About the city
Ahmedabad is located in western India on the banks of the River Sabarmati.
Ahmedabad city offers the traveler a unique style of architecture, which is a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles (Indo-Saracenic style of architecture). Presently Ahmedabad is famous for its textile mills and is often referred to as the 'Manchester of the East'.
Ahmedabad has got numerous places of interest for tourists, ranging from monuments to amusement parks. The charm of the various museums, mosques, and forts complements the simplicity of the Ahmedabad city.
There are many places of tourist interesting that near Ahmedabad that are worth visiting. Sarkhej, Adlaj Vav, Lothal, Modhera, Patan, Gandhinagar, Mahudi, Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary et al.
The fun-loving people of Ahmedabad celebrate the traditional festivals with excitement. The tourists in Ahmedabad during any event or festival enjoy the celebrations with the special Gujarati style. Besides the traditional Navratri and Rath Yatra Ahmedabad hosts the contemporary International Kite Festival too.
The city of Ahmedabad is easily accessible from the other important cities of India besides the other cities of Gujarat. The excellent road network, railway system and the air linking make Ahmedabad a popular travel destination of western India.
The fun-loving people of Ahmedabad celebrate the traditional festivals with excitement. The tourists in Ahmedabad during any event or festival enjoy the celebrations with the special Gujarati style. Besides the traditional Navratri and Rath Yatra Ahmedabad hosts the contemporary International Kite Festival too.
Science City
A government initiative to draw more students towards science education, it has an IMAX 3D Theater, an Energy Park, a Hall of Science, an amphitheater, and dancing musical fountains. Timings: 3 pm-9 pm Kamla Nehru Hill Garden Zoological Park Just beside the Kankaria Lake, it is well known for albino animals, especially a breeding stock of albino porcupines. It also has a huge number of birds, mammals and reptiles. The Natural History Museum here has dioramas and stuffed birds. Aquarium and Park (Kankaria Lake) The lake offers a host of fun activities to keep your kids as well as you going for a long, long time. There's an aquarium where children can enjoy the experience of going in a submarine while watching a variety of fish. There's also the Balvatika Amusement Park where kids can be their boisterous best. Kite Museum Housed in the Sanskar Kendra (Bhagatcharya Road) it celebrates Ahmedabad's colourful kite festival and if you are traveling with children, it is an absolute mandatory stop.
Kite Festival
The Indian state of Gujarat is known for its colour and festivities. Amongst the famous festivals of Ahmedabad is the Kite festival that is celebrated on Makar Sankranti, or January 14. A kite flying competition goes on till late in the evening to mark the festival. The kite festival is a place to be at in Ahmedabad since it has now become an international festival. Tourists and participants from all over the world come to enjoy the exotic range of designs and sizes of kites in the festival at Ahmedabad.
Navratri
Another popular festival of Ahmedabad is Navratri. The festival is celebrated for nine nights and reaches its finale on the Dussehra day. Ahmedabad is the place to be at to see the young people dressed up in their best traditional dresses-chania choli for girls and dhoti kurta for boys-and dance the Garba and the Dandiya Raas (traditional dances of the state) through the night for all the nine days of the festival. This festival of Gujarat is dedicated to Goddess Amba.
Rath Yatra
Similar to the Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri in Orissa, a Rath Yatra is carried out in Ahmedabad as well. The procession starts in the morning from the Jagdish Mandir situated in the Jamalpur area of the Ahmedabad city. Ahmedabad is the place to visit during the Rath Yatra as chariots of Krishna, Balram and Subhadra, adorned with garlands, are taken round the city amidst much pomp, show, and gaiety. Hymns are sung in the siblings' praise. The decorated elephants, gymnasts, acrobats, sadhus, and devotees from all walks of life join the procession of the Rath Yatra. The Mahant (head priest) of the Jagannath Temple heads the procession in Ahmedabad.
Historical Places
Gandhi Ashram Without doubt the biggest tourist attraction in Ahmedabad, Gandhi Ashram symbolises the city's unique association with India's freedom movement and the Father of the Nation. Founded by Gandhiji in 1915, it lies on the banks of the Sabarmati River and was referred to as the Satyagraha Ashram during the lifetime of the Mahatma. It was from here, that the Mahatma began his famous Dandi March in 1930 to protest against the Salt Tax imposed by the British. One can see the three wise monkeys and many more of Gandhiji's teachings in the ashram premises. His only possessions-a pair of spectacles, spinning wheel, walking stick, and a pair of dhotisare displayed in the room where he lived. The ashram today continues the work started by Mahatma and houses a handicrafts centre, a handmade-paper factory and a spinning wheel factory. Timings: 9.30 am-5.30 pm, Mondays closed. Sidi Sayed Mosque This beautiful mosque is renowned for its intricately designed screens (jhali), framed in ten semi-circular windows. The screens are carved out of one rock is noteworthy. Bhadra Fort Built in 1411 during the Maratha rule, the fort has charming palaces and well-laid gardens. It also boasts of a temple of Bhadrakali. Jhulta Minara An architectrural marvel, Jhulta Minara or Shaking Minarets are a part of the mosque of Siddi Bashir. It is said that if you shake one minaret the other one will also begin to quiver. One of the minarets was partly demolished by an Englishman to assuage his curiosity about the architectural principles employed in this structure. The mosque was built by master craftsmen and the crucial mechanism that leads to the vibration is still a mystery. Kankaria Lake This circular lake was built in 1451 by Sultan Qutub-ud-Din. In its centre is an island garden with a summer palace known as Nagina Wadi.
Religious Places
Hathisingh Jain Temple An impressive white structure, the Jain temple built of white marble and elaborately carved is dedicated to Dharmanath, the 15th Jain apostle. Vaishnodevi Temple A replica of the famous Vaishno Devi Temple near Jammu, this is located at SG Highway. Juma Masjid An excellent example of Muslim architecture, this mosque is built of yellow sandstone, stands on 260 pillars that support 15 domes at varying elevations. It was built by Ahmad Shah in 1423 Timings: 9 am- 5 pm>
Museums
Calico Textile Museum Housed in a traditional Gujarati haveli (house), the museum displays a magnificent collection of rare textiles dating back to the 17th century. There is also an excellent reference library on textiles. Also to be seen is a collection of marble, sandstone and bronze icons and busts. Timings: 10 am-12.30 pm and 2.30 pm-5.30 pm; Wednesdays closed. Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum It is one of the best art museums in the city, with a wide collection of Indian miniature paintings, cloth paintings, stone sculptures, terracottas, paintings of Tagore, art of Nepal and Tibet, bronzes, and coins. Timings: 10.30 am-5.30 pm; Mondays closed. Tribal Research Institute Museum haas re-creations of tribal hamlets of Gujrat besides weapons, implements, wall art, terracotta figurines and textiles. Timings: 11.30 - 1930. Sat 1130 - 1430; Sunday closed. The caves of Amdavad-ni-Gufa were an inspirational venture by the architect Doshi and the famous artist M F Hussain to display their work. These can be viewed at the University Campus.
Festivals
Makar Sankranti (Festival of Kites/Uttarayan, 14 January): A unique festival where earth and sky are both part of the celebration. Kites of all shapes and sizes is all that you can see when you look up. Be part of it, the feeling is electric. The festival marks the end of winter and return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. Children and adults fly kites through the day and night, marking the sky with myriad colours. Navratri (October/November): Navratri is a fun filled festival celebrated with full-blown enthusiasm in Ahmedabad. Dedicated to Goddess Shakti, it celebrates feminine power and is marked by nine days and nights of music, dance and revelry, especially the Garba dance. Women, colourfully dressed in long skirts with exquisite mirrorwork and beautifully crafted cholis (or blouses) dance in abandon, accompanied by foot-tapping music. It's awesome! You may wonder how they twirl and whirl and yet the sticks keep the rhythm. Try to plan your trip this time of the year, and get invited to one of the night long dance melas.
Entertainment
It's a non-stop celebration in Ahmedabad all the year around. Apart from the fun and frolic of the festivals of Gujarat, there's plenty to do. Head for the superbly comfortable multiplex cinemas in Gandhinagar or stretch your legs at the drive-in cinema Darpana Academy of Performing Arts is one of the most prestigious performing arts academies in the city. Its amphitheater Natarani is a terrific performance venue overlooking the Sabarmati River and is one of the few places that hosts performances by celebrated artists. The National Institute of Design (NID) hosts art, craft, design and photography exhibitions by visiting artists as well as by its own students. Do, do catch them.
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Places in and around
Gandhi Ashram
Another tourist attraction of Ahmedabad is the Satyagraha Ashram (or the Gandhi Ashram). The Ashram is a place of see in Ahmedabad as it was the centre for the Indian freedom struggle and was set-up in AD 1920 on the lull western banks of the
Sabarmati River.
In AD 1930, Gandhi called upon the Indians to defy the Salt Tax imposed by the British. The whole of India rose to the call and from Gandhi Ashram rallied on the Dandi March to the sea with him.
Besides the ashram another place to visit in Ahmedabad is 'Hridaya Kunj'-a simple cottage where Gandhi lived. The place is now preserved as a national monument. Amongst the places to be seen in Ahmedabad's Gandhi Ashram are the Gandhi Memorial Centre, a library and a sound-and-light show displaying the Mahatma's life and work.
Jama Masjid
Built by Ahmad Shah in AD 1423, near the Bhadra Fort, the Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad is one of the most striking mosques in India. The Jama Masjid is a place to visit in Ahmedabad owing to its Indo- Saracenic style of architecture and 15 domes resting upon 260 pillars.
Mosque of Sidi Sayid
Another place to be visited in Ahmedabad for its stone tracery and the motifs of the banyan tree on its windows is the Mosque of Sidi Sayid. The Mosque of Sidi Sayid is near the Lal Darwaza (Red Gateway) and is very close to the river end of the Relief Road in Ahmedabad. Ahmad Shah's slave Sidi Sayid built the mosque in AD 1573.
Hathee Singh Jain Temple
Another place to be seen in Ahmedabad is the Hathee Singh Temple, outside the Delhi Gate, in pure white marble. The 52 shrines, each with an image of a Jain Tirthankar in the temple are places to be seen in Ahmedabad. This Jain temple of Ahmedabad was built by Sheth Hathee Singh in 1848 and is dedicated to Dharmanath, the fifteenth Jina or Jain apostle
Sidi Bashir Mosque
Another tourist attraction of Ahmedabad city is the Sidi Bashir Mosque or the Shaking Minaret or Jhulta Minar outside the Sarangpur Gate. The place is to be seen to know that if one of the minarets is shaken, the other one begins to vibrate on its own without any provocation. The crucial mechanism that causes the vibration is still a mystery, and is enough to attract the curiosity of eager tourists in Ahmedabad. It is a belief that the vibration is a protection against any damage caused by earthquakes.
Kankaria Lake
Kankaria Lake is another tourist attraction of Ahmedabad. The Kankaria Lake is a circular lake constructed in AD 1451 by Sultan Qutub-ud-din. Amongst the places to be visited in the lake is the island garden at its centre with a summer palace known as Nagina Wadi. Lush green parks, an aquarium, a boat club, a natural historical museum, and a zoo surrounding the park make the lake a place to be seen in Ahmedabad. The 'Bal Vatika' or the children's park makes it a great picnic spot and attracts tourists and localities from Ahmedabad alike.
Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza
The Bhadra Fort of Ahmedabad is another place to be visited in the city. The place is a venue for Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations in Ahmedabad. This fort of Ahmedabad fort has a temple devoted to the Mother Goddess, Bhadrakali; hence the name Bhadra Fort.
The huge and grand Teen Darwaza (Triple Gateway) is another place to be seen in Ahmedabad. Teen Darwaza servedthe purpose of a royal entrance to the Royal Square of the Bhadra Fort.
Calico Museum
One of the must visit places in Ahmedabad is the Calico museum of fabric, yarn and textiles. The place to be seen came into being in 1949 as a result of the painstaking efforts of Ms Gira Sarabhai. The museum is one place in Ahmedabad where designs, prints, and blocks from all over the world attract tourists from India as well as abroad. The Calico Museum of Textiles is located in Sarabhai House, a former haveli (bungalow) in the Shahi Bagh Gardens locality of Ahmedabad city.
The other places worth visiting in Ahmedabad are the Rani Rupmati's Mosque, Rani Sipri's Mosque, Raj Babri Mosque, the Kite Museum, Shreyas Museum of Folk Art and Utensil Museum.
There are many places of tourist interesting that near Ahmedabad that are worth visiting. Sarkhej, a spot eight km southwest of the Ahmedabad city, has important historical monuments.
Nineteen km north of the Ahmedabad city is Adlaj Vav, an intricately built step well. This place around Ahmedabad gives a glimpse of one of the greatest works of art and architecture with carvings of leaves, flowers and fishes on pillars.
Lothal lies 85 km southwest of Ahmedabad. This place near Ahmedabad is an ancient dock belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization
The town of Modhera is 102 km northwest of the Ahmedabad city. The place is a must visit from Ahmedabad for its ancient sun temple.
Patan a 130 km northwest of Ahmedabad is worth visiting for its 100 Jain temples.
Gandhinagar, state capital of Gujarat, is just 32 km away from Ahmedabad. The place boasts of being the second well-planned city in India after Chandigarh. In The Swaminarayan Temple and Akshardham are the places that must be seen in Gandhinagar.
Then there is a small village Mahudi, near Kalol. The place is 78 km from Ahmedabad. The Jinalaya of Ghantakarna Mahavir and the Kotyark Temple are the places that must be seen at this place.
For the animal and nature lovers visiting Ahmedabad, Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary is a place worth visiting. The place is at a distance of 64 km from Ahmedabad. Many artificial lakes surround it, making it a place to be seen around Ahmedabad.
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