Ahmedabad Travel Guide

Gujarat’s principal city is Ahmedabad one of India’s major industrial cities. Situated on the banks of the Sabarmati River Ahmedabad was founded by the Muslim ruler Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 AD. This city is also called as ‘Manchester of the East’ because of its thriving textile industry and smokestacks. Apart from being a vibrant and prosperous business centre Ahmedabad has a great deal more to offer to visitors.

The old walled city with its intriguing maze of bylanes called pols and the exquisitely carved wooden mansions or havelis is still the centre of commericial activity. This is a city of architectural delights home to the Indo-Saracenic style a blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural ideals. Nevertheless this frequently visited city has a number of attractions for travellers with some excellent museums and the Sabarmati (Gandhi’s) Ashram. The newer part of the city is dotted with architecture of a more contemporary design.

Unlike some cities of its size Ahmedabad retains a highly distinctive feel born out of a long and continuously evolving social history and recent developments which have contributed important new experiments to its architectural tradition. Makar Sankranti (13 to 15 January) is the time to see an extravaganza of kite flying of what has become an international festival.

Places of attraction

The Jumma Masjid: Described by some as one of the most beautiful mosques in India this Friday or Congregational Mosque was built by the city’s founder Sultan Ahmed Shah in1423 is beside Mahatma Gandhi Road to the east of the Teen Darwaja. It stands on 260 pillars supporting 15 domes at varying elevations. Much of the mosque was built using items salvaged from demolished Hindu and Jain temples. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful mosques in western Indian. This mosque is outstanding for its grand scale superb proportions and exquisite workmanship. Ahmad Shah aligned the mosque so that the road would pass its north entrance. This is still the point at which one can enter by a flight of steps which are not immediately visible until he is there. It is pleasantly quiet and peaceful inside.

Rani Rupmati Masjid: The Queen’s Mosque in Mirzapur built between 1430 and 1440 and is more representative of the pattern of mosque building in the 15th century. It was named after the sultan’s Hindu wife the Princess of Dhar (MP).These domes stand on twelve pillars each with the central part so raised as to let in natural light without direct sunlight. The minarets were partially brought down by the great earthquake of 1819. As with so many of Ahmedabad’s early mosques this one displays elements of both Hindu and Islamic design. The roof carries three domes each above an entrance. The carvings in the gallery and the Mihrabs are particularly attractive. Rupmati’s tomb lies to the northeast. The tomb themselves are decorated with Hindu motifs.

The Shaking Minarets: The shaking minarets of Sidi Bashir’s Mosque are unique in its own way when one minaret is shaken the other minaret vibrates too.

Badra Fort: The foundation of this old fort was laid in 1411 and it once enclosed the royal palaces and gardens.

Three Gates: The triple-arched gateway was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as the royal entrance to the Maidan Shah or the Royal Square. Immediately to the east of the entrance to Ahmed Shah’s.

Kankaria Lake : It is a circular lake almost a mile in circumference which was constructed in 1451 by Sultan Qutb-ud-Din. In the centre of the lake is an island-garden with a summer palace known as Nagina Wadi.

Hatheesingh Jain Temple : Just outside the Delhi Gate to the north of the old city the Hathee Singh Temple as with so many Jain Temple is made of white marble. Built in 1848 by a rich Jain merchant it is dedicated to Dharamanath the 15th Jain Tirthankar (teacher). The Temple is the best known of Ahmedabad’s many ornate Jain temples. The temple is made of pure white marble and profusely decorated with rich carvings; this is dedicated to Dharmanath the 15th Jina or Jain apostle.

Sidi Sayyad Mosque: One part of the wall in the old citadel of the mosque built by Ahmed Shah’s slave Sidi Sayyad. It was constructed in 1573. It is close to the river end of Relief Road and has beautiful carved stone windows depicting the intricate intertwining of the branches of a tree. It is celebrated the world over for its exquisite stone window tracery-a superb and peerless example of delicate carving that transforms stone into filigree. These can be viewed from outside.

Gandhi Ashram: On a quite peaceful stretch of the river Sabarmati 7 kms north of the city on the west bank of the Sabarmati River Mahatma Gandhi set up a simple retreat in 1915. This ashram was Gandhi’s headquarters during the long struggle for Indian Independence. This was his Satyagraha Ashram and for many years it was the nerve centre of India’s freedom movement. It was from here in1930 that Mahatma began his famous Dandi March to the sea to protest against the Salt Tax imposed by the British. The Gandhi Ashram has a memorial centre library and a Sound-and-light spectacle highlighting the Mahatma’s life. There is also a bookshop selling books by and about Mahatma Gandhi. The ashram is open from 8.30 am to 6 pm.

Calico Textile Museum : Appropriately for a city that owes it prosperity to three threads-cotton silk and gold Ahmedabad has one of the finest textile museums. Housed in one of the Gujarat’s famous carved-wooden havelis the museum displays a magnificent collection of rare textiles that date back to the 17th century. There is also an excellent reference library on textiles.
This is a part of the Sarabhai trust, is in attractive old haveli in botanically interesting Shai Bagh gardens (3 kms north of Delhi Gate). It is regarded as one of the finest museum of its kind in the world.

Adalaj Step-well: It is situated 17 kms north of Ahmedabad. The step well at the village of Adalaj is another fine example of this magnificent architecture. Adalaj well is richly carved. Every pillar and wall surface is covered with leaves and flowers birds and fishes and friezes of ornamental designs. Built by Queen Rudabai in 1499 it provided a cool and secluded retreat during the hot summer.

Lothal:  About 85 kms south-west of Ahmedabad and towards Bhavnagar this is a find of tremendous archaeological significance. This site 87 kms from Ahmedabad was discovered some 20 years ago. Lothal was proved to be a full-fledged settlement of the Harappan era dating as far back as the 2nd millennium B.C. This name Lothal actually means ‘mound of the dead’ in Gujrati as odes Mohanjodaro in Sindh. The archaeological museum at the site displays jewellery pots and other finds (open 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday).

Nal Sarovar: Nestled around the Nal Lake 71 kms from Ahmedabad. The lake extends over a vast low-lying stretch which serves as a catchment area for the monsoon rains and provides a perfect habitat for resident birds as well as a huge number of species that migrate here starting form November to February. Winter migrants from the north include the Rosy Pelicans, the Flamingos, the White Storks, Brahminy Ducks and Hernos.

Sarkhej Roza: Sarkheji comprises one of the most elegant architectural complexes of Ahmedabad. The buildings are remarkable for the complete absence of arches and the use of pierced stone trellises.

Dada Havi Vav: These step-well manifests a unique architectural feature of Gujarat. Stepwells were built to provide travellers with water and a cool resting place.

Pols: Pols are an integral part of old Ahmedabad. It nurtures in its folds pages of history a breath of harmony and a show case of exquisite architecture.
The old parts of the city are divided into unique self-contained pols or quarters fascinating to wander round. Huge wooden doors lead off from narrow lanes into a section of houses with decorative wooden screens and brackets where small communities of people practicing a craft or skill once lived. Merchants, weavers, woodworkers, printers and jewelers-each has their pol their house along winding alleys which met in common courtyards and squares. Today these old quarters are developing rapidly with tower blocks rising up from just inside the old city walls.

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