they are primarily responsible for helping the organization reach its financial goals through performing a number of roles and responsibilities like Auditing and Review, Financial Planning, Business Valuation, Tax Preparation, Company Management, Litigation Services and Forensic Accounting Services.
The Curriculum of the US CPA is well crafted and a respectable one for its depth and breadth of concepts.
The US CPA Curriculum is divided into 4 Subjects namely:BEC- Business Environment ConceptsAUD- Auditing and AttestationFAR- Financial Accounting and Reporting andREG- Regulations.In order to appear for the Certified Public Accountant Examination, the candidates must fulfill the below parameters of educational qualifications:Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
(M.COM)Master of Business Administration (MBA)Bachelors of Commerce (B. Com)Indian CA’s with B. Com are also accepted by quite a few states in the US.
