Cities in India

Ahmedabad

Population     : 3,600,000
Main Languages  : Gujarati.
Telephone area code : 079
Best time to visit  : October to March

Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s principal city, is one of the major industrial cities in India. It has been called “Manchester of the East” due to its many textile industries.

Over the centuries, Ahmedabad has had number of periods of grandeur, each followed by decline. It was originally founded in 1411 by Ahmad Shah, from whom the city takes its name and in 17^th century was though to be one of the finest cities in India. In the 18^th century it went through a period of decline. Its industrial strenght once again raised the city up and, from 1915, it became famous as the site of Gandhi’s Ashram.

Places of Interest
Jama Masjid : Built in 1423 by Ahmad Shah, the mosque was built using items salvaged from demolished Hinda and Jain temples. It has 260 coumns which support the roof with its 15 cupolas, the two “shaking” minarets lost half their height in the earthquake in 1819, and another tremor in 1957 completely the demolition.

Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque : Constructed by Sidi Saiyad, a slave of Ahmed Shah, the mosque is noted for its beautiful carved stone windows, depicting the intricate interwining of the branches of a tree.

Sidi Bashir’s Mosque and Shaking Minarets : The Sidi Bashir Mosque is famed for its shaking minarets. When one minaret is shaken, the others rock in sympathy.

Calico Museum of Textiles : This museum exhibits antique and modern textiles including rare tapestries, wall hangings and costumes. Also on display are old weaving machines.

Lothal : 85 kms, south west of Ahmedabad, Lothal, is an important archeological site which was discovered in 1954. The site which stood here 4500 years ago  was related to the Indus Valley cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, both in Pakistan. Excavations has revealed a dockyard – at its peak, this was probably one of the most important ports on the subcontinent. Seals discovered at the site suggested that trade may have been conducted with the civilisations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia.

Modhera : 102 kms North of Ahmedabad, the beautiful and partially ruined Sun temple of Modhera was built by King Bhimdev I (1026-27) and bears some resemblance to the later, and better known Sun temple of Konark, which predates by some 200 yrs. As with the temple of Somnath, this fine temple was ruined by Mahmud of Ghazni.

Patan  : 130 kms north west of Ahmedabad, this was an ancient Hindu capital before being sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024. Now a pale shadow of its former self, it has over 1000 Jain temples and is famous for the manufacture of beautifully designed patola silk saris.

HOW TO REACH

By Air
Daily flight from Delhi & Mumbai.

By Train
Daily trains from Delhi & Mumbai.

By Road
262 kms from Udaipur.