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Archive for the ‘Gujarat’ Category

The most convenient entry point into Gujarat is through the metropolis of Ahmedabad. The city contains some very fine museums, the Calico Museum of Textiles being considered among the world’s finest. Ahmedabad’s walled city is a living testimony to its heritage of crafts as women walk by in dazzling embroidered garments and flashing ethnic silver jewellery. Traditional Ahmedabad combines mosques of inspired workmanship, wooden Jain temples, unique stone stepwells and houses with ornately carved wooden balconies and window screens.

Modern Ahmedabad, just across the River Sabarmati spanned by four bridges, is a showpiece of contemporary architecture with designs by Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and the best known Indian architects. Ahmedabad is a convenient base for a number of excursions, Modhera being the best known. 106 km away, this is one of the very few sun temples in the country.

Places To Visit

Kusum Vilas Palace

Kusum Vilas Palace conglomerates the architectural style found in Champaner, elevators and modern functional requirements. Kusum Vilas Palace of Gujarat is a picturesque and historically significant tourist destination in Gujarat.

Kusum Vilas Palace along with Prem Bhawan Palace are two of the finest examples of 12th century palace architecture in Gujarat. History of Kusum Vilas Palace in Gujarat: Kusum Vilas Palace was constructed by one of the most famous architectural firms of Mumbai, Bhatkar and Bhatkar, in the early 1920s.

Dwarkanath Temple

The Dwarkanath Temple is situated in Dwarka which is about 145 kilometers from Jamnagar and considered as the the entrance of Western India. The Dwarkanath Temple of Dwarka is the holiest temples of the Hindus and is dedicated to Lord Krishna, the eighth Avatara of Vishnu and the hero of the Mahabharata epic. According to the legend, Lord Krishna left his birth place Mathura and came to this place where he settled down with his �Yadava� clan. Here he constructed the golden city and named it as Kushasthali or Dwaravati which later came to be known as Dwarka.

Marine National Park

Marine National Park of Gujarat encloses an area of 458 square kilometers in the Gulf of Kutch, that is 30 kilometers from Jamnagar. Marine National Park of Gujarat is the first marine park of the country, acknowledged in 1982. The protected area of Marine National Park of Gujarat comprises of an archipelago that is made up of 42 islands in the Gulf of Kutch.

Sabarmati Ashram, formerly known as ‘Satyagraha Ashram”, situated in Ahmedabad at the Kocharab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister. Later on it was shifted to the banks of Sabarmati river and then it came to be known as ‘Sabarmati Ashram’. Gandhi stayed at the Ashram from 1915 to 1933 later on the Ashram was disbanded. The Ashram is a witness to many important historical events.

History:

“This is the right place for our activities to carry on the search for Truth and develop Fearlessness- for on one side, are the iron bolts of the foreigners, and on the other, thunderbolts of Mother Nature”.- This is how Gandhiji described the site of Sabarmati Ashram when he first visited the place for assessing if it was suitable for carrying out his work.

The site of 36 acres was a waste land full of snakes, but the order was not to kill them.

The Satyagraha Ashram, later renamed as Harijan Ashram, was started in all earnest with a two-fold purpose- one was to carry on the search for Truth, and the other was to create a non-violent group of workers, who would create a non-violent group of workers, who would organize and help to secure freedom for the country.

A View Of The Ashram :

Nandini:

It is on the right hand side of ‘Hridaya Kunj’. It is an old Ashram guest house, where guests from India and abroad are put up.

Vinoba Kutir:

Named after Acharya Vinoba Bhave who stayed here, and also known as Mira Kutir after Mirabahen, Gandhiji’s disciple, daughter of a British Admiral.

Upasana Mandir:

It is an open -air prayer ground, situated between ‘Hridaya Kunj’ and ‘Magan Kutir’ (the hut where Maganlal Gandhi, the ashram manager, used to stay).

Here, Gandhiji used to refer to individual questions after prayers and as the head of the family analysed and gave his solutions.

Porbandar was the last capital of the Jethwa Rajputs, who ruled this area for about 1200 years- shifting capitals from Ghumli, Ranpur and Chhaya. Present day Porbandar was established as a capital by Rana Sartanji in 1785 AD. Porbandar is situated along the Arabian Sea in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Famous as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, the city is well connected to the other parts of the country by rail, road, and air. The most impressive feature of Porbandar is the city planning and the stone buildings with ashlar masonary and rich carving. The facades of the houses on either side of the streets, with series of windows, carved gateways, using eclectic architectural language, invites tourists to experience the streetscape on foot. The series of vistas enriched by a skyline of temples and beautiful public buildings and edifices overlooking the sea on Marine Drive puts Porbandar on the list of coastal heritage towns of Gujarat.

Kirti Mandir : It is built next to the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, who was born here in 1869 AD. Lacs of Indian tourists visit the house of the Mahatma and Kasturba, his wife. Kirti Mandir has a Gandhian library and a prayer hall.

Huzoor Palace : It is located at the end of Marine Drive, in a huge campus. The sprawling palace, built in the European style with sloping roofs is a horizontal structure with several wings and big windows, overlooking the sea. The wings are interspersed with the back and front yards, bringing nature and the building together by gardens and fountains. The semi-circular porticos with neo-classical pillars, decorated entrance gate and commanding view makes it a must for the visitor. Other such examples of Royal and Public heritage buildings from the colonial period are public library, old Raj Mahal (now a college), Victoria Jubilee Madresa, Collectorate, Bhavsinhji High School, Natwarsinhji Sports Club.

Here are the details of some places of interest for tourists in Ahmedabad….

Tombs of Ahmed Shah and His Queens

The tomb( Badshah-no Hajiro) of Ahmed Shah; the founder of the city is situated in the east of the Jama Masjid.The tomb is square in shape.It has porticos on each side and has perforated stone windows.Women are not allowed into the central chamber. Rani-no Hajiro is the place where the queens of subsequent Sultans were buried.it is located opposite the Hajiro.

Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaja

Bhadra Fort was built in the year1411 by Ahmed Shah,the founder of the city .it was later renamed Bhadra after the goddess with the same, an incarnation of Kali. The fort has royal palaces and a garden . It now houses government offices. The triple gateway or Teen Darwaja, is located to the east of the fort .It is used as standsfrom by sultans to watch processions from the palace to the Jama Masjid. The royal entrance is triple arched and richly carved.

Huthising Temple

Ahmedbad also contains a number of Hindu and Jain temples. The Jain shrine, known as the Huthising temple, is one of them. This temple is named after Shri Kesarising Huthising who constructed it in 1848.the temple serves as dedication to Dharmanath, the 15th Jain Tirtankra

Narayan Temple

The Narayan Temple is enclosed in a large courtyard, it dates from 1850. To the south of this Hindu Temple are the nine tombs known as the Nau Gaz Pir, or Nine Yard Saints.The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

Shahi bag

Shahi Bag (the royal garden) was constructed by the great builder, Shah Jahan in the year 1622 A.D.Shahi Bag is now used as a royal residence to the State Governer, .The palace is also associated with the poet Rabindranath Tagore who as a boy stayed here with his elder brother ,before leaving his famous story “The hungry stones “(Kshudhit Pashan)

Knakaria lake

Kankaria Lake is in the southern part of the city.it is the biggest lake in Ahmedabad. Sultan Ahmed Shah laid the foundation of Kankaria.The garden Nagina Wadi (means beautiful garden in Urdu) is located in the center of the lake. Kankaria Zoo & Balvatika. Zoo are well known entertainment spots .The best time to visit the place is evening. Lightings and special effects in the walkway and sumptuous food of the restaurants in the central garden often attract the tourist worldwide . Kankaria is renowned for its junk food in the entire province of Gujarat.

Step wells

Your trip to Ahmedabad will be incomplete without a visit to The Dada Hari Vav. In era of the Sultanate, the authorities use to develop wells for travelers as a place to rest or to drink water. The finest example are Dada Hari ni Vav and the Adalaj ni Vav. It has intricately carved walls, pillars and the steps lead down to different levels and ends in a small well.The interiors of these caves are paved with beautiful carvings in stone.

Sabarmati Ashram

Sabarmati Ashram lies on the tranquil stretch of the Sabarmati river and is referred to as the Satyagraha Ashram.Mahatma Gandhi began his famous ‘Dandi March’ to protest against the Salt Tax imposed by the British. Mahatma Gandhi is credited for laying the foundation of this Ashram in the year 1915. It is a very peaceful place with simple rooms exhibiting the great man’s biography,photographs, quotes and paintings .The Gandhi Ashram has a memorial centre, library and a Sound-and-Light (Son et Lumiere) spectacle to offer to its visitors. There’s also a bookshop selling books by and about Mahatma. The small house in the Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived ‘Hridaya Kunj’ is preserved as a national monument.The ashram remains open from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm.

Gujarat is a centre of cultural activities and diverse traditions of different ethnic and religious communities.’Kaapyo Chhey’ and ‘Utarayan-an annual kite-flying day on 14 January’ are among the popular festivals of the city.The nine nights of Navratri are celebrated with people performing Garba-the folk dance of Gujarat. Other festivals include deepavali Holi, Eid ul-Fitr and Christmas. During the Muslim holy month of Muharram the procession of Taija and annual procession of rath yatra on the Ashadh-sud-bij dateconsitutes the integral part of the culture.

Ahmedabad is located at 23.03° N 72.58° E in a sandy and dry area. The climate is dry aside from the monsoon season.The weather is hot through the months of March to June. From November to February,the climate is extremely dry. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill in January.

Jama Masjid

Ahmedabad contains a number of architectural monuments of historical importance. Jama Masjid was built in 1424 by Sultan Ahmed Shah I.It is one of the biggest and oldest mosque for Friday Prayers. It is one of the finest mosques in India with 256 pillars supporting 15 domes at different elevations. There is a spacious courtyard in marble. There are intricate Hindu carvings on the pillars.The mosque had minarets which were destroyed in an earthquake.

Rani Rupmati’s Mosque

Rani Rupmati’s mosque is situated in the north of city.The mosque is named after the Hindu wife of Sultan Mahmud Begado. The mosque was built between 1430 and 1440 and represents a harmonious synthesis of Hindu and Muslim styles. It has three domes supported by pillars with the central domes slightly elevated which allows natural light into the mosque. The mosque lost its minarets in the earthquake of 1818.

Rani Sipri’s mosque

Rani Sipri’s mosque is situated on Sardar Patel Road.This mosque is also known as the Masjid – e- Nagira, or jewel of a mosque. It has ornamented minarets and a tomb of Rani Sipri, who had the mosque built after her son was executed for a minor crimel. It is another beautiful specimen of Hindu art in a Muslim monument.

Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque

Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque was constructed i n the year 1573 by Sidi Saiyad, a slave of Ahmed Shah.The mosque has ten screen windows (jalis)of pierced stone, worked in style of a tree with palm leaves and curving tendrils. A superb and peerless example of delicate carving that transforms stone into filigree. Wooden models of these windows, a fine example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture are kept in the New York and Kensington museums.

Sidi Bashirs mosque

Sidi Bashirs mosque is one of the most popular monuments in Ahemdabad .It is also known as Jhulta minars or shaking minarets .The minarets have three floors, adorned by carved stones. The style is a complete innovation. The mosque is designed as such that the response to vibration is transmitted to the other via a stone bridge joining both .The massive earth quake of 2001 had an impact on the monument.

Raj Babri Mosque
The Raj Babri Mosqueis situated in the suburb of Gomtipur,the main feature of the moqque is that it has shaking minarets.

Ahmedabad is the largest city of Gujarat with the population of 51 lakhs.The city is
located to the East of Sabarmati.It was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar thereafter.

HISTORY OF AHMEDABAD

According to the datas of archaeological records , the area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century, when it was known as Ashapalli or Ashaval. At that time, Karandev I, the Solanki ruler of Anhilwara (modern Patan), waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval. Soon after the victory, he established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati at the site of modern Ahmedabad..In 1411 Sultan Ahmed Shah conquered Karnavati,and therefore the city’s name was changed from Karnavati to Ahemdabad.

The city was fortified with an outer wall 10 km (6 miles) in circumference and consisting of twelve gates, Shahjahan constructed the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug.A famine in 1630 and the constant conflicts between the Peshwa and the Gaekwad armies virtually destroyed many parts of the city, causing its population to flee.Mahatama Gandhi established two ashrams- the the Kochrab Ashram near Paldi in 1915 and the Satyagraha Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati in 1917.