Jakhau in Kutch - the land of the dried, dead fish

Jakhau is a small port town on the coast of Gujarat (Kutch region). It was a prominent port in the region until the Mandvi port opened in the 16th Century. Now its a conglomeration of the small fishing community which lives here, especially during the eight fishing months.

We visited the town in one of these fishing months and so had the pleasure of observing some of the local fishing traditions as well as trawlers which are used for fishing.

Jakhau

Jakhau

The port town welcomes you with loads of mangroves, but sadly these are dying. From what I heard from our host, there used to be many here in the past, and now these are fast retreating. But they look lovely, nevertheless. Apart from the mangroves, its the stench of drying fish that remains with you much after you leave the place. There are tons of fish being dried all around, and frankly speaking after a while it even stops bothering you.

Mangroves on the way to Jakhau

Mangroves on the way to Jakhau

Drying fish

Drying fish

Rows of drying fish

More rows of drying fish

As for a landmark, there is a huge light-house in the area where salt water is collected to make salt.

The Light House

Fisherman working on the fishing nets

Jakhau has a nice lazy feel to it, also because most of the men are generally out in the sea and only the women and the children (those who stay back) are seen during the day. They are very friendly people and gave 

The lazy dog :)

Few local available men

Ice-cream on the beach; and no we didn't try!

Crying baby

A little better one :)

The most exciting part of being there was getting inside the trawler of the fishermen. This one had just arrived and they were busy unloading their catch. Being a guy, I was given full access into their living areas as well as the storage area (for the fish). It was also a perfect place to take pictures and we posed in turns!

The trawler

This is where the fishermen sleep

Just out of storage area

The trawler parked

The flag (boring titles now)

Shrimp being taken out

Wannabe Pirate :)

If you are looking for a place to stay, there are no options in Jakhau. Its not more than a day's trip from Bhuj, including the travel time. Make sure you carry food and enough water to survive through the day. Very little of either would be available there.