ABOUT AHMEDABAD
Located on the banks of river Sabarmati, Ahmedabad is the largest city in the whole state of Gujarat. From the year 1960 to 1970, it served as the capital city of Gujarat. However, later on, the capital was shifted to the Gandjhinagar city. It was founded in the year 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah. It is owing to this reason that, sometimes, it is also referred to as the city of Ahmed Shah.
Ahmedabad is the hub of trade and commerce in Gujarat. The commercial importance of Ahmedabad makes the city an important travel destination in India. Besides being home to a number of important industries, Ahmedabad also has a number of majestic monuments, which remind us of the great historical and cultural past of the city.
Ahmedabad was incorporated into the Bombay Presidency during the British rule but remained the most important city in the Gujarat region. Over a period of time, Ahmedabad established itself as the home of textile industry and earned the nickname of "the Manchester of the East." A rising centre of higher education, information technology and scientific industries, Ahmedabad continues to remain one of the important cultural and commercial centers of western India.
Major Tourist Attractions in Ahmedabad
Set up in 1915 and was the nerve center of India's Struggle for independence. The ashram was Gandhi's home till 1930. The Ashram houses a museum with office, library, photo galleries and an auditorium. The museum has eight life-size colour oil paintings and an exhibition on Gandhiji's life
Akshardham, the highlight of Gandhinagar houses a beautiful Swaminarayan temple, with a theme park containing tableaux of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The village Pethapur outside Gandhinagar is known for its woodcarving and traditional textile block printing. It is a unique cultural complex.
Kankaria lake is a polygonal artificial lake, with an island summer palace. The lake was frequently visited by Mughal Emperor Jahangir and his Empress wife Noor Jahan. Boating facility is also available here for fun lovers. It is one of the best places in Ahmedabad to view sunset.
An impressive white structure, the Jain temple built of white marble and elaborately carved is dedicated to Dharmanath - the 15th Jina or Jain Apostle. Similar to all Jain temples, this temple too is rich in intricate carvings displaying among other things - musicians.
Quite an unusual structure, Jhulta Minara or swaying minarets are a part of the mosque of Siddi Bashir and can be moved back and forth by applying a little force at the topmost arch. One of the minarets was partly demolished by an Englishman in his endeavours to unravel the mystery of the swaying minarets. The mosque was built by master craftsmen and the crucial mechanism that leads to the vibration is still a mystery.
Juma Masjid is amongst the most popular tourist sights in the city.Built of yellow sandstone this mosque stands on 260 pillars which support 15 domes at varying elevations. The mosque was built by Ahmad Shah in 1423. It is easily accessible as it stands in the centre of the old city. This imposing structure reflects the Muslim architecture of that period.
Has earned worldwide fame for its magnificent stone tracery. The tracery is acclaimed for it's splendid Jali screen, framed, in ten semi-circular windows. The manifold designs of Banyan, tree carvings allover window has been adopted by the Ahmedabad Philatelic Bureau as the, I constellation mark which is a superb and peerless example of delicate carving that transforms atones into filigree. It is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and its models in miniature are best known souvenirs of the city.
To add special charm to the varied sights of the city there is the Bhadra Fort, which once housed royal palaces and well-laid gardens. It boasts of the temple of Bhadrakali and was built in 1411 during the Maratha rule.
The Adalaj Stepwell is a popular tourist attraction of the city and is situated 18 km. Nearing of Ghandhinagar. The well was built in 1499 A.D. by Queen Rudabai. The step well or Vav, as it is called in Gujarati, is intricately carved and is several stories in depth. The designs on its walls and pillars include, leaves, flowers, birds, fish and other breathtaking ornamental designs. In the past, these step wells were frequented by travellers and caravans as stopovers along trade routes.
Gujarat Science City Is a bold initiative of the Government of Gujarat to realize this priority. The Government is creating a sprawling center at Ahmedabad which aims to provide a perfect blend of education and entertainment. It will show contemporary and imaginative exhibits, minds on experiences, working models, virtual reality, activity corners, labs and live demonstrations to provide an understanding of science and technology to the common man.
(world heritage site) Dholavira (Gujarati) is an archaeological site in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern village 1 km (0.62 mi) south of it. Also known locally as Kotada timba the site contains ruins of an ancient Indus Valley Civilization/Harappan city. It is one of the five largest Harappan sites and most prominent archaeological sites in India belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It is also considered as grandest of cities of its time. It is located on the Khadir bet island in the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in Great Rann of Kutch and the area of the full site is more than 100 ha (250 acres). The site was occupied from c.2650 BCE, declining slowly after about 2100 BCE. It was briefly abandoned and reoccupied until c.1450 BCE.
(World heritage site)Champaner (Muhammadabad) is a historical city in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of Gujarat.
Champaner is today the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in 2004.
The Great Rann of Kutch, along with the Little Rann of Kutch and the Banni grasslands on its southern edge, is situated in the district of Kutch and comprises some 30,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. The marsh can be accessed from the village of Kharaghoda in Surendranagar District.
In India's summer monsoon, the flat desert of salty clay and mudflats, which average 15 meters above sea level, fill with standing waters. The greatest extent between the Gulf of Kutch on the west and the Gulf of Cambay on the east get united during the monsoon.
The Somnath Temple (Gujarat) located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of (the) Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed sixteen times by Muslim invaders. Most recently it was rebuilt in November 1947, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the area for the integration of Junagadh and mooted a plan for restoration. After Patel's death, the rebuilding continued under K. M. Munshi, another minister of the Government of India.
Saputara is a city and a hill station municipality in the Dang district of Gujarat state in India. Saputara is 420 km from Ahmedabad. Saputara means the 'Abode of Serpents' and a snake image on the banks of the river Sarpagana is worshiped by the Adivasis on festivals like Holi.
Saputara has been developed as a planned hill resort with all the necessary amenities like hotels, parks, swimming pools, boat club, theaters, ropeways and a museum to ensure an enjoyable holiday in the cool of the hill.
The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India. Established in 1965, with a total area of 1412 km2 (about 258 km2 for the fully protected area (the national park) and 1153 km2 for the Sanctuary), the park is located 65 km to the south-east of Junagadh and 60 km to south west of Amreli.
Rani ki vav is a famous stepwell situated in Patan town in Gujarat in India.
Patan was called as Anhilpur Patan when King Siddharja Jaysingh was ruling & it was the capital of Gujarat. Mr. Vanraja Chavda has founded Patan. During the period of the Solanki or Chalukya, the stepwell called the Rani ki vav, or Ran-ki vav (Queen's step well) was constructed. It is a richly sculptured monument.
It is generally assumed that it was built in the memory of Bhimdev I (AD 1022 to 1063) son of Mularaja, the founder of the Solanki dynasty of Anahilwada Pattan in about 1050 AD by his widowed queen Udayamati.
Vadnagar is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the birthplace of Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat.
Known history of Vadnagar goes back to more than 2500 years. Vadnagar is referred to as Anartapur in Mahabharata. According to the great epic the Anarta warriors fought in the Mahabharata war on both the sides and the feud among them continued even after the war was over. Recent archaeological excavations have established the existence of a thriving city of religious and cultural activities at the location around the first century.
Getting There
Air : Ahmedabad airport, located 10 km north of the city, receives both national and international flights.
Rail : Ahmedabad is well connected by trains with Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodra and Udaipur.
Road : Ahmedabad has a good road network. By road it is linked with towns like Vadodra, Rajkot, Palitana and Jamnagar.
