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AHMEDABAD
SIGHTSEEING
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SABARMATI ASHRAM |
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 This ashram
was Gandhi's headquarters during
the long struggle for Indian independence. His ashram was founded in 1915 and
still makes handicraft, handmade paper and spinning wheels. Gandhi's spartan
living quarter are preserved as a small museum and there is a pictorial record
of the major events in his life. The ashram is open
from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm (7 pm between April and September). Admission is free.
There is a sound-and-light show for a small charge at 6:30 pm (in Gujarati) and
8:30 pm (in English on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and in Hindi on the other
nights. The beautiful
ashram complex of Ahmedabad, with it's shady trees populated by thousands of
parakeets, beeeaters, sunbirds and squirells, offers a refuge from the loud
streets of the city, and is one the foremost tourist attractions of Ahmedabad. |
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KANKARIA LAKE |
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 South-east of the
city, this artificial lake, complete with an island summer palace, was
constructed in 1415 and has 34 sides, each 60m long. Once frequented by Emperor Jehangir and Empress Nur Jahan, it is now a local picnic spot. There's a huge
zoo and children's park by the lake, and the Ghattamendal pavilion in the center
houses an aquarium. |
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JAMA
MASJID |
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 The
Jama Masjid, built in 1423 by Ahmed Shah, is beside Mahatma Gandhi Rd, to the east of the Teen Darwaja. Although 260 columns support the roof, the two
'shaking' minarets lost half their height in the great earthquake of 1819, and
another tremor in 1957 completed their demolition. Much of this early Ahmedabad
mosque was built using items salvaged from the
demolished Hindu and Jain temples. It is said that a
large black slab by the main arch is actually the base
of a Jain idol, buried upside down for the Muslim
faithful to tread on |
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RANI
SIPRI'S MOSQUE |
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This small mosque outh-east of the city is also known as the Masjid-e-Nagira
(Jewel of a Mosque) because of its extremely graceful and well-executed design.
Its slender minarets again blend Hindu and Islamic style. The mosque is said to
have been commissioned in 1514 by the wife of Sultan Mahmud Begada after he
executed their son for some minor misdemeanour and she is in fact buried here |
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SARKHEJ
ROZA |
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 Travel
south along he highway, and a short day tour will bring you to the Sarkhej
complex, a cluster of monuments dating from the Sultanate. Sarkhej was the home
of the Muslim religious leader Ahmed Shaik, who was a spiritual guide of Sultan
Ahmed Shah. In 1411, he was one of the 4 Ahmeds who laid the foundation of the
city. The Rauza or Maqbara (mausoleum) of Shaik Ahmed Gunj Baksh - 140 ft in
area is one of the largest mausolea in India, rivalling the Taj Mahal. |
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DADA HARI
VAV |
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 Dada
Hari Vav (Stepped Well) - This well was built to provide cool resting place and
water to the travellers. The stepped well is one the finest example of Gujarati
architecture. Even on the hottest days the well is cool.
This well was built in 1501. It has a flight of steps
leading down to lower and lower platform terminating at
a small, octagonal well. The best time to visit and
photograph the well is between 10 and 11 am; at other
times the sun doesn't penetrate to the various levels |
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HATHEE
SINGH JAIN TEMPLE |
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 Hathee
Singh Jain Temple was built outside Delhi Gate in 1850 by a rich Jain Merchant.
This is the best known of Ahmedabad's many ornate Jain Temples. Built of pure
white marble and profusely decorated with rich carvings, the Hathee Singh Temple
is dedicated to Dharamanath |
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LOTHAL |
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 Lothal
lies 85 km southwest of Ahmedabad. This place near Ahmedabad is an ancient dock
belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization.
The Indus Valley Civilisation at
Lothal Ahmedabad district was a hub centre
for the Indus valley civilisation when it
moved down from Sindh to the Saurashtra
coast to establish trading zones. Rangpur and Lothal,
both around 75 kms south from Ahmedabad,
were among the first 2 places where the
Indus valley civilisation was discovered in India. The
rulers home is no longer a grand palace, but the foundations show signs of
it having been a 2 or 3 storeyed mansion. The rooms of the upper town were
obviously built for ruling classes, as they had private paved baths, and a
remarkable network of drains and cess pools. An ivory workshop at the
acropolis suggests that elephants may have been domesticated for the purpose. |
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MODHERA |
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An 11th
century Sun Temple, rivalling Konark in architecture an sculpture, with pillars
depicting traditional erotic sculpture and scenes from the Hindu epics can be
seen here. One of the finest temples of the
11th century period in the country, the Sun temple
of Modhera has spectacular carvings, fine
architecture and traditional erotic
sculpture. |
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NALSAROVAR BIRD SANCTUARY |
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54 km
away and connected the the city, the sanctuary offers a
pleasant trip. The sanctuary mainly comprises a lake and
marshes where you can see flamingos, pelicans, ducks,
geese, cranes, storks, ibises, spoonbills, wading birds,
kingfishers, swallows, fishing eagles, osprey, harriers
and falcons in great numbers. |
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THE RANN
OF KUTCH DESERT WILDLIFE SANCTUARY |
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The sanctuary is best known for
its herds of chestnut-brown Asiatic onager (wild ass), last surviving species of
India's wild horses. Also home of the gazelle, blue bull, wolf, desert and
Indian fox, jackal, jungle cat, hare and birds like the houbara bustard,
sandgrouse, courser, francolin, quail, eagle, falcon, harrier, vulture, lark,
warbler. The 11th century sandstone fortress at Patdi, temples around Munsar
Tank at Viramgam and Darbargadh of Dasada can be visited en route. |
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MEHMEDABAD |
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27 km away and on the way to Baroda, is another
interesting day trip. The Stepwell of Mehmedabad and Jumma Masjid mosques are
architectural achievements. From here you can go to Sojali by rickshaw to see
the 1515 A.D. mausoleum or Chandra Suraj Mahal, a ruined garden palace. |
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