HYDERABAD: During my recent visit to Ahmedabad to attend the International Kite Festival, with a limited time of just one day I managed to gain impressive memories of the historical city, though it needs more time for a deeper understanding.
Sabarmati Ashram
As we all know, this is where Mahatama Gandhi spent 12 years with Kasturba on the shores of the serene Sabarmati River. The Sabarmati ashram is sited between a jail and a crematorium, and Gandhi believed that a Satyagraha invariably had to go to either place. He is believed to have said, “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 the thunderbolts of Mother Nature.”
It was also from here that he launched the famous Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha in 1930, in protest against the increased taxes on Indian salt in an effort to promote sales of British salt in India.
Adalaj Vav
Gujarat has some beautiful step wells and this is certainly one of them. This intricately carved five storeys deep step well was started in the 15th century by Rana Veer Singh to alleviate the misery of his subjects who had to face severe water shortage and completed by a Muslim king, Mehmud Begda in the Indo-Islamic architectural style.
Built in sandstone it is octagonal at the top, and stands on a large number of gorgeously carved pillars. Spacious, each floor can accommodate sizeable congregations. The floral motifs and Islamic graphics blend rather well with the Hindu symbols carved at various levels of the well. The carvings depict women in daily chores like churning of buttermilk, adorning themselves, dancers and musicians performing, and the King overlooking all these activities. Don’t be surprised if you find hordes of tourists filling every possible space in the huge stepwell, most of them in the serious pursuit of either posing for pictures or indulging in taking selfies.
Sidi Saiyyed Mosque
This mosque is famous for beautifully carved ten stone latticework windows on the side and rear arches. This intricately carved lattice stone window is the Sidi Saiyyed Jali, the unofficial symbol of city of Ahmedabad and the inspiration for the design of the logo of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad. Our visit coincided with the Maghrib prayers: in the midst of a chaotic traffic, the mosque lent serenity and the soft light from the ambience further enhanced its beauty.
Teen Darwaza
King Ahmed Shah built this historical gate in the 15 century. This is where we found the most chaotic and undisciplined traffic. The roads were overflowing with people, hawkers, small time shopkeepers with mountains of goods, and ruthless two wheeler drivers with intimidating horns.
Manek Chowk
Here the street food stalls at night are a big attraction. It is a vegetable market in the morning, a jewellery market (supposed to be the second biggest in India) in the noon and a street food market at night. The food stalls start to emerge around 9:30 in the evening and continue till late night. The mouth-watering snacks make you ignore the “not so clean” surroundings. Besides many delicacies, Manek Chowk is best known for its kulfi but we had fafda (that came with a chutney setting the tongue on fire) and hot jalebis: an unusual combination.
Pols
It is worth seeing a Pol in the old Ahmedabad. They contain old beautiful houses with internal courts having intricate wooden carved facades with columns and fresco work done around court walls or ceilings. ‘Pol’ architecture is an interesting evolution in urban living space.
The word pol is derived from the Sanskrit word pratoli meaning entrance to an enclosed area. Pols were originally made as a protection measure when communal riots necessitated greater security probably dating from 1738 during Mughal-Maratha rule (1738-1753) in Ahmedabad. A typical pol would have only one or two entrances and also some secret entrances known only to people residing in a pol.
“Sasu Ji” for lunch
One of the best places to taste an authentic Gujarati thaali as the warm and hospitable staff pampers you. We started with many bowls of baasundi, tiny Malpuas dripping with sugar syrup; Cheese Wonton (?? Chinese?? Yes!!), Shahi Dhokla, Patra for starters (Farsan), for the main course it was Paneer Pasanda, Undhiyu (a mixed vegetable dish with muthia-dumplings made with fenugreek leaves and spiced besan), Batata Tameta (tomato?), methi papad, poories, rice, rotis…of course, you can’t finish all this, however generous “Sasu ji” is!
Mirch Masala for dinner
A themed restaurant, based on old Hindi films, here you have paintings of Kaka (Rajesh Khanna) and other film stars staring at you from every wall. We polished platefuls of kebabs as Hrithik Roshan watched us lovingly.
Law Garden
Shopping can’t get any better. The goods are attractive, prices quite reasonable. Your Indian genes will not resist from bargaining and the vendors are OK with it. Result is, you come back loaded with heavy bags!
(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)