Day 73 - Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is regarded as the largest city in Gujarat and is also one of the fastest growing cities in India, located on the banks of Sabarmati. The city is popular as the Manchester of the East as it is famous for its textile mills. The history of Ahmedabad dates back to 15th century when it was known as Karnavati after the name of the King Karandev, the ruler of the place. Later when Sultan Ahmed Shah, medieval ruler of Gujarat, conquered the place it was renamed as Ahmedabad. The city was spacious and built to the east of Sabarmati. There is a fort known as Bhadra Fort which is enclosed by 12 gates. On both sides of the river, the city was expanded with beautiful structures and lakes.Ahmedabad is popularly known for its industrial workmanship. Moreover, Ahmedabad is one of the excellent medical tourism spot that holds all the unique health facilities at minimal cost.


How to reach here:

By Air: Ahmedabad Airport is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, which is about 14 km from the heart of the city. Airport is connected with all major cities in India.

By Rail: Ahmedabad railway station is connected to many major cities including Mumbai and Delhi. It is connected to all major cities in Gujarat.


Best time to visit: October to March.


Languages spoken: Gujarati, Hindi, English.


Must eat: Dal-dhokli, chevdoh, Dhokla, undhiyu, Khaman .


Famous Restaurants: Zen cafe, Seva cafe, Awadh Puri, Agashiye,Tomato's.


Places you must visit:

Science City is an ambitious initiative of the government of Gujarat to trigger an inquiry of science in the mind of a common citizen with the aid of entertainment and experiential knowledge. Covering an area of more than 107 hectares, the idea is to create imaginative exhibits, virtual reality activity corners, and live demonstrations in an easily understandable manner. Science city houses IMAX 3D Theatre, exhibition hall, amphitheater and thrill rides. Musical Dancing Fountain, Aquamobil and ride simulations are the other attractions of the city. This science city has two wings, Energy Education Park and Life Science Park. In the Life Science Park, visitors can spot varieties of butterflies and rare cacti plants.

Manek Chowk is among the busiest areas in Ahmedabad.  It’s amongst the most popular market areas in the city renowned for its gold trade market.This market is also a favorite for some of the most scrumptious food.



City Museum was built by French architect, Le Corbusier. This museum exhibits the important aspects and achievements of Ahmedabad. It was established on 5th April, 2000, and is also known as Atit Ki Jhanki in the local language. This museum has a collection of medieval coins, land documents, Devnagari and Urdu scripts. Several artifacts like art, pottery, woodcraft and frescoes of medieval India are exhibited in the museum. The museum also holds evidences of Industrial Revolution in Ahmedabad along with the items depicting effects of Gandhism in the city.







Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi Ashram), which is located at banks of the Sabarmati River, was found in 1915. This ashram was the residence of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi till 1930. During the time of independence movement, the ashram was referred to as the Satyagrah Ashram. This ashram was the inception point for famous Dandi March in 1930, due to which it has been declared as the national monument.Today, this ashram is basically a museum, known as Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya. Along with the museum, this ashram houses a library, auditorium and photo galleries depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The exhibition in the museum consists of 8 life-size painting and around 250 photo-enlargements historic events of Gandhi's life.Library holds a collection of 35,000 books, all of which are based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi and Indian freedom movement. The reading room within the library comprises around 80 periodicals in English, Gujarati and Hindi.Various parts of ashram like Magan Niwas, Upasana Mandir, Hriday Kunj and Vinoba-Mira Kutir. Other parts like Nandini, Udyog Mandir, Somnath Chattralaya, Teacher's Niwas and Gandhi in Ahmedabad can also be visited.







Calico Textiles Museum was found in 1949 by Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gira Sarabhai. Renowned as one of the finest museums of textile in the world, this museum exhibits a collection of fabrics from across India. The collection displayed at the museum ranges from religious clothes to the ones worn in royal court rooms. There are court textiles used by the Mughal along with clothes worn by the provincial rulers of 15th to 19th centuries. Besides textile, exhibition on ritual art, temple hangings, South Indian bronzes, Jain art and furniture crafts can also be seen.







Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum of Indology, which was established in 1984, is a museum of art and archaeology. This museum is known for its palm-leaf manuscripts, 3rd to 11th century sculptures and pre-Mughal miniature paintings. Smt. Madhuri D. Desai, daughter in-law of Shri Bhulabhai Desai as well as an art connoisseur, has donated various art works to the museum. There is an entire gallery dedicated to her, which is called Madhuri D. Desai Gallery.This gallery holds the exhibit of largest head of Buddha in stucco from Gandhara. Visitors can also see the earliest cult image of Lord Rama, Mother goddess Aindri from Shamlaji and the Adinath bronze image from Sirpur. Other major highlights of the collection include the Jaina bronze images from Ghogha, Buddha images from Mathura or Sarnath and Chola sculptures from Tamil Nadu.Another gallery in the museum called Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery holds a collection of Gujarati Jain style paintings that date back to Mughal period. The collection also includes Jain pilgrimage painting on cloth, Vijnaptipatra painted at Agra by the Mughal painter and Kalakacharyakatha in Mandu style. P.T. Munshaw Gallery of the museum displays a collection of historical phases of coinage of India.This museum also houses a Shri Arvindbhai Collection, which displays Chola style Nataraja, a Nepali or Tibetan Bronze Mandala and Chinese or Japanese style cupboard in wood. Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai Collection of Indian Drawings from Calcutta represents drawings for Indian Miniature paintings belonging to various regional schools. L.D. Museum Conservation Laboratory, which is meant for conservation of these paintings, is also housed in the museum.

Kite Museum was founded by Bhanubhai Shah for displaying the collection of rare kites, which he built over 50 years.In this museum, one can catch a glimpse of huge kites which are around 22 by 16 feet. Another kite, which is a major highlight of the museum, is made using 400 pieces of paper. The collection at this museum also includes miniature paintings of Radha Krishna.Some of the kites in this museum crafted with sequences of garba dances, mirror work and block prints. Kites made of different material like polythene, nylon, cotton and paper can also be seen in the museum. Hexagonal Japanese kites called Rokoku are also at display in the museum.

Swami Narayan Mandir is one of the popular temples in the city. Designed similar to a traditional Gujarati mansion, this temple comprises nine tombs that are located on the southern side. These nine tombs are known as 'Nau Gaz Pir' or the 'Nine Yard Saints'. Temple is dedicated to Lord Narnarayan, however, idols of Radhakrishna, Dharmadev-Bhakti Mata and Hari Krishna Maharaj are also worshipped.Deities of Lord Shri Ji Maharaj, Lord Balswaroop Ghanshyam Maharaj and Lord Ghanshyam Maharaj are also placed in the temple. The temple is known for its intricately crafted wooden carvings and unique architecture. The mansion of the Swami Narayan Temple serves as the official residence of H.H. Acharya Maharaj of Shri Narnarayandev Desh.

     

Hathisingh Jain Temple was established in 1850 by Seth Hathisingh, who was a rich Jain merchant. This temple is dedicated to the 15th 'Jain Tirthankar', known as Dharamnath. The temple is made using white marble, which is adorned with intricately designed carvings. The temple is a double-storied building.There are 52 shrines in the temple, each of which adorns an image of a 'Tirthankar'. One of the shrines has the marble replica of the 15th Tirthankar, Dharamnath. Hathisingh Jain Temple is surrounded by porches in distinct arrangement from three sides. The porch that is in the front of the temple is ornamented by a dome shaped structure.

Juma Masjid  is one of the most sacred mosques in Ahmedabad. It was built in 1423 A.D. by Sultan Ahmed Shah, who is known to be the founder of the city. Mosque has been constructed using yellow sandstone, which reflects the amalgamation of Hindu and Islamic styles in the architecture. The mosque consists of 15 domes that are supported by 260 pillars.Originally, Juma Masjid was known as the Masjid-i-Jahanuma, which means a mosque that commands the view of the world. Tourists visiting this mosque can see a cupboard near the northern gate. This cupboard contains some of the relics of Muhammad like Koran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and footprint embedded in a marble slab.Towards the eastern entrance of the mosque, mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed Shah can be seen. Graveyard of three rulers, namely; Ahmed Shah I, his son, Mohammed Shah and his grandson, Qutub-Ud-Din Ahmed Shah II, can be found in this mausoleum. Constructed by Mohammad Shah II as a tribute to his father, this mausoleum is popularly known as Roja.






Rani Sipri's Mosque was built in 1514 AD by Rani Sipri, wife of Mehmud Begada. The architecture of the mosque is a blend of Hindu and Islamic style. This mosque is also known as the Masjid-e-Nagira or 'jewel of a mosque' due to its design. The mosque has minarets that depict the mixture of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles.The mosque is 50 ft high, 20 ft broad and 54 ft long, with interior carved beautifully. Jali work dominates the decoration patterns in entire mosque along with the carving of flowing plants and trees. For women, a separate area for worshipping called Jenana is constructed.







The Siddi Bashir Mosque, also called the Shaking Minarets is renowned for its unique construction.The minarets vibrate on shaking and stall almost as surprisingly within a few seconds.  The vibration is set off by a slight exertion of force at the arch of the upper gallery.  The vibrations of the Minarets have aroused a lot of curiosity to the extent that the British rulers dismantled one of the minarets to understand the mystery behind it.  Intricately carved balconies hang in mesmerized beauty on the 21 ft high minarets.







Sidi Saiyyad Mosque, which was built in 1573, is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad. This mosque was built by Sidi Saeed in service of Bilal Jhajar Khan, who was a General in the army of Sultan Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah III.Famed for its 10 carved stone latticework windows, it is counted among the most beautiful mosques in Gujarat. Characterized by arches on the side and rear, this mosque has a wall, which is filled with square stone pierced panels in geometrical designs.The central aisle of the mosque is flanked by two bays, which have stone slabs marked in designs of intertwined trees and foliage. This carved stone window is called the Siddi Sayyed Jali, which is an unofficial symbol of Ahmedabad. This jali is on display in the London Museum and the UN headquarters.





Kankaria Lake, which was earlier known as Hauj-E-Kutub, is the biggest lake in Ahmedabad. During the time of kings, this lake served as the bathing place for all the badshahs. Built by Sultan Kutubuddin in 15th century, this lake consisted of a water purification system. The lake is circular, however, at one point it opens into a walkway, which leads to garden called Nagina Wadi.





The Darpana Academy is one of the most interactive and well managed institutions. A space where tradition and technology coexist harmoniously, exploring the world of art and dance.  With over 60 permanent staff and many more attached to the cause, the institution is the dream child of Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai and is currently run by their famous daughter – Mallika Sarabhai.  The Darpana Academy participates in programs across the world in over 90 countries and has already schooled 25,000 graduates.



Bhadra Fort was constructed by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1411 A.D. This royal fort contains a Bhadrakali Temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess 'Bhadrakali'. Today, this fort serves as the venue for conducting flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day and Republic day.Spread over an area of 44 acres, this fort includes a garden along with a grand pavilion. Known for its architecture around the world, this fort features carved arches and balconies and windows with aesthetic Jali works. Presently, the fort houses several government offices like Archaeological Survey of India. One of the highlights of the fort that attracts tourists is the statue of the first industrialist of the city.




Sultan Ahmed Shah mosque is a religious place for Muslims, which was constructed in 1414 A.D. by Sultan Ahmed Shah.This mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the city. The prayer hall of the mosque, which is known as Mehrab is designed using black and white marbles.For women, there is a separate worship chamber in the mosque, which is located towards the north east corner. This prayer room for women is popularly known as 'Zenana'. In the early time, this mosque was a holy place meant for the royal class only. It is believed that the mosque has been constructed on the site of a Hindu temple.






Sarkhej Roza offers an ideal atmosphere of peace and tranquility. It is actually the home of a Muslim spiritual leader, Ahmed Kattu Gang Baksh whom Sultan Ahmed Shah followed and admired. It is a cluster of monuments that date back to the times of Mughal rule in the city. It is a platform for co-existence of three distinct worlds namely royal, religious and social.



Teen Darwaza is an excellent spot for sightseeing in Ahmedabad. The gorgeously arched gates and the intricately carved walls and pillars make Teen Darwaza a special place to visit. It is because of this, it is considered as India's finest epitome of Islamic culture and architecture. This gateway is one of the oldest and the longest in the Ahmedabad city.





Modhera Sun Temple is famous for its structural design and encompasses three prime chambers namely Guda Mandap, Surya Kund and Sabha Mandap. Each chamber is meant for specific reasons. Guda Mandap is the main temple or known as sanctum sanctorum, Sabha Mandap is place for discussing about religious topics and the Surya Kund is a beautifully carved tank.





Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary is a beautiful natural lake which makes an excellent sightseeing spot for tourists. Spread over an area of 116 sq. km, this place attracts more tourists because of its vivid birds that migrate from Siberia. Nal Sarovar serves as an oasis of tranquility and serenity in the midst of hustle and bustle of the Ahmedabad's city life. You can see flocks of birds mainly consisting of ducks, flamingos, pelicans, and geese visiting this Lake.





Vaishno Devi temple is a replica of the original Vaishno Devi Mandir of Jammu and Kashmir, the devotees and tourist come here with equal reverence.




Akshardham Temple's foundation  was laid by Bochasanwasi Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Visited by around 2 million of devotees every year, this temple is one of the most popular attractions of the city. The temple dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan, reflects the wealth of Gujarati architecture.This architectural masterpiece is the symbol of humanity in Gujarat and celebrates the commandments of Swaminarayan faith. Made using 6,000 tonnes of pink sandstones, this 10 storied temple comprises 93 sculpted pillars. The edifice is 240 ft in length, 131 feet in width and 108 feet in height. The main highlight of the architecture is that the entire structure of sandstone is standing erect without the use of iron rod.The temple complex houses herbal garden, lake and a waterfall. Moreover, ultramodern Akshardham Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH) is also located within the temple complex. Double-walled and air-cooled halls are also located in the temple complex. In these halls, exhibitions that are themed around Indian Culture are displayed. Hall 1 is called Sahajanand and is dedicated to the life of Lord Swaminarayan. Hall 2 is called Mystic India and the short movie of 45 minutes played in this hall that helps the visitors rediscover India. Known as Nityanand, Hall 3 displays the messages of Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
 






Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial was constructed to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the freedom fighter and his contribution in independence movement. This memorial is basically a museum and exhibition center.Renowned as Moti Shah Mahal, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial has served as Raj Bhavan from 1960 to 1968. In the museum, portraits of Sardar Patel and his family have been exhibited. Biography of Indian independence activist and political leader, Sardar Patel, can also be seen in the museum.  This museum also consists of the national flag, which was designed by the Indian National Congress in 1930. This flag is one of the main highlights of the entire museum. The museum is surrounded by a garden, known as Sardar Open Garden.

Hussain Doshi Gufa is an underground art gallery, which holds an exhibition of works of M. F. Hussain. Designed by B. V. Doshi, this art gallery has been named after Hussain and Doshi. Popularly, the art gallery is known as Amdavad Ni Gufa. The reason behind calling it Gufa is its structural design, which resembles a cave.

Kamla Nehru Zoo is situated at the banks of Kankaria Lake. This zoo is home to albino animals like red-necked wallaby, deer and American alligator. Besides, feathering folk, reptiles and other mammals are other animals that inhabit the zoo.Kamla Nehru Zoo also serves as a home to endangered species like flamingos, Indian Wild Ass, Mouse Deer, Asiatic Lion and Chinkara. Great Indian Bustards can also be spotted in this popular zoo.  

Rani Rupmati Mosque is a popular mosque in Ahmedabad, which was built by Sultan Mehmud Beghara. He named this mosque after his Hindu wife, Rupmati. This mosque is characterised by three domes, each of which is supported by pillars that stand inside the mosque. The central dome of the mosque is elevated and lightens up with sunlight.The architecture of the mosque is an amalgamation of Islamic and Hindu style. The ceiling inside the dome adorns Hindu style patterns, while the prayer hall has Muslim style carvings.

Vechaar Utensils Museum was founded in 1981 by Surendra Patel, who is an interior designer by profession. This museum holds the display of a wide collection of utensils ranging from leaves or a gourd jug to stainless steel and glass utensils.The exhibition also holds a collection of metal utensils like utensils made of brass, copper, bronze, zinc and German silver. Pots, spoons and vessel for churning buttermilk are also on display in this museum. The main highlight of the museum is the authentic Gujarati village cuisine, which is served in these utensils.

Shreyas Folk Museum holds exhibit of traditional folk arts of Gujarat, including textile and decorative collectibles. Owned by a private trust, the Shreyas Folk Museum is a popular tourist attraction. The folk art and culture of rural communities like kathi, rabari, banias, bhansali, rajputs, khojas, vohras, memons and the Miyanas are displayed in the museum.

Auto World Museum holds one of the largest and biggest automobile collections in India. From vintage cars to motorcycles, every type of automobile is on display in this museum. Established by Pranlal Bhogilal family, the museum has more than 100 finest cars in the world like Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Daimler.

Adalaj ni Vav is the famous Step Well,which is popular among tourists for its intricate carvings. Constructed by Queen Rudabai in 1499, it was one of the main stopping points for travellers and caravans passing through this trade route.This is a four level well which features carvings of animals, flowers and Hindu Gods and Goddesses.