Artistic Ahmedabad

Sometimes, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone and experience something new and different. Probably you are thinking what it really means, let me make it a bit simpler. Undoubtedly, I love mountains, for me it is my comfort zone, I love its twisted roads, the silence, mountain air, sound of brooks and most importantly the locals. I am quite familiar with these things now. Although, it doesn’t imply that I do not want to explore different places other than Hill stations or mountains. So,this time I thought of trying something of a different taste and planned to visit Ahmedabad. Though it’s not my first time in Ahmedabad, I had been there before, but on different occasions and for different reasons. This time I wanted to experience and witness the renowned International Kite Festival, as well as to enjoy and take part in one of the Prime festival – Uttarayan. The International Kite Festival (Uttarayan) is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Gujarat. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the occasion. The festival of Uttarayan is celebrated on the day which marks the beginning of summer. According to Indian Calendar, it is that time of the year when the sun shines brightly again and marks the approaching of harvest season which is called Makara Sankranti. Since 1989, the city of Ahmedabad has hosted the International Kite Festival as a part of the official celebration of Uttarayan, bringing master kite makers and flyers from all over the world to demonstrate their unique creations and impress the spectators with highly unusual kites. Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday for two days.

I had roughly planned this trip of 6 days (11th Jan – 16th Jan). Though it was just a 2-hour 35 min flight to Ahmedabad from my city (Kolkata) and was scheduled to reach by 12:50 am; it got delayed by an hour and after collecting by baggage I stepped out around 2 am. After negotiating with my fatigue for a while, me and my brain settled to have a cup of coffee. Ahmedabad welcomed me with it's cold breeze and chilly atmosphere. Excitement and a pre-planned busy schedule couldn’t let me sleep and the alarm rang at 4:30 am just as it was supposed to. "Why so early, couldn't I sleep a bit more?", my brain argued. But I had lined up my plans for experiencing an interior side of Ahmedabad to experience greenery which would definitely be time consuming. I was excited to go and visit those places but what I experienced was beyond my imagination. Those lush green fields, the cattle, a soothing blend of warm and cold breeze, the local townfolk, I don’t have words to express what I experienced for words aren't enough to express its beauty. The best part is that I had local dishes there sitting alongwith the locals. Then my next stop was Ambaji temple. Ambaji is a town within Taluka district Banaskantha, North Gujarat. It is known for its historical and mythological connections with sites of cultural heritage. Surrounded by the mighty Aravali Hill Range, it is believed that Ambaji Mata Temple is the ‘Shakti Peeth’. The distance between Ahmedabad to Ambaji is approximately 188.3km. I returned to Ahmedabad around 11:45 pm and after an eventful day I was so tired that I fell into the bed straight and sank into a deep slumber.

I still had a day to spare before Uttarayan so decided to look up about the heritage of Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad, also called ‘Manchester of East’, is the former capital of Gujarat and with its delicious food and colourful culture it's becoming a fast-growing tourist destination. The old part of the city (historic) was declared as a UNESCO world Heritage Site. Home to an abundance of remarkable temples like Swaminarayan Temple, intriguing museums and classy markets, Ahmedabad is an excellent example of how a city can hold its heritage and at the same time rapidly progress on the path of globalisation. Ahmedabad is also famous for its textiles and the origin of the famous Bandhani handloom technique. Bandhani sarees, dupattas to traditionally embroidered dress materials and other local handicrafts act like add-ons to those who loves shopping. I personally love Bandhani dress materials and dupattas a lot. For lunch, one can visit and have traditional Gujarati thalis just near the Sabarmati Ashram and ofcourse spend some time inside the ashram and feel the peace and serenity. Sabarmati Ashram is situated beside the Sabarmati river and is a peaceful place filled with bliss. Gandhiji’s living quarters are still preserved here and is now used as a museum where visitors can learn all about his life and his teachings.

Places to see in Ahmedabad (Quick Guide) –

1. Swaminarayan Temple

2. Sabarmati Ashram

3. World vintage car museum

4. Kankaria lake

5. Hathisingh jain temple

6. Sidi saiyyed Mosque

7. Jhulta Minar

8. Vaishnodevi Temple

9. ISKCON temple

10. Jama Masjid

11. Adalaj step well

12. Sarkhej Roza

13. Sabarmati Riverfront

14. Dada Hari Wav

15. Akshardham Temple

For shopping lovers – (you can plan and pay a visit to these places, if you want to take anything back along with you apart from memories.) –

1. Lal Darwaja (timing – 11:00 – 23:00, all days of the week)

2. Dhalgarwad (timing – 11:00 – 23:00, all days of the week)

3. Law garden bazar (timing – 17.30-23.30, all days of the week)

4. Teen Darwaja market

For dinner, I directly landed up at Manek Chowk, a city square in old Ahmedabad which is surrounded by Historical structures. It is a vegetable market in the morning, a bullion market in the noon and the street food market at night. Manekchowk is the Gem of Ahmedabad. From the most authentic age-old cuisines to the delicious new-age flavours you’ll get everything at Manekchowk. This place is best known for its kulfi, jamun shots, and other snacks like bhaji-pav, Dosa, sandwiches ets. So, when you are tired after an entire eventful day, this place is perfect to grab a delicious bite and breathe for a while before you hit the bed. (timings – 7:00 pm – 2:00 am {for food market/stalls}).

Finally, the best part of this trip, International Kite Festival (IKF). I was super excited from the morning and finally left for Sabarmati Riverfront. It is believed that the Sabarmati Riverfront, has the capacity to accommodate over 5 lakhs visitors. Various cities across Gujarat hold kite-flying competitions among its citizens. However, the showstopper contest, IKF event is held in Ahmedabad. This year, IKF took place on 6th January to 14th January,2020. The entry to IKF of Gujarat is free for all the visitors. However, access to the kite flying area is limited to participants only. Over 45 Countries participates in this event. Kites of all shapes, sizes and designs are flown throughout the day. The string is prepared to be as sharp as possible so that it is easy to cut rival kites during the competition. The excitement refuses to leave even after a long day of kite flying. Lanterns are attached to the string, and kites are continued to be flown; which gives a spectacular view of the night sky during the festival. It was an eventful and productive day. I learnt a lot and gathered a lot of information as well. IKF was so soothing to my eyes and it completely succeeded in fulfilling my expectations and undoubtedly this experience left me ecstatic. I completely forgot that only a day was left in my schedule and I have to return to my daily-life. Everything was complete and perfect here but had to prepare for my journey home.

I woke up to some commotion and constant shouting outside, which left me a little scared and without wasting a moment I ran and opened the window. I was expecting may be someone fighting out there but what I saw was no less than a good dream that woke me up and brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face. Everyone was busy and preparing themselves for flying kites at their house/apartment rooftops. Believe it or not, all the buildings were full! I was awestruck because no matter where they live, irrespective of age, everyone took part and was helping each other to fly kites. For kids, it’s like they are not flying kites, they are flying their dreams, that spark in their eyes and when it got cut their eyes were teary; elders were taking a break and making them understand that it’s just a game and cheering them up, making them ready to fly the next one. Even some kids differentiated their favourite kite so that no one else could fly them as they could not bear and see it going away if it got cut. I was really happy that I got the chance to experience this festival so closely. I got up and made myself ready, a pair of jeans and tee, top-not and sunscreen lotion and a sunglass (these are must) and taadaa...! I am ready to rock. For the first time, I learnt how to fly a kite and successfully I flew 2 kites, of course it’s a big deal for those who don’t even know the procedure to ready it so that it can fly. I really appreciate their energy and excitement, they were enjoying and flying the kites continuously for 2 days irrespective of sun rays. The whole family took part. Uttarayan is a festival that not only exhibits inherent traditions but also affirms their relevance in contemporary times. This festival is a globally known cultural event which plays an important role as a driving factor for cultural tourism in Ahmedabad.

I packed all the memories together and though I desperately wanted to live few more days and spend some more time there, but life has different plans. Until next time I will miss everything. So long, Artistic Ahmedabad!