Wonder’s of Ahmedabad’s Old City

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If you happen to be in Ahmedabad for business or leisure, take some time to explore the hidden architectural treasures in old part of the city.  Trust me, your visit is incomplete without them!

The sights & sounds of this wonderful city are mostly in it’s older part, and they will leave you with really fond memories. Ahmedabad has some real treasures of ‘Gujarat-Style’ architecture, which was a blend of existing local style in 14th and 15th century with newly imported Islamic style. This resulted in some really magnificent structures with delicate decorations & floral patterns.

1. My recent experience in Ahmedabad

I was recently in Ahmedabad for 2 and half days on a business trip. Taking advantage of free time in after-hours, I made 2 excursions in the old part of the city, once in the evening and another in morning. It was about 15-20 minutes’ drive from Hyatt Regency where I was staying, but you can find many good & fairly priced hotels near the old town in case you are interested in exploring it more extensively.

In fact, this part of the city is covered almost completely with shops, including many street vendors. You can find many handicrafts and traditional apparels if you want to buy some souvenirs. However, in this article, I will be talking about two really magnificent structures that I chanced on during the trip.

2. Jami Masjid

Jami (or Jama) Masjid is perhaps the ‘tour-de-force’ of Gujarat-style architecture in Ahmedabad. Cuddled in really congested part of the town, the bazaar in front combined with it’s sedate entrance really underscores the majesty of what’s inside.

Mind you, the Masjid is still being used for offering prayers, so it will pay to plan your visit properly. Avoid Fridays (Jume ka din), and try going in morning before the surrounding market opens & the prayer crowd sets in.

Once you pass through the front gate, you are greeted with a huge courtyard with the main mosque situated on it’s right side. In the middle of courtyard is a covered ablution basin. The flooring is marble and well laid out. However, both the flooring as well as the ablution basin are later additions, and were not part of the original structure.

Coming to the mosque itself, it is really striking, even though part of it were destroyed in 2 earthquakes. The ‘lost’ part comprised of 2 minarets which once adorned the main arched entrance. If you are interested in learning more about history of Jami Masjid, it is covered in a pretty comprehensive manner on Wikipedia (link) as wells as some other blogs.

You can explore these articles at your leisure. Here, we will be covering the points that are more relevant from creative perspective of an eager visitor, a photographer, or an artist. The marvelous monument satisfies the curiosities of all these groups in spades.

Jami Masjid (Facade)

These days most visitors use their smartphones to do photo or videography. I believe they can be used freely around the mosque. I took my Fujifilm X-T200 and didn’t had any issues either in snapping around & inside. However, it was only later I found out of a board outside the mosque wall indicating that photography inside the mosque is not permitted. So, it wouldn’t be advised to take a larger DSLR in the mosque.

Whatever you decide to use for recording your memories, plan to keep some time at hand. For there are some remarkable architectural monuments (and wonderful shops) nearby that are worth visiting.

First one worth mentioning is Raja ka Hajiro (which translates to Mausoleum of the King). It contains the tomb of Ahmed Shah, the designated founder of Ahmedabad. Although I missed it because of paucity of time, from the photos available on internet it appears the place should not be missed. Really noteworthy are the beautiful lattice work on the windows and inlaid interior.

Another place worth a visit is Rani no Hajirio (Mausoleum of the Queens), an open-air graveyard of queens of Ahmed Shah as well as royal ladies of the era. Although not outstanding in its own accord, the bustling market surrounding this congested area offers wonderful selection of local delicacies as well as traditional apparels. Something to satisfy your gastronomic senses after tiring walks around.

3. Sidi Bashir Masjid (aka Jhulta Minar)

This is another architectural marvel located about 2 kms from Jami Masjid. Located in an even more ‘utilitarian’ part of the town with transport hubs & fleece shops around it. You have to take a narrow & short flight of stairs to reach it.

The mosque is famous for it’s shaking minarets. Unfortunately, the main mosque is no longer exists, being lost in history during the course of wars in 18th century. However, the magnificent archway is still standing, and shaking minarets adorn both sides of it.

In fact, these are not the only ‘shaking minarets’ that are present in the city. There are few others which testify that creation of such minarets was perhaps the trend in short period when ‘Gujarat-style’ really flourished.

As soon as you encounter the minarets, it becomes clear that the structure is any a photographer’s dream. The intricate decorations with splattering of floral pattern keeps attracting your attention. I took a number of photos from different angles, as well as close-ups and wider shots.

It is noteworthy that it is no longer allowed to shake the minarets vigorously. In fact when I visited there, a team from Archeological Survey of India was conducting studies on the site and accessing it through the drone.

You can cover the structure in 15 minutes or so; it is just a stand-alone monument. However, request your conveyance to wait for you as it may be difficult to find one on the site.

My suggestions..

For people who want to come to Ahmedabad for tourism, winter months (Oct/Nov to Feb/Mar) may be the best time. The weather is usually mild so you can roam around even during the mid-day time. For that, the most conducive way to get around is by autorickshaw.  Most of the autos honor the meter system, and you will find the rates fairly reasonable for shorter commutes.

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