Ahmedabad

Big B has been saying it for a while now, '

Kuch din toh gujaro Gujrat mein'.

We finally got to spend a week in Amdavad with my partner and enjoyed the sights, sounds and culinary treats the city had to offer.

A lot of this info, one can get from Google, What you are to read are my personal impressions and are subject to my personal bias and prejudice.

HERITAGE:

The city has a lot of places of historical importance. Be it the Vavs (or the step-wells), the mosques or Sabarmati ashram. There is a lot of history to soak in.

Walk from a Temple to a Mosque: 200 INR

A good way to begin is by signing up for the Heritage walk organised by the Ahmedabad Heritage Society.

It is a 2KM walk from Swami Narayan Temple to Jami Masjid, you cover around 20 interesting points. The guide was not just patient with our questions but shared interesting trivia and quips along the way.

The most interesting trivia was the one about how different communities shared secret passages that were used during emergencies. He said 'Divided by POL (gated community), united by HOLE (secret passage).

Jami Masjid: Free entrance

The end of the heritage walk one comes to the massive Jami Masjid in the heart of Manek Chowk. One can find the influences of both Hindu and Islamic architecture. One can also find giant Arabic calligraphy on the wall.

Adlaj Stepwell: 50 INR

A little outside the city is the Adlaj Vav (step-well). It was highly recommended by various friends and websites when we did the research for the trip but honestly, it did not live up to my expectation. It is a small step-well and it is swarmed by tourists (like us), couples doing wedding photography and a bunch of Instagram/tik tok influencers.

The only thing that stood out about this place is its story. King Rana Veer Singh died in battle while this stepwell was being built. His widow Queen Roopba agreed to give her hand in marriage to King Mehmud on one condition. Complete the stepwell in King Rana Veer's memory.

Dada Harir Stepwell: Free entrance

Now, this is Vav that made us go wow. Dada Harir Vav is an octagonal five-storeyed stepwell built using sandstone. It was surprisingly empty and according to the caretaker not so popular amongst local tourists. This intricately carved stepwell once served as a night halt for travellers. Behind the stepwell are a mosque and a tomb. Beware of the monkeys around. Overall, if you have seen this, you could give Adlaj a skip.

Sarkej Roza: Free entrance

The approach to the place is a little difficult. Best if you have a rented car. The first thing one notices at Sarkej Roza is the calm and peaceful vibe that surrounds you. Maybe it was the time we went or the day, The place hardly had any people. The evening sun on the latticework is worth the extra effort to reach there. Here too one can find Hindu & Islamic influences in the architecture.

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque: Free entrance

This is a very small mosque but is popular for one interesting thing. The latticework on one of the windows has the intricate carving of the tree of life which became the logo-motif for IIM Ahmedabad one of India's premier business school. To get a good view of it one needs to go to a park adjacent to the mosque.

Sabarmati Ashram: Free entrance

On the banks of River Sabarmati is Sabarmati Ashram. Here Mahatma Gandhi and his wife spent around a decade. It is a museum which tells the story of Mahatma and his teachings. Since most of us have learnt a lot about Bapu in history books and seen several movies on him, this place to me was more of a history revision. There was no exceptionally new information for me. One can, however, see some of Bapu's artefacts here.

Veechaar Utensil Museum: Entry 50 INR, Photography 100 INR, Videography 500 INR

Started in 1981 by Mr Surendra Patel (architect) and his friend Mr Jyotrindra Jain (anthropologist), Veechaar is the worlds biggest utensil museum. It has around 4500 iron, brass and other metal utensils that are beautifully displayed and catalogued. The museum is not open on Mondays, So make sure you plan your visit.

To sum it up.

Big B, You are right ;)