The World Heritage City, just in a day? Possible? No, its not. But who is stopping you from taking multiple trips to this vibrant city that has heritage safely preserved in its caring palms and modernity taking it to the global platform? We will give you day-plans for all of your multiple trips. Lets start with the first one.
Arrive Ahmedabad in the evening and spend time at the Sabarmati River Front - it is more than what you can imagine. Peaceful, tranquil and the sound of water lapping up against the river bank humming a soft lullaby. Yes, it is as peaceful as can get to meditate or to catch a nap. Cool breeze and the gentle sound of water - Welcome to Gandhiji’s Ahmedabad.
Sleep well in your cozy hotel room and next morning be ready by 7 am but for a change, do not eat breakfast. You read that right, do not have breakfast. The reason is that we want you to indulge in some scrumptious Gujarati delicacies for a yummy breakfast treat but not before some much needed exercise in the form of a 2.5 kms long Heritage Walk.
Our day begins at the Swaminarayan Temple at Kalupur. You are in the World Heritage City and if you do not explore this city on foot, wouldn’t it be an incomplete experience? Our heritage walk starts from the Swaminarayan Mandir, a detailed account of the same is given here. The hour long walk culminates at the Jama Masjid. From here we go to the hundred year old Chandravilas Restaurant - the restaurant that boasts of Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and other eminent personalities among its patrons. You saved up your appetite for the most delicious breakfast that would be served here. Fafda and Jalebi combo is a must to start with and a masala tea is a must to wash down your meal with, the in betweens can be anything from Puri Bhaji, Paranthas, Dhokla, Khaman, Sandwich or the other items listed on their menu which is rattled out at supersonic speed by the many “Chhotus” who serve here.
We now have time to either explore Jhulta Minar, Teen Darwaza, Rani Sipri Mosque onto Sarkhej Roza or another set of monuments and go to Adalaj Vav and Gandhi Ashram. Then there are the museums too , Calico museum being a must-visit place on the checklist of every traveller and The Akshardham Temple. As we said, you can not cover everything in just a day hence we divided the monuments in these sets. Let us choose to go onto Adalaj and Gandhi Ashram route today. The other monuments will feature in our next articles “Ahmedabad - again” and “Ahemdabad - yet again”.
Step wells are an unmissable and integral part of Gujarat’s culture. These were the source of water in the semi-arid zone and also served as a cultural hub for many cultural and traditional gatherings and celebrations. Women would gather here to de-stress and have a casual chat with other friends while on their way to fetch water for their daily domestic chores. As you step inside the step well you would notice that it is much cooler inside the well as compared to the temperature outside. This temperature difference is due to the way the vav was constructed. Talk of engineering marvels!! A detailed account on the Adalaj Vav is soon coming, watch this space.
After spending some time exploring this beautifully carved wonder of a step well, we head towards the Gandhi Ashram. Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram… reverberates in the peaceful environs of the Ashram which feels more like a quaint peaceful village than a Sanctuary. Spread out across the banks of Sabarmati with Neem Trees purifying the air, this home of The Father of The Nation beckons one and all. You would see many school children beelining for the visit through the Museum. The museum showcases life and times of the Mahatma. But before you reach the museum you would notice the Ashram Shop on the left. This is a storehouse of literature about India, Her Freedom Story, Freedom Fighters, Freedom Movement, Mahatma Gandhi and many other national leaders. Handmade notebooks and diaries and miniature versions of the spinning wheel or Charkha are the best souvenirs and gifts from your visit to The Gandhi Ashram. Gandhiji’s “My experiments with truth” and his biography are the fastest selling books here and are available not just in Hindi and English but in other Indian languages too.
Moving ahead you would come across Vinoba Mira Kutir, the small cottage once inhabited by Mahatma’s greatest devotee Mira who was a foreign national but was so influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings that she decided not only to become a follower but also to re-christen herself and staying on in India for the rest of her life. Seeing her devotion towards Mahatma Gandhi she was given an Indian name and that too of Mira Bai- the ultimate devotee ever! It is known that Mahatma Gandhi would keep the most hardened criminals here, close to himself and would gradually reform them and re-introduce them to the society.
Overlooking the Sabarmati is Mahatma’s living quarters - The Hridaykunj. A small tour of the insides of this beautiful abode is a must. See the humble home and kitchen of the Greatest Man who ever lived and sit in the verandah outside to soak up the surroundings which are home to many birds and squirrels. Parrots squaking around and soft murmur of speedboats taking people on joyrides on the Sabarmati are the only sounds that would interrupt your thoughts.
You can leave The Gandhi Ashram but a visit to The Gandhi Ashram will never leave you - a memory and an impression to last a lifetime.
We are on the other side of the noon and its time to grab a bite. You could sit at one of the popular places or a fine dine depending upon how much time you wish to allocate to your meals. Post meals, we always recommend a slow leisurely walk through the city markets exploring the many lovely handicrafts and fabrics that are showcased in the vibrant bazaars. Savour your evening tea before heading to the The Law Garden or Manek Chowk for a mouth watering and most eclectic street food fare. Both these places rank high and its difficult to choose one over the other but we crossed Manek Chowk on our heritage walk so lets go to Law Garden now. Here you could also indulge in some shopping of traditional Gujarati Chaniya Cholis and imitation jewellery, the kinds that swirl and twirl all over the World during the nine days of Dandiya during the Kartik Navratri. To wind it all up do stuff a meetha paan in your mouth - it will give you a few quiet moments while you struggle to contain the juicy paan in the confines of your mouth and discover its many layers of flavours!
Start with jalebi and end with a paan - that’s your perfectly sweet day in Aapno Amdavad!
