Idar in north Gujarat is famous for two things the huge granite rock formations and blistering summer heat. But the rocks are the most eye -catching feature here and have been the backdrop of many a famous shoot,even that by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan in the nineties. But perhaps no more,as the granite rocks are being mercilessly quarried,leaving the terrain flat. The quarrying is most evident in Laloda,a small hamlet in the vicinity of Idar renowned for its igneous rocks forming the southern tail of the Aravalli Range in Sabarkantha district,and one of the mining sites in the region that have been allowed by the state government. One of these mining sites forms part of the famous rock formation of Idar,also known as Idariyo Gadh that is one of the neglected tourist destinations in north Gujarat. This was an exotic location in the 1990s. Bachchan had come here for the first time to shoot one of his commercial videos,Kabhi Kabhi,but today one has to wade through foot deep dust (a result of the heavy mining activity) to reach the rock formations. Idar and Idariyo Gadh are penetrated deep into the culture of Gujarat. There are many marriage songs in which Idariyo Gadh finds place as an object that is wished to be won. It is also woven in Gujarati language as synonymous of a significant victory. Two of the most eminent Gujarati literary figures,Umashankar Joshi and Pannalal Patel,have a close affiliation with the place. Like Laloda,there are other sites in and around Idar where mining lease have been granted by the government. Workers at these sites say that most of the mined granite goes to Rajasthan and from there to the markets. Social scientists say the government should not allow mining activity in the region because of its historical and cultural importance. It is also important that Idar is facing environmental problem of extreme heat in the summers due to the deforestation in the region,they say. Idar has been hitting the headlines for the past many years for being on the list of hottest spots in India in summers. Rafiq Mansuri,a local journalist says: The government should not allow mining. This is a place which can be nurtured as a tourist spot. Instead of that,the government is allowing mining here. Referring to the mining site at Laloda,Mansuri adds: Can you imagine that this it is the place where Amitabh Bachchan,the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism,shot one of his personal videos due to its natural beauty? Mansuri keeps a big personalised photograph of Bachchan that he clicked in the 1990s here,outside his photo studio.
