Ahmedabad

Famous for:

Important city a major textile center. Famous for exquisite handicraft items, Jewelry, copper and brass fine screens, beads and mirror works. Known for museums, Mosques, temples, and also for Gujarati food dishes.


Video: Morning in Ahmedabad 

Background:
Once known as the "Manchester of India", Ahmedabad is the biggest city of Gujarat and is a major industrial and textile center. However, it was in news recently for all wrong reasons. The riots of 2003 put to shame the name of Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad or Amdavad, has experienced many high points as well as declines. Traces of its earlier times can be found in the ruins of Karnavati, built by Karna Solanki on the left bank of the Sabarmati river (1063 and 1093 AD).
Sultan Ahmed Shah re-established it in 1411 AD and renamed it after him. Within a century of its being established, the cities fortune declined again and in 1572, Emperor Akbar seized it and added it to the great Mughal Empire.

During this time, Ahmedabad became an important business center but after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the city again began to decline.
In 1818 the British seized it and set up a number of textile mills here making it an important textile center of India.
Ahmedabad was also the capital of the state of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970.


Video: Navratri at Ahmedabad

What to see:
Jumma Masjid
Location: 5 km from the city center in the heart of the old city.
Built by Ahmed Shah in 1423, Jumma Masjid is the most popular tourist attraction of the city. 260 pillars support 15 domes at different heights. Built of yellow sandstone, much of the mosque is made up using items salvaged from demolished Hindu and Jain temples.

Sidi Saiyad's Mosque
Location: 5 km from city center.
A must visit for all the visitors to Ahmedabad, the Sidi Saiyad Mosque is well known for its beautifully carved stone jhali screens over ten semi-circular windows. The intricate carving is done on a single rock and depicts the intertwining of the branches of a tree.

Jhulta Minara
Location: 3 km from city center at Siddi Bashir mosque. Outside the Sarangpur gate
Jhulta Minara meaning the Swaying Minarets are unique structures found in the Siddi Bashir mosque. A little force at the topmost arch of one can cause the others to resonate in harmony while the interconnecting terrace stands still. The mechanism still remains a mystery.

Rani Rupmati's Mosque
Location: 5 km north from city center
Built between 1430 and 1440, the mosque is named after the sultan Ahmed Shah's Hindu wife.

Tombs of Ahmed Shah and His Queens (Badshah no Hajiro and Rani no Hajiro)
Location: Outside the East gate of the Jumma Masjid
The tombs of Ahmed Shah (Badshah no Hajiro) and his queens (Rani no Hajiro) are located here. Women are not allowed into the central chamber of Ahmed Shah's tomb. The queens of subsequent Sultans were also buried at Rani no Hajiro.

Rani Sipri's Mosque and tomb
Location: 2 km from city center
With architecture that is a blend of Hindu and Muslim style and extremely graceful design, the Rani Sipri Mosque is also known as the Masjid-e-Nagira, or jewel of a Mosque.

Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaja
Location: 5 km from city center near Sidi Saiyad's Mosque.
Built by Ahmed Shah in 1411, the Bhadra Fort is named after the goddess Bhadra, an incarnation of Kali, whose temple is situated inside the fort.
What was once a royal palace with gardens is now a post office! The fort is the venue for the Independence day and Republic day celebrations. To the east of the fort lies the main entrance, the richly carved triple arched gateway or Teen Darwaja.
Ahmed Shah used this as royal entrance to enter Royal Square or Maidan-e-Shah.

Calico Museum of Textile
Location: Calico mills
Built in 1949, the Calico Textile Museum is regarded as one of the finest textile museums in the world. It has rare collection of exquisite textiles made from fabrics that were spun, woven and printed in last five centuries and from all parts of the country.
Housed in Gujarat's famous wooden-carved havelis, this museum is a must visit for all the textile lovers to study and appreciate textiles from all over India.
The museum remains closed on Wednesdays and bank holidays.

Veechar Utensils Museum
Location: Vasna toll naka
Another unique museum, which houses various utensils collected from all over India.
The museum remains closed on Sundays.

Shreyas Folk Art Museum
Location: In the suburb of Ambavadi, about 2.5km west of SabarmatiShreyas Folk Museum displays the folk arts and crafts of Gujarat.
It remains closed on Wednesday.

Hussain - Doshi's Gufa
Location: In the campus of the center for Environment Planning and Technology opposite the Gujarat University
Another unique place where art fuses with architecture. This gallery houses the collaborative efforts of artist M.F. Hussain and architect B.V. Doshi creating a unique experience. The Gufa is a cave like structure buried under ground.

Hutheesing's Temple
Location: Just outside the Delhi Gate
Built in 1848 by a rich Jain merchant, the Hutheesing's Temple is a Jain temple made of white marble. It is dedicated to Dharamanath, the 15th Jain Tirthankara.

Sabarmati Ashram
Location: 7 km from the city center on the banks of Sabarmati river
Sabarmati Ashram was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915 and was the headquarters during the struggle for Indian independence. In 1930, Gandhiji started his Dandi March from here.
'Haridaya Kunj', the small house where Gandhiji used to stay is now a National Monument with a small museum in Gandhi's living quarters. There are also pictures of major events in his life and the sound and light show in the evenings portrays Gandhiji's role in the freedom struggle.
There is also a bookshop, handicraft center, handmade paper factory, and spinning wheel factory.
The Ashram is open from 8.30 am till 6.30 pm.

Dada Hari Baoli (Step-well)
Location: Near city center, can be reached by taking auto rickshaw
Built in 1499, Dada Hari Baoli is a step-well or Wav. Wav are unique to the Gujarat state. It has a series of steps leading down to lower and lower platforms, eventually leading to small octagonal well. The Wav's were made across the Gujarat state to provide reliable water supply and also to provide cool place for travelers to rest.
Adalaj Wav (10 km) built by Queen Rudabai is another good wav.

Nal Sarovar
Location: 64 km from Ahmedabad city
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is a 116 sq km lake, where many species of migratory birds visit during the winter months (November to February).

Kankaria lake
Location: South East of Ahmedabad city
This one-mile wide circular artificial lake is a picnic spot and has a zoo, children's park, aquarium and many junk food stalls. It was built in 1451 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak and has an island garden with summer palace in the center of the lake.



Video: Music fountain cum lazer show at Nagina Wadi, Kankaria

Nearby Attractions:
Akshardham Temple
Location: 2 km from Gandhinagar station, 25 km from Ahmedabad city.
Inaugurated in 1992, the Akshardham temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan and is a unique complex that combines art, architecture, education, research, exhibition and devotion in one place.
Over 2 million visitors visit it annually. It is an architectural marvel with 10 stories, and intricately carved walls, 40 windows and 93 pillars.
On September 24th 2002, some gunmen had stormed the temple killing 30 people and injuring over 100 people.

Lothal
Location: 80 km southwest of Ahmedabad.
Lothal, is the site of archaeological ruins of the Harappan civilization of the 2nd millennium B.C.
Discovered in 1954, the excavations have revealed a planned city on a grid pattern with an underground drainage system, public and private wells, and houses with hearths and baths.
The excavators have also found a dockyard, which was probably one of the most important ports on the subcontinent.

The Sun temple of Modhera
Location: 102 km from Ahmedabad, near Mehsana.
Built in 1026 AD by Bhimadeva of Solanki Rajpur clan, the Sun temple is dedicated to the Sun God and is a fine example of the Indian temple architecture. It is one of the two Sun temples in India (other is at Konark). The temple has beautiful sculptures, carvings and big tank.

Patan
Location: 130 km Northwest of Ahmedabad
Patan is known for its step-well (Rani ni Wav), Sahastralinga Talav and about 100 Jain Temples. It is also known for its Patola sarees, one of the finest hand-made textiles in the world.


Video: Sabarmati Ashram

Reaching there:
Air: Ahmedabad Airport (15 km) has connection with all the major cities of India by regular flights. All airlines have flight from and to Ahmedabad. It has flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Indore, as well as smaller airports in Gujarat like Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Baroda, Keshod, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla and Jamnagar.

Rail: Ahmedabad railway station is located in the heart of the city. It is an important station in the western line and has 12 platforms with broad, meter and narrow guage lines!
Direct trains are available to most major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Mathura, Cochin, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Kolkatta etc by broad guage and to places in Rajasthan by meter guage.

Road: NH 8 (Delhi - Jaipur - Ajmer - Udaipur - Ahmedabad - Vadodra - Mumbai), NH 8 A (Ahmedabad - Limbdi - Morvi - Kandla - Mandvi) and NH 59 (Ahmedabad - Godhra - Dhar - Indore) are the National Highways passing through Ahmedabad.
The City is very well connected with all the towns and cities of the Gujarat state as well as nearby states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Gujarat State Transport Buses have regular services to and from Mt. Abu, Gandhinagar, Indore, Udaipur, Nathdwara etc.

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