Sabarmati
Ashram established by Mahatama Gandhi is the
focal point of Ahmedabad. Its cotton textile
industries have earned the city the nickname of
the 'Manchester of the East'. Ahmedabad has been
named after its founder Sultan Ahmed Shah, who
founded it in 1411 on the banks of River
Sabarmati. In the 17th century, Ahmedabad had
acquired a special in some of the most
prosperous Indian cities and emerged as a key
trade and commerce centre. Economic depression
in the 18th century caused a slip to the hands
of British.
However, it was Mahatama Gandhi who immortalized
the city in the history of India by launching
the National Freedom Movement for India from
here. The second largest industrial centre of
Western India, Ahmedabad is an eclectic mix of
the traditional old and the modern metropolitan
city. The large number of mosques in the city
such as the mosques of Shah Alam, Rani Rupmati,
Ahmed Shah and Sidi Saiyad with unique and
distinctive architectural styles has popularized
the city as the 'city of mosques'.
Ahmedabad's Prime
Attractions
Sabarmati Ashram
A prominent centre and the launching pad of the
National Freedom Movement, Sabarmati Ashram was
established in 1915 on the banks of River
Sabarmati founded by Gandhi ji. In 1930, it was
here that Gandhiji started on the famous Dandi
March and till then, it has become symbolic of
India's independence and freedom. Now, a nuseum
dedicated to Gandhi and his family and life, it
houses a library with scores of books on
Mahatama Gandhi and his philosophy. It remains
open to the visitors daily from 8:30 am to 6:30
pm and there are light and sound shows organized
in the evenings four days a week, namely,
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Shaking Minarets
Shaking Minarets are a rare piece of Muslim
architecture and are a part of Sidi Bashir
mosque. The twin minarets display a unique
'resonance' effect, where whenever, one minaret
is shaken, the other also starts rocking. They
have a earthquake-resistant structure too.
British unwittingly dismantled some of its
portions in the attempt to try and understand
their mechanism but were unable to put them back
together successfully.
Bhadra Fort
Named after the revered temple of Goddess
Bhadrakali in the premises of the fort, this
fort is a cluster of royal palaces and
well-planned gardens.
Hathee Singh Temple
The 19th century white marble Jain temple, which
is highly carved, is dedicated to the 15th Jain
apostle and is the best of all Jain temples in
Ahmedabad.
Sarkhej
Roza
The buildings of this elegant beautiful
architectural complex have no arches and use
pierced stone trellises.
Dada Hari Vav
One of the traditional Gujarati step wells,
built by a woman of Sultan Begara's harem in
1501, is deserted but yet has a mysterious charm
to its galleries. A series of steps leads to the
lower and cooler platforms that offer relief in
the hottest days of summer.
Kankaria Lake
An artificial lake built by Qutb-ud-din in 1451
with a fabulous island palace in the midst of
the lake was the favorite retreat of Mughal
emperor Jehangir who came to stay here with his
wife Nur Jahan. It is a popular picnic spot for
the families now and has an aquarium, a
children's park and a zoo too.
Calico Museum
One of its kind, Calico Textile Museum is
actually an intricately carved 'haveli' made of
wood has rarest tapestries and wall hangings. It
displays a rich collection of ancient and modern
textiles, fabrics and costumes since 17th
century, a reference library and some older
weaving machines that are testimonials of the
evolution of the textile industry since then.
Ahmedabad City Facts
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Location: |
Situated in Gujarat, India. It is 540 km from Mumbai and 1076 km from Delhi via Udaipur and Jaipur. |
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Climate: |
Ahmedabad has extreme tropical climate with very hot summers and chilly winters. Monsoons are humid and sultry and frequent rains characterize this season. |
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How to Reach:
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By Air: |
Ahmedabad's domestic airport has flights to and from Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai while its international airport has flights to various overseas destinations. |
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By Train: |
Trains link Ahmedabad to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Udaipur, Calcutta, Chennai and other major cities of India. |
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By Road: |
Government and private buses and luxury coaches connect Ahmedabad to major cities of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. |
