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.

Add caption

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.

A trip to Statue of Unity, Champaner and Vadodra

Luxmi Vilas Palace

Ever heard of a place that changes itself within 12 hours? No. Then you have not visited the famous Manek Chowk of Ahmedabad. People say that a tourist has to visit Manek Chowk to get the real feel of Amdavad.


Amdavad was always on my travel list. Even when I was applying for Teach for India(which I didn't join. That's another story)  I chose Amdavad as my first preference city.  Finally, I visited the city and I am still in awe.


For a change, I did not plan my travel this time. I made a tatkal booking for Baroda. Vadodra or Baroda was not on my travel list but it was just added a day before because I wanted to visit Statue of Unity.

How to reach Baroda?

There are many trains from Mumbai to Baroda. It takes around six hours. I took the BDT-BGKT Express train. Many private buses are running between the cities. I prefer the train because they are cheaper and takes less time.

What to do in Baroda?

1.Statue of Unity

I planned to stay for two days in Baroda. My train reached at 5:43 am (it was on time). The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is 350m from the railway station. From here you can get the intercity buses. 

It is advisable to not follow the bus station signboard in the Railway Station. 

It is the city bus station, ask anyone and they will guide you about the bus depot.

I had booked my bus from GSRTC for Statue of Unity the previous day. 

Buses for Statue of Unity leaves from Platform no. 20. 

It is advisable to book the tickets before. You can also get the ticket once you board the bus. Navgam is the closest bus stop to Statue of Unity. 

If you don't get the tickets of Navgam, get on the bus which goes to Kevadiya which is another bus depot near to Statue of Unity.  The bus takes 2.5 hours. It left the station at 7:00 am. 

The route is beautiful. The road is extremely smooth. The lush green Satpura ranges and the Narmada river will make the journey more scenic. The bus doesn't stop anywhere in the middle so it is advisable to have breakfast before boarding the bus.

Breakfast: Poha and tea

The route to Statue of Unity

I reached Navgam at 9:30 am. The bus dropped me near the entry of the Statue of Unity. A local informed me that it is advisable to book the Statue of Unity tickets online. The tickets can be booked from the site.

There are three types of tickets of Rs. 120, Rs. 350 and  Rs.1000. 

I purchased Rs. 350 tickets which included entry to the Statue Of Unity, gallery, Sardar Sarovar Dam, and the valley of flowers. There are specific timings also. Everything will be mentioned on the tickets.

Statue of Unity is well managed by the authorities. From the ticket counter, a bus runs till the Statue of Unity which is 5km far.

Statue of Unity

Inside the Statue of Unity

After visiting the Statue of Unity, the bus takes you to Sardar Sarovar Dam. The statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel is facing this dam which is built over the Narmada river.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

 The bus also covers the valley of flowers which is a garden with a variety of flowers. People who don't wish to go to the dam can see the dam from the valley of flowers.

Valley of Flowers

On return, the bus dropped the tourists at Ticket counter from where it had picked us up. 

From the ticket counter, I walked till Kevadia bus depot. Autos are also available but quite rare. Buses are leaving frequently for Baroda from the bus depot. I waited for half an hour and got the bus.

2. Garba Night

I planned to go to Gujarat during Navratri because I wanted to experience the festivities of the city. 

Garba of Baroda is very famous. I met Vishal during Kedarkantha trek, I went for dinner at his place. His wife Sonu gave me Chaniya Choli to wear for the Garba event which was happening near their place. 

Women with dresses have free entry to this event at some places.  It is fascinating to see how women dress up for the event. If you want to see the colors of Gujarat you need to visit the Garba event. It was a large ground. 

There was a mixture of different colors. Red, yellow, orange, blue, back. People were so energetic and enthusiastic. It was my first experience of Garba and it was majestic. 

It was a rhythm in motion. I struggled at first but soon I matched the steps with everyone. It was worth an experience I enjoyed it.

Garba Ready

3. Champaner

Champaner is a UNESCO world heritage site. The closest bus depot is Pavgadh. 

Buses are available from the GSRTC bus stand. It takes almost a day to visit this place. Due to less time I had to cut my trip short. 

I walked through the ruins of palaces, mosque, temples, step-wells. The Jami Masjid is an example of Hindu and Muslim architecture. There is a pond inside the mosque. 

The mosque is beautiful and has many intricate designs. Another mosque that I visited was Shahr ki masjid. As you pass through Shahr ki Masjid and go towards Jami Masjid, you will find the eastern fortress gate crowded by Langoors. 

 There is a famous Kalika Mata temple. I was not able to cover it. Buses are available till Machi village from Pavgadh,  from where you can take a ropeway or trek to reach the temple.  The temple is at a height of 800 meters in the Pavgadh hills.

Jami Masjid

Jami Masjid

Pond inside Jami Masjid

4. Luxmi Vilas Palace

A magnificent palace owned by the Gaekwads. The word 'Gae' means cow and 'wads' means protector. 

They are the protector of cows. The palace is beautiful. There are many peacocks in the garden. 

A golf course is also there but tourist entry is restricted. The ticket cost is Rs. 225 (excluding the museum). The audio guide explains every detail about the place. It is a beautiful piece of architecture. It is a must-visit place in Baroda.

Luxmi Vilas Palace

5. Sayajibaug Park

It is park cum zoo cum planetarium. There is a toy train which also runs within the park. It is good for recreation but not recommended.

Moreover if you want to take a heritage walk in Baroda, check this website .

It is an audio guide available for free.

Where to eat?
I always eat from the street vendors whenever I travel because I find the taste authentic. I had sev usal pav which looks like this

Sev Usal

I had the famous fafda jalebi

I also went to a cafe called Canara House. It is the first cafe in Baroda. They serve scrumptious Poona Misal. Even the upma is really good.

Upma and Poona Misal

There are many omelet vendors in Baroda. They serve a variety of egg dishes. You can try any one of them.

Place to stay?

Many hotels are available near the bus station. 

I booked In and Out dormitory which was quite economical. It is inside the bus depot only. They charge Rs. 350 for one night. 

You can also get a dorm on an hourly basis. The dorms are clean and well maintained. There are separate dorms for males and females. 

Female solo travellers who are travelling within the budget can opt for this place. Inquire them about the availability before you go.

Stay tuned for my next blog regarding Amdavad. 

Mahabaleshwar : Mostly Cloudy and Misty

Aesthetic, picturesque, ravishing, chilly, mostly cloudy are some words that best define Mahabaleshwar. Mahabaleshwar is a small hill station in the state of Maharashtra, India. I visited this place on 26^th June, 2019. I travelled there by taxi. If you want to travel economically there are bus services you can opt. It takes about almost 7 hours to reach Mahabaleshwar. I took off from Santacruz, Mumbai around 9 am and reached the hotel at 6:00 pm. We halted at Lonavala also for some sightseeing. The route to Mahabaleshwar is mesmerizing. There are a plethora of green lush trees along the Western Ghats which makes the drive more beauteous.

There are many hotels available in this area. I stayed at Eden Villa it is a homestay which is close to Mahabaleshwar. Try to stay in a home stay because at first, they provide you scrumptious home cooked food and secondly, they will guide you in a better way. The caretaker of the home stay made us a delicious dinner. When I reached Mahabaleshwar it was raining heavily. Don’t forget to take an umbrella or a raincoat. They will be your savior for this trip.

Outside area of Lord Shiva temple

The next day I started my trip for sightseeing. There are numerous points in the hill station but most of the times the view is not visible. I started with the famous temples at old Mahabaleshwar. There are three temples which are an example of historic Indian architecture. The temples are Lord Shiva temple, Panchganga Mandir and Krishnabai temple. The Krishnabai temple worships the Krishna river. There is a statue of Lord Krishna and the river falls through a cow faced structure into a ‘Kund’ (a small pit). Photography is not allowed inside the temples.

Bull at Panchganga Mandir

e

The next place was Elphinstone Point. It was discovered by Dr. James Murray and it overlooks two valleys Koyana and Savitri. The view is breathtaking. You can see clouds moving around the lush green Ghats. I could only enjoy the view for mere 10 minutes. After that the clouds covered the whole area and everything became invisible.

Clouds and the Western Ghats

After that I went to Connaught Peak. It is the second highest peak in Mahabaleshwar. There was no tourist when I visited this place. I was awestruck by the route. Lush green trees, snow white fog, chirping of birds and the serenity made this route enthralling. As I reached the top there was nothing to see as it was all cloudy.

The next point was Lodwick and Elephant head point. Both these points have the same route and they are quite nearby. These points are ideal for sunrise and sunset. The point has a memorial for General Peter Lodwick who first visited this place in 1824. It is at a height of 4067 mts. There is nothing much to see except a memorial. Elephants head point/ needle point gives view of a mountain which is elephant shaped.

ElephantHead Route

Misty Route

Lodwick Point

The next point was Venna Lake. It is a small lake with many eateries nearby. Boating facility is also available. When I visited Venna Lake boating was closed. It is always crowded and it can be avoided if you don’t have enough time.

The most striking place to visit in Mahabaleshwar is Mapro. It is a food processing company. They have various products like candies, sharbats, jams, sauce available with them. Along with this they have a restaurant that serve delicious sandwiches and pizza. This place is always super crowded.

Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are famous for strawberries. You will many strawberry plantations along the route. Try the strawberry cream from Bagicha(restaurant).

Mapro Garden

Strawberry Cream at Bagicha

Durga Pujo in Kolkata

No doubt Kolkata is called the city of joy. It is a city with a soul. The soul that never sleeps and not only celebrate the festivals but also celebrate themselves.

Kolkata during Durga Pujo(as Bengalis will say) is an extreme delight. I had the opportunity to visit Kolkata during the Pujo in 2018. The atmosphere during the Pujo is full of energy and excitement. 

If you are not a localite, going during Durga Pujo in Kolkata might seem challenging to you but if you really want to experience the city, you must visit it during the festivities. 

I visited Kolkata during Durga Pujo for four days and the experience was enriching. I took a flight from Delhi to Kolkata. The flight took almost 2.5 hours.

If you plan to travel to Kolkata during Durga Pujo and have less days, I recommend to go on Saptmi(7th day of Navratri). Saptmi, Ashtami and Navmi are the main days for Bengalis during the Pujo. The 10th day i.e Dusshera is the day when immersion of the idols take place.

I stayed at Gala time hostel in Patuli area. The hostel was good providing the basic amenities. The area was in the outskirts of the city. 

More stay options are available at Park Street(mostly foreigners go for this place). I landed in Kolkata on 17th October,2018. I took a bus to Patuli. 

The transport system in Kolkata is really good especially the AC buses. If you want to curtail your expenses travel by the local buses or metro. They are cheap and quite comfortable. Cabs are quite expensive as compared to NCR regions.

The journey began with Pandal hopping. I arrived at my hostel around 22:00 hours and started the ritual of Pandal hopping. 

During the Pujo every street is lit up. You will not find darkness anywhere. The Pandals are open for the whole night with a neverending crowd. I visited the nearby Pandals. There were around Pandals near my area and each one of them was beautifully decorated. Once you get out on the streets you will feel the energy and excitement of people. 

Streets are lit all night

Pandals at Patuli

Pandal hopping is incomplete without the street food that Kolkata has to offer. The street food includes puchke(for only Rs.10), rolls, noodles, papdi chaat, gola(snowflake) and many others. The food is tasty as well as cheap.

The mornings in Kolkata are quite. There are quite few souls on the roads. In the morning  I planned to visit other places of interest in Kolkata. I took a bus from to Victoria Memorial. The only place in Kolkata where you will find n number of foreigners. It has a beautiful architecture. It was built during the British era. The tickets are quite cheap. It is advisable to go in the evening on a hot day.

Victoria Memorial

After mesmerizing the beauty of  Victoria Memorial I made my way to Burrabazar. It is a crowded place. It is a wholesale market, that has various items like stationary, medicine,electronic goods and many others. 

The market is always crowded. In the midst of the market lies the Nakhoda Masjid. It is one of the largest and prime mosques of Kolkata.

Nakhoda Masjid

 

The next visit was to Prinsep Ghat. It looks beautiful during sunset. There are many eateries around the ghat. Boat rides are also available which are very costly. I booked a boat for Rs.300(after bargaining). The boat gives a ride for half an hour around the Vidyasgar Setu.

Prisep Ghat

 

Vidyasagar Setu

At night I went for some more Pandal hopping. At night each street in Kolkata is heavily crowded. There is a huge rush for the pandals especially the famous ones. 

I visited the pandals at Ahiritola, Hatkhola, Kumartuli, Sovabajar, Mohammad Ali Park. The waiting time is around 1 hour during night. Each pandal was beautifully decorated. If you plan to visit the pandals during night buy a metro ticket to save yourself from the traffic.

 

The other day I visited Dakshineshwar Temple. It is quite far from the city located near the sacred Ganges. The route to the temple is beautiful. It is surrounded by lush green forest. Try going to the temple during early morning to save your time.

Dakshineshwar Temple

 

The other place I visited was Belur Math. It is connected to Dakshineswar through a ferry. The ticket costs around Rs.11 for one side. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly river. It is the headquarter of Ramkrishna Mission. The serenity of the place attracts people.

Belur Math

  

Dussehra is bit more different in Kolkata as from the North India. In Kolkata it is the last day of Durga Pujo. All the idols are immersed in the river and it marks the end of Durga Pujo. The roads are filled with people dancing. You can see vehicles carrying the idols of Durga. 

Babughat is the place to go for seeing this vast celebration coming to an end. The ghat is filled with people carrying the Durga idol and immersing it in the Hooghly river. You can feel the happiness and excitement in the people. Walking on the roads will give you goosebumps.

 

Durga Idol brought for visarjan

Trip to Kolkata is incomplete without the Bengali Sweets. I had the privilege to taste some of them like: kher khodom, rohogulla, mishti doi, darbesh and many others.

 

Aam Mishti Doi

No doubt Kolkata is called the city with a soul.