Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat, India, with a population of approximately 65 lakh (6.5 million) citizens, the sixth largest in India. Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre and commercial hub of Ahmedabad district and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; that is, from when the state was formed to when the capital was moved to Gandhinagar, 30 kilometres to the north. The western border of Gujarat is on the west coast of India, along the Arabian Ocean, all the way up to Pakistan. Gujaratis call the city Amdavad.
One point to remember is that the historical walled city of Ahmedabad and its suburbs all lie east of the Sabarmati river and everything there is cheap. The western part of the city, across the river, is new and prone to the cultural influence of the western world. Everything here is expensive. Gujarat enforces prohibition, so liquor is a problem; a permit will be required.
Ahmedabad is a tourist’s paradise. The best time to visit is in winter, when the diurnal temperature range is from 5 to 22°C. The Muslim influence is obvious.
Some sights of note are Jama Masjid, Ahmed Shah Tombs, Bhadra Fort and Darwaja, Sidi Saiyad Mosque, Hathesing Temple, Raj Babri Mosque, Sidi Bashir Mosque, Jhulta Minara, Ahmed Shah Mosque, Rani Sipri Mosque, Rani Rupmati Mosque, Kankaria Lake, Calico Museum, Sabarmati Ashram, Adalaj Vav, Sarkhej Roza, Heritage pole houses, Amardham, Akshardham, Vaishnodevi Temple, Kamla Nehru Zoo, Swaminarayan Gurukul, Dada Hari ni Vav, Lal Darwaza, Teen Darwaza, Dilli Darwaza, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple, the drive-in cinema and Ratan Pole among many others.
How to Get There
By Air:
Ahmedabad has an international airport that is being renovated and expanded to cater for the huge crowd of travellers to both the United States and the United Kingdom, countries which have a large number of Gujarati immigrants. Currently (2011), there are direct flights to London, Muscat, Kuwait (Kuwait Airways), Dubai (Emirates), Doha Qatar (Qatar Airlines), Sharjah, and Singapore (Singapore Airlines). Emirates flies five times a week between Dubai and Ahmedabad, and Singapore Airlines twice. Travel to any international destination is via Mumbai or Delhi. It is well connected domestically, with links throughout the country.
By Rail:
Despite its twelve platforms, Ahmedabad is one of the busiest railway stations in western India. Besides being a terminus for many trains, it is also a link and enroute halt for close to 80 trains per day. It was the only railway station in the world that was linked to the same destination, Gandhidham, by both metric and broad gauges and, via different intermediate stations, you could easily switch trains at a common halt. It was not uncommon to see a broad gauge train overtaking a metric gauge train, 30 metres away, on parallel tracks.
By Road:
Ahmedabad is very well connected by road to the rest of India. It has the distinction of hosting the first expressway in India, over a 100 kilometre stretch to Vadodara. It has an improved national highway to Mumbai, a trip of about eight hours. Unfortunately, all kinds of vehicles are allowed on the highway for want of an alternative. Massive convoys of trucks turn into speed breakers, and legislation is on the table to only permit trucks at nights. An expressway is also being built from Mumbai northwards to meet up with the Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway that is being extended.
Where to Stay:
There is no dearth of accommodation in Ahmedabad catering to any budget. Taj Residency, Le Meridien, Fortune Landmark, Inder Residency, Courtyard by Marriott and Hotel Pride are of the five-star variety. Lemon Tree, Ginger, Royal Highness, Cama Park Plaza and Comfort Inn Sunset are some of the three- to four-star variety. Budget hotels and lodges are in the eastern half of the city, in an area that was once Ahmedabad’s pride and joy, the Relief Road area.
What and Where to Eat:
Gujarati food is sweetish and starts with the dessert. Then come the chapatis and vegetables, followed by rice and various dals. Curds or whey are consumed as side dishes. The standard meal is called a ‘thali’, meaning platter. Non-vegetarian food is available, but at fewer eateries. The best meal consists of the dessert followed by khichdi (rice and lentils cooked together) and beef samosas with kebabs. This kind of food is found mainly in Muslim areas. The meat is spicy, so you may have to think about it before ordering. Eateries are everywhere, so food is not a problem, however, water is, so drink canned sodas or bottled mineral water only.
Some of the better eating houses are Havmor, Cafe Upper Crust, Mirch Masala, King's Food Factory, ZK, the Fortune Landmark, Toran Dining Hall, Tomatoes, and Neelkanth Patang among a few hundred others.
Liquor Permits:
Gujarat is a state where alcohol is prohibited, but this only applies to Indians. If you have a non-Indian passport, are a green card holder or have permanent residency status, you can get an alcohol permit, valid for one month, by going to a liquor shop in a large hotel and purchasing one. Hotels that have liquor shops include the Cama Hotel in Khanpur and the Hotel Inder Residency.
Festivals:
'Uttarayan', annually on 14 January, is the festival of kites. This festival marks the end of winter and return of the sun to the northern hemisphere and hence is named "Uttar ayan". On this day, everybody in the city starts the day with kite flying and continue into the night with the flying of lamps (Tukkal) attached to kites in the sky. The sky remains dotted with colourful kites throughout the day.
Navratri, or the festival of nine nights, is devoted to the goddess, Shakti. The festival highlights the famous folk dance of Gujarat, "Garba". Each night starts with the ceremonial "Aarti" and is followed by the Garba until midnight. The dancers wield slim sticks, called Dandiyas, in their hands.
All other Indian festivals are celebrated with equal gusto!
Demographics:
Ahmedabad is home to a large population of Vanias (traders), belonging to the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism and the sects of Jainism. Most of the residents of Ahmedabad are native Gujaratis. Although Gujarati is the main language, Hindi and Enflish are very commonly spoken, especially in commerce, education, politics, government and shops. Road signs are in Gujarati, Hindi and English. Hindus form 68% of the population, Muslims (Shaikh, Bohra, Memon, Khoja, Pathan, Sayyid) 26%, Christians 5%, Parsis 0.5% and there are a few others as well. Ahmedabad has a literacy rate of 80%.
