The Extraordinary Offerings of the Western India City of Ahmedabad

[Ram Theurkar]

Ahmedabad, the largest city in western India's Gujarat state and India's fifth most populous  is a bustling crowded city famous for India’s glorious history, architectural marvels and delectable food meet. A 90-minute flight from New Delhi, this city is also dubbed "The Land of Gandhi," with the Sabarmati Ashram still holding its old-world charm for visitors. In a tourist point of view this colourful city has everything from mosques to museums, tombs, temples, stepwells and lakes to theme parks. Ahmedabad is no behind when it comes to commerce; it is one of the leading business centres of India. Presently it is famous for its textile mills and is often referred to as the ‘Manchester of the East’.

Culture & Festivals 

Ahmedabad enjoys a thriving cultural tradition, being the centre of Gujarati cultural activities and diverse traditions of different ethnic and religious communities. Famous festival & celebrations includes Uttarayan — an annual kite-flying day on 14 January. Deepavali — the festival of lights is celebrated with the lighting of lamps in every house, the decorating the floors with the rangoli and the bursting of firecrackers. The Navratri Festival is celebrated with people performing Garba — the folk dance of Gujarat — at venues across the city.

Temples and Monuments

Swaminarayan Temple: A shrine dedicated to Narayan Dev, it's located in the Kalupur area of Ahmedabad. This temple is the first temple of the Swaminarayan sect to have been built in 1822, on the instructions of Swaminarayan, who was the founder of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. The temple is carved in Burmese teak, and every arch and bracket is painted with bright colours.

Hathee Singh Temple: Located in a bustling part of the city, this temple is named after its founder, Seth Hathee Singh who was a Jain merchant. This elegant temple created out of white marble has been sacred to many Jain families, generation after generation.

Jhulta Minara: The beautiful "Shaking Minarets" are also a must-visit. Built in the Sidi Bashir Mosque, these unique minarets sway when force is applied to the upper arch. The Bhadra Fort is a popular tourist destination which is situated on the east bank of the Sabarmati River. Built in 1411 by Ahmad Shah of the Muzaffarid dynasty, one of the main attractions of the fort is the Teen Darwaza or the Maidan Shahi.

Some Other Important Places

Sabarmati Ashram: Undoubtedly the biggest tourist attraction situated in the suburb of Ahmedabad, this 102-year old ashram (spiritual herminage or monastery) was the residence of Mahatma Gandhi and his consort Kasturba Gandhi in the 1920s. Sabarmati Ashram is located right on the banks of the Sabarmati River, Mahatama Gandhi lived 12 years of his life here. One can still see Gandhi’s personal items like round eyeglasses, wooden slippers, letters and books.

Thol Lake Bird Sanctuary: 30 kilometres away from the city, this lake is perfect for you if you are fond of bird watching. One can spot more than 200 species of birds. Since it’s a shallow lake where birds can be observed very closely. Cranes, geese, flamingoes, pelicans, egrets, herons, spoonbills, ducks, whistling teals and many other migratory birds nest and breed in the lap of this exuberance of nature.

Kankaria Lake: A popular tourist, Kankaria Lake is located in the southern part of the city. This lake was constructed in 1451 by Sultan Qutb-ud-Din. The lake has island-garden in the centre with a summer palace known as Nagina Wadi. The lake is now a well known recreational centre which is surrounded by parks, children’s gardens, a boat club, natural history museum and a zoo.

Sarkhej Roza: A beautiful mosque located seven kilometers from Ahmedabad in a village named Makraba, it's an elegant structure with various buildings grouped around a stepped tank. The complex is built around an artificial lake made for the rulers of Gujarat. The mosque features an amalgam of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles.

Ahmedabad is an exciting combination of traditions and modernism, that attracts all visitors with its diversity of places, religious and ethnic communities. Car hire in Ahmedabad will get you through all these happening places. This city is also famous for shopping, Ahmedabad haat is a great place to shop for handloom and handicraft where you can easily reach with car rental Ahmedabad. One more important thing is the cuisine of Gujarat, without tasting the traditional Gujarati dishes the visit to Ahmedabad is incomplete. So, hurry up to taste the culture and of course the delicious food of this colourful city with car hire in ahmedabad. Now that you know that Ahmedabad is such a beautiful city, plan a visit to this city for an amazing experience with car rental Ahmedabad.