Gujarat Diaries: Chapter 2- Things to do in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Heritage walk is a must if you are travelling to the city. There are two packages for Indians/Foreign, a standard package Rs. 200/300 and a luxury package of Rs. 350/450 which includes breakfast.The tour can be booked online, or you can also visit Swaminarayan temple in Kalupur. They have an office inside the temple complex on the first floor. I was not able to book the tickets online, so I went to the office at 7:30 am and brought the tickets. The walk is informative and interesting.

Swaminarayan Temple

Inside of Swaminarayan Temple

In this blog, I will be writing a photoblog on Ahmedabad.

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Otlo: Gujarat is a dry state so there are spaces outside every house called otlo. This is a live memorial. If you go in the afternoon or evening time, ladies will be there doing the household work, children will be playing which gives the statue a feeling of being alive. The statue resembles dada means grandfather. If the grandfather is sitting like this, children can come to dada and say, "I am with my dada." It is a good place for photography.

Chabutro in one of the pols

Chabutro at Swaminarayan Temple

Chabutro/Bird Feeder: They are the icons of the old city of Ahmedabad. Stairs are made with gaps so that only humans can go there, not cats and dogs.Children go and collect grains and water and put it in the chabutro. This can be seen in every pols or society in Ahmedabad. It is the logo of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Trees are very less in the old city than the new city of Ahmedabad but birds are more because of chabutro.

Kala Ramji Ramdir with the priest

Kala Ram ji Mandir: Kala Ramji Mandir has three striking features:'

1. The idols of Lord Ram and Lakshman are black in color. There are only two places where the black idol of Lord Ram is placed. One is in Amdavad and the second one is in Nashik.

2. In most of the temples, Lord Ram is in a standing position but in this temple, he is in a padmasana (sitting) position. It is the time of his exile.

3. Every idol of Lord Ram is accompanied by Hanuman but in this temple, Hanuman is missing. It is because Hanuman met Lord Ram in the southern part of India and this Temple is in the Western part.

The temple is a 'swayambhu' which means it came out during excavation. The idol is made up of 'Kasoti' stone which is used to check the quality of gold. The temple is inside the house. The house is 150 years old and no one knows how old the idols are.

Manek Chowk at night

Manek Chowk : If you haven't been to Manek chowk twice(morning and night), your trip to Amdavad is not complete." I read this online and heard it from many locals so I visited Manek Chowk in the morning as well as night. Manek chowk transition into a very different place at night.
The pictures represent the makeover of Manek Chowk.

1. In the morning it is a jewelry market. The picture is taken during the Heritage Walk in Amdavad. The shops were closed at that time.

2. The second and third picture is the night food market at Manek chowk. It is filled with stalls serving scrumptious good. The street is covered with red and white chairs.

Dada Harir ni Vav

Interior of the stepwell

Interior of the stepwell

Harir ni Vav: As I walked from Ahmedabad Railway station to Dada Harir ki Vav I saw the transition of the city. From congested traffic to fafda jalebi shop on every lane to a peaceful village, the city was majestic even in the scorching heat. After a 45 min walk, I reached Aswara village and it was quiet. Peaceful unlike the city. The stepwell is at a walking distance from the village. Surrounded by the Aswara mills and coal yards of the city, this stepwell is a masterpiece.

Jami masjid behind the stepwell

Behind the stepwell there is a 600 years old mosque. The mosque and the stepwell have intricate designs. It is a paradise for archaeology people.Visit this place on foot (if you can) to see the how the city changes.

Sewage Ventilation Pipe

Sewage Ventilation pipe: Old Ahmedabad has an underground sewage system that is more than 100 years old. This is a ventilation pipe to remove foul gas. The two holes can be seen in the picture, from that foul gas comes out and the arrow shows the flow. In olden times there were no multistorey buildings. When it is raining the new part of the city gets flooded but not the old city. Though the new houses have windows, they cannot open it.

Gujurati Food: Vishalla

Decorations at Vishalla

Empty Tables

Vishalla: The service is good and the ambience is beautiful. The food is tasty but overpriced. I will not recommend it to backpackers, there are other outlets that offer Gujarat cuisine at a much lower price.

Tailor Shop in the old Amdavad city

Ambar Charkha

Navratri celebration

Jami Masjid

Niche dukan Upar Makaan

Place to stay: I stayed in In & Out Dormitory for one day. The cost for one night is Rs. 350. They didn’t allow me to stay for the second day. I have called them earlier regarding the booking and they told me that rooms are available, and I can book the room at the reception only.

But I don’t know what changed. They told me that they had bookings for the next day but when I checked online, room availability was showing. The person at reception was not helpful. I questioned them about the online availability, but they didn’t respond to my query. Ultimately, I had to shift to some other place. I booked Hotel Relax AC Dormitory through booking.com.

The staff was amazing and helpful. I have put my review on the site, you can check it. Although the dorm was good, I will not recommend it for a female solo traveller. Instead, you can book a room in the same hotel which will be safe.

How to reach?

Ahmedabad city is well connected by trains, roads and air. I travelled from Vadodra to Ahmedabad by Karnavati Express train. The fare was Rs. 98 and the train was on time.