Ahmedabad City Information

Ahmedabad is the industrial capital of the State of Gujarat and it lies on the banks of Sabarmati River.

It is known for its rich past and its association with Mahatma Gandhi. It is also India’s textile city having numerous cotton and textile mills.

Ahmedabad represents a mixture of ancient and modern culture with a large number of factories, mosques, temples and high-rise offices.

The city has a unique style of architecture, which is a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles and it was the base camp for the Indian freedom struggle.

Ahmedabad boasts of the largest denim production in the world and is also the home to several interesting museums.

Places of Interest

Calico Museum - The Calico Museum of Textiles is one of the finest textile museums in the world and the Museum houses the finest fabrics spun, woven, printed and painted in different parts of India dating back to the 17th century. It also has a collection of marble, sandstone and bronze icons and busts split in two thematic sections-gallery for religious textiles and historical textiles.

Shreyas Museum of Folk Art - The Museum has a unique collection of folk culture from Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch with displays of crafts and costumes from these areas.

Sardar Patel Museum - The musuem housed in old Raj Bhavan which was also a palace has the exhibits of Sardar's life and works.

Institute of Indology - The Institute contains some of the best collections of Jainism, illustrated manuscripts and miniatures.

Vishalla Vichar Museum - Vishalla is a restaurant with traditional Gujarati food in village surroundings.

Kite Museum - The museum has a wonderful variety of kites with colourful histories and regional flavours.

Sabarmati Ashram - Founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915, it was also known as the Satyagraha Ashram and was the centre of the struggle for Independence. 'Hridaya Kunj', the simple cottage where he lived, is preserved as a National Monument.

Kankaria Lake - A circular lake constructed in 1451 by Sultan Qutubub-Din has an island garden with a summer palace, known as Nagina Wadi.

Hussain-Doshi's Gufa - It is a gallery housing the collaborative efforts of artist M. F. Hussain and the architect B. V. Doshi.

Jama Masjid - Built by Ahmad Shah in 1423, Jama Masjid is the principal mosque of the Islamic era and it was built in the Indo- Saracenic architectural era. The mosque has 260 pillars supporting 15 domes arranged symmetrically along with the Muluk-Khana, or the Royal Gallery, which is a platform standing on pillars.

Sarkhej Roza - Sarkhej has one of the most elegant architectural complexes of Ahmedabad. The buildings are remarkable for the complete absence of arches and the use of pierced stone trellises throughout.

Teen Darwaja - The triple-arched gateway was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as the royal entrance to the Maidan Shahi or the Royal Square.

Shaking Minaretsarets - The shaking minarets are two minarets located at the Siddhi Bashir mosque and they are uniquely designed in a way that when one minaret is shaken the other one shakes too.

Rani Rupmati's Mosque - Named after the Hindu wife of Sultan Mohammed Beghara, this mosque has three domes supported by pillars with the central dome slightly elevated so as to allow natural light into the mosque. The mosque has richly carved minarets, balcony windows and perforated stone lattices.

Kutbi Mazar - It is a colossal monument raised in the memory of Syedna Qutubuddin Shaheed, the highest priest of the Bohra community.

Siddi Sayed Mosque - The Mosque of Sidi Sayed is world-renowned for its magnificent stone tracery.

Shah Alam Roza - The tomb and mosque of Saint Shah Alam are said to have been built by the brother of the Empress Noorjehan.

Shahibag Palace - The Palace was built during the reign of Shah Jahan who, as Prince Khurram, spent the early years of his marriage in Ahmedabad as Viceroy of Gujarat. Rabindranath Tagore also stayed here during his visit to Ahmedabad.

Hatheesing Jain Temples - lt is the best known of Ahmedabad's many ornate Jain Temples. Built of pure white marble, it has a paved courtyard surrounded by an imposing row of cloisters containing 52 shrines, each with an image of a tirthankara, profusely decorated with rich carvings, one containing the marble image of the 15th tirthankar.

The Pols - The Pols, integral parts of old Ahmedabad are residential units dating back to 1714. They have intricately carved facades lining the streets.

Bhadra Fort - It has the temple of Bhadrakali which was built in 1411 during the Maratha rule.