My Visual Travel Experience: Ahmedabad

Between 1999 and 2011, I visited Ahmedabad several times during my marketing stints in Britannia and Nokia, either on market visits or to recruit Management Trainees from IIM Ahmedabad. Then in 2016, I went and spent 4 days in Gujarat, between Ahmedabad and Baroda, and I enjoyed my visit. Baroda was a morning-evening visit, and most of my time was spent in Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad has a population of 5.6 million and is the largest city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, though the state’s capital is in the nearby town of Gandhinagar. Ahmedabad lies on the banks of the Sabarmati River. In 2017, the historic city of Ahmedabad was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City. 

In the 11th century AD, the Chaulukya ruler Karna established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati River. In the 13th century, the Vaghela Dynasty of Dhokla came to power. In the 14th century, the Delhi Sultanate took over. In the 15th century, the local governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar broke away from the Delhi Sultanate and crowned himself Sultan of Gujarat. His grandson Ahmed Shah came to power in 1411 AD, and he built a city close to Karnavati and called it Ahmedabad. In 1535, Mughal Emperor Humayun briefly occupied the city but the Muzaffarid Dynasty again came to power till 1573, when Gujarat was captured by Humayun’s son, Akbar. In 1758, the Mughals surrendered the city to the Marathas. The British East India Company took control in 1818.

Ahmedabad played an important role in India’s independence movement against the British. In 1960, the State of Bombay was partitioned, and Ahmedabad became the capital of the State of Gujarat. In the late 1970’s, the capital was shifted to nearby Gandhinagar. Today Ahmedabad is a sprawling metropolis. Besides its many historical places, the city has some of India's most prestigious educational institutes, including Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) and National Institute of Design. 

Sabarmati Ashram was one of the residences of Mahatma Gandhi. He lived here with his wife Kasturba Gandhi for over 12 years from 1917 to 1930. He led the famous Dandi March from this ashram in 1930 to protest against the British tax on salt. During the famous march, Mahatma Gandhi and 78 of his companions walked a distance of almost 400 km all the way to Dandi. The ashram was converted into a museum in 1963.  The museum features paintings,  photographs, letters and quotations from Mahatma Gandhi’s life.  There is a library. There is also Hriday Kunj, his cottage, where several of his belongings are displayed, including his charkha, chappals and spectacles. The ashram also has the Vinobha – Mira Kutir, where Vinobha Bhave and Madeleine used to stay.

Mahatma Gandhi's Three Monkeys, Sabarmati Ashram

Mahatma Gandhi's Statue, Sabarmati Ashram

Hriday Kunj, Sabarmati Ashram

Interior of Mahatma Gandhi's room at
Hriday Kunj, Sabarmati Ashram

Painting of the Dandi March, Sabarmati Ashram

Sardar Patel National Memorial is located in Moti Shahi Mahal, built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1622. The museum , which opened in 1980, contains exhibits on the life of freedom fighter, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who was independent India’s first Home Minister, and was responsible for getting all the princely states into the union of India.  The museum features portraits, sculptures, personal belongings, newspaper clippings and other exhibits from the life of Sardar Patel. The museum has a room with exhibits from the life of Mahatma Gandhi. There is also a room dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore, who stayed here in 1878 as a 17 year old. The Bengali poet and writer wrote his story “The Hunger Stones” and his first song here. From 1968 to 1975, the palace was the Raj Bhavan, the governor’s residence.

Sardar Patel National Memorial

Statue of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi
and Sardar Patel outside Sardar Patel National Memorial

Exhibit on the Princely States,
Sardar Patel National Museum

Jama Masjid was built in 1424 by Ahmed Shah and is the largest mosque in Ahmedabad. Originally, the mosque was for the private use of the sultan. The mosque lies inside the old walled city, and within a large walled courtyard, 75 meters long and 66 meters wide. The centre of the courtyard has a tank for ablutions. The mosque lies on the eastern side, and the other three sides are lined with a  colonnade. The main prayer hall has 15 domes and 260 pillars.

Jama Masjid

Interior, Jama Masjid

Corridor, Jama Masjid

Ahmed Shah’s Mosque was built in 1414 and is the oldest mosque in Ahmedabad. It was built by Ahmed Shah, the founder of Ahmedabad. The mosque has several large domes, and many smaller ones, supported by pillars. The mosque lies within well maintained grounds.

Ahmed Shah's Mosque

Facade, Ahmed Shah's Mosque

Interior, Ahmed Shah's Mosque

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque is a mosque that was built in 1573, just before the end of the Gujarat Sultanate. The mosque is famous for its 10 lattice windows in the form of arches. Two of the panels have beautiful stone slabs depicting intertwined trees.

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Lattice Windows, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Pigeons at the tank, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Rani Sipri’s Mosque and Tomb dates back to 1514. It was commissioned by Queen Sipri, the wife of Sultan Mahmud Begada, after he executed their son. The queen was later buried there.

Rani Sipri's Mosque and Tomb

Bhadra Fort was built by Ahmed Shah in 1411 and is inside the walled city. The large gate was the gateway to Ahmed Shah’s palace. The clock tower was installed by the British in 1868. The fort originally had 8 gates, and contained 162 houses.  When the British took over the city in 1818, the fort was used as a jail.

Bhadra Fort

Teen Darwaza is a gateway to the old city and is situated close to Bhadra Fort. It was built in 1415. The gateway has three arches.

Teen Darwaza

Calico Museum of Textiles was founded in 1949 and is managed by the Sarabhai Foundation. The museum was established by the industrialist Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gira Sarabhai. The museum features court textiles from the Mughal period, embroideries, tie-dye textiles and religious textiles, many of which feature the motif of Lord Krishna. There are also South Indian bronze sculptures, Jain sculptures, and furniture on display. One has to book an appointment to visit the museum, and one is then taken on a guided tour.

Calico Museum of Textiles

Hutheesing Temple is a Jain temple that was constructed in 1848. It is dedicated to the fifth Jain Tirthankar. The temple has a famous pillar (the Kirti Sthambh).

Hutheesing Temple

Detail, Hutheesing Temple

Work began on developing the Sabarmati Waterfront in 2005. There are two level promenades on both sides of the river. The lower promenade  (which is about 11 km long) is open only to pedestrians and cyclists. The upper promenade is for cultural activities that are regularly organized. There are parks and eateries along the upper promenade. Before the project began, the area was inhabited by slum dwellers.

Sabarmati Waterfront

Riverfront Park, Sabarmati Waterfront

I enjoyed my 4 day trip. I stayed at Ahmedabad's Lemon Tree Hotel, which was reasonable and very comfortable. I had a taxi at my disposal, so commuting wasn't a problem. I really liked the Gujarati vegetarian thalis that I had - aamras was a real winner! Yes, the old city of Ahmedabad could certainly have been cleaner, but other than that, Ahmedabad was very interesting, and Baroda had this grandeur about it, especially thanks to the Laxmi Niwas Palace. Gujarat has a lot of places of interest, including the famous Gir Forest (well known for its Asiatic lions), the Somnath Temple and Gandhinagar's Akshardham Temple, but I would've needed several more days to cover all of those!