ARCHITECTURE OF
AHMEDABAD
AHMEDABAD A tangled mass of factories, mosques, temples and skyscrapers, Gujarat’s commercial hub, Ahmedabad (pronounced “Amdavad”), sprawls along the banks of the River Sabarmati, about 90km from its mouth in the Bay of Cambay. With a population of around seven million, it is the state’s largest city and the mix of medieval and modern makes it a compelling place to explore.
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SIDI SAIYAD MOSQUE
Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque, famed for the ten magnificent jali (lattice-work) screens lining its upper walls, sits in the centre of a busy roundabout. Built in 1573, the two semicircular screens on the western wall are its most spectacular, with floral designs exquisitely carved out of the yellow stone. Stonework within depicts heroes and animals from popular Hindu myths – one example of Hindu and Jain craftsmanship influencing an Islamic tradition that rarely allowed the depiction of living beings in its mosques.
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JAIN HUTHEE SINGH TEMPLE
The Jain Huthee Singh Temple is easily distinguished by its high carved column. Built entirely of white marble embossed with smooth carvings of dancers, musicians, animals and flowers, this serene temple is dedicated to Dharamnath, the fifteenth tirthankara, or “ford-maker�, one of twentyfour great teachers sanctified by the Jains.
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JAMA MASJID
The spectacular Jama Masjid, completed in 1424, stands today in its entirety except for two minarets destroyed by an earthquake in 1957. Always bustling, the mosque is busiest on Fridays, when thousands converge to worship. The 260 elegant pillars supporting the roof of the domed prayer hall are covered with unmistakeably Hindu carvings.
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DADA HARI-NI VAV
Northern Gujarat abounds with remarkable step-wells–deep, with elaborately carved walls and broad flights of covered steps leading to a shaft–but Dada Hari-ni Vav, just outside the city’s old northeast boundaries, is among the finest. While it’s a Muslim construction, built in 1500, the craftsmen were Hindu, and their influence is clear in the lavish and sensuous carvings on the walls and pillars. Visit around 11am when the sculpted floral patterns and shapely figurines inside are bathed in sunlight. Bai Harir’s lofty mosque
and lattice-walled tomb stand just west of the well, while a couple of hundred metres north of the complex is the neglected Mata Bhavani Vav, probably constructed in the eleventh century, before Ahmedabad was founded. It’s profoundly Hindu in character, and dedicated to Bhava-ni, an aspect of Shiva’s consort Parvati.
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SARKHEJ ROZA
Sarkhej Roza, is a beautiful complex of tombs and pavilions. The complex is built around an artificial lake made for the rulers of Gujarat. The prominent tombs here include that of Ahmed Shah’s spiritual advisor, Sheikh Ahmed Khattu. One can witness fine carving and brass latticework here.
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