All you need to know about Ahmedabad – India’s First World Heritage City
Ahmedabad, an ancient walled city which has now turned 606 years, was founded by the great emperor in history, Ahmed Shah. This beautiful and spellbinding architecture city has now been – can’t be more proud enough – announced as the first Indian city to be marked as a World Heritage City by World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO. Don’t you feel like just unravelling the secrets behind Ahmedabad being India’s First World Heritage City? What are you waiting for, then? There are many hotels in Ahmedabad for stay which are quite great and in close proximity to the architectural marvels in Ahmedabad. You can plan things out and visit the heritage city, these vacations. Want to know more? Well, we are here to walk you through the reasons why Ahmedabad took such a giant leap. Read on! 1. Origin of the name of the city
In the 15th century, Sultan Ahmed Shah of the Muslim Muzaffarid dynasty ruled Gujarat. One day, the Sultan was standing on the banks of river Sabarmati. He noticed that there was a hare that was chasing down a big dog. He asked spiritual leaders in his court to explain the situation and got a beautiful answer. As per the learned man, the land was unique and had uniqueness blended in all its people. Thus, the impressed Sultan decided to make the land capital of Gujarat and named it Ahmedabad. 2. History associated with the Freedom Struggle Ahmedabad is a landmark city which has been a cradle for the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi. It was the home to many of the prominent national leaders such as Sardar Patel and earmarked the beginning of India’s non-violent freedom struggle by the Mahatma. 3. A land of mixed culture and religions Ahmedabad has been known throughout the country for supporting a secular co-existence of world’s majority religions such as Islamism, Hinduism and Jainism. It has always spread the message of unity with its opulent carvings in the Hindu and Jain temples dotted across the city as well as the Indo-Islamic architecture and exemplary Hindu Muslim art. 4. Breathtaking Architectural Beauty Ahmedabad displays a brilliant blend of the Islamic and Hindu heritage. The city had a changing monarchic lineage in the past with Hindu, Muslim and Jain rulers and thus has the beautiful architectural beauties made by the craftsmen of all these religions. The city is the home to the Bhadra Fort which was built in the 15th century. It also has the widely popular “Jhulta Mandir”, which means the swaying minaret and the finest Indo-Saracenic mosque – the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. You might be having thoughts by now of visiting the beautiful city these vacations, right? Not only Ahmedabad has stupendous historical monuments with the finest architecture but also has best hotels in Ahmedabad for dinner. So, you can head out to Ahmedabad in these vacations and discover the boundless beauty.
Do you want more facts to convince yourself? Well, we are just half way through by now – there is more… 5. Ancient Museums Gujarat has a myriad of beautiful museums, over 50 in number. Out of these 50+ museums, 22 are located in Ahmedabad – yes, that’s right. You can find Satyagrah Ashram here that was one of the houses of Mahatma Gandhi which was later turned into a historic museum. You can also find the Calico Museum of Textiles, Sheth BJ Vidyabhavan Museum that has 11,000 manuscripts in different ancient languages of the country, Museum of Folk Arts and many more. 6. Best places to visit Some of the best places to visit in Ahmedabad include the Jama Masjid built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1423 for the Friday prayers of Muslims, Siddi Sayed Mosque which is situated in the northeast region of the Bhadra Fort with excellent latticework over the fantastic yellow sandstone, Teen Darwaza which is situated in the southeast region of the Bhadra Fort was the entrance to the Royal Square where the then polo games and royal processions took place, Hutheesing Jain temple and the list just does not end. 7. Other fantastic places to visit Ahmedabad is also home to some other fantastic places such as the Kankaria Lake – the second largest and most beautiful lake in Gujarat, Indroda Nature Park – has a zoo, sea mammal skeleton exhibit and a botanical garden, Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park – the second largest place with many dinosaur eggs in the world, Auto World Vintage Car Museum – open-air museum with the hall of fame of amazing vintage vehicles, carriages and motorcycles, Gujarat Science City – has hands-on exhibits and a fantabulous 3D IMAX theatre with a superb simulated spacecraft ride. 8. Incredible City Plan Ahmedabad has been a paramount part of India’s numerous historical and traditional events such as the trade relations of the 15th century, freedom struggle movements like the Dandi
March. It is far away from the influences of the West and has a traditional and unique touch to the city. Older regions of the city have “Pols” that are traditional wooden construction with a bustling neighbourhood. The new city, also known as “Pur” represents the modern living of people with new and welldesigned roads and buildings. The prominent metropolis also has Five Star Restaurants in Ahmedabad with delicious and savouring delicacies of Gujarat. You can find everything in Ahmedabad – delicious cuisines, beautiful architectural beauties, monuments and a blend of Islam and Hindu culture. To sum up, now that you know all the facts about India’s First World Heritage City, it is time to pack your bags and move to the marvellous city of Ahmedabad. The city has a beautiful aura that is unbeatable – the peace and serenity of the monuments and historical places add to the tinge of romance that you might be looking for in a holiday. There are best restaurants in Ahmedabad for candle light dinner which you can visit after unravelling the city of wonders in India.