Ahmedabad - Lonely Planet India

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AHMEDABAD
Gujarat’s capital city, Ahmedabad, is a startling metropolis with a long
history, many remarkable buildings, a fascinating maze of an old quarter,
excellent museums, fine restaurants and fabulous night markets. It is home
to the famous Sabarmati Ashram.
TRANSPORT
Quick Facts
GETTING THERE
• Air: Ahmedabad’s busy airport, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
International Airport, has direct flights to several Indian cities
and, overseas.
• Train: Ahmedabad Railway station is the main one, located in
Kalupur. It has daily trains to rest of the country.
STD Code: 079
LocaL TRaNspoRT
• Auto: Autorickshaw drivers are supposed to turn their meter
to zero at the start of a trip then calculate the fare using a
conversion chart at the end. In some cases, you’ll have to
negotiate fares in advance.
• Bus The local buses connect different parts of the city and
fares range from `3–25.
With broad avenues
and greenery,
Gandhinagar, 26km away,
forms a striking contrast to
Ahmedabad. Named
Gandhinagar after Mahatma
Gandhi, it’s India’s second
planned city after Chandigarh.
coNNEcTIvITy
There are internet cafes readily available. Most big hotels and
restaurants offer free Wi-fi.
I ahmeDabaD at Dusk © gettyimages/ ashish shah
Helpful Websites
www.lonelyplanet.com/india/
gujarat/ahmedabad-amdavad
www.gujarattourism.com
I Dry Fruits are a popular pick in ahmeDabaD;
© getty images/ suDhamshu hebbar
TOP EXPERIENCES
Sabarmati Ashram About
5km north of the centre, in
peaceful, shady grounds
on the river’s west bank,
this ashram was Gandhi’s
headquarters from 1917 to
1930 during the long struggle
for Indian independence.
Bhadra Fort Built
immediately after the
founding of Ahmedabad in
1411, Bhadra Fort now houses
government offices and a
Kali temple. Its gate formed
the eastern entrance of the
Ahmedabad citadel, which
stretched west to the river.
From the roof you can check
out the structure and views of
the surrounding streets.
Shreyas Folk Museum
This museum, 3km west
of the river in Bhudarpura,
displays an impressive range
of Gujarati folk arts, including
woodcarvings, metalwork and
some wonderful embroidered
textiles and amazing tie-dyed
quilts. Included in the ticket
is the Kalpana Mangaldas
Museum, with festival masks
from around India and, just to
round things off, an elephant
skeleton.
Sarkhej Roza In the Sarkhej
area, 8km southwest of the
old centre, Sarkhej Roza is a
mosque, tomb and palace
complex dedicated to the
memory of Ahmed Shah
I’s spiritual advisor, Ahmed
Khattu Ganj Baksh. The
elegant though dilapidated
buildings cluster around
a great (now often dry)
tank, constructed by Sultan
Mahmud Begada in the
mid-15th century. It’s an
atmospheric place that was
I the sabarmati asharm is the most popular attraction in ahmeDabaD; © pallavi pasricha
used as a retreat by several of
Ahmedabad’s rulers.
Kankaria Lake Built in 1451
and recently dandified as
a recreation space for the
city, this large lake is a nice
respite from the hectic streets.
Attractions include a tethered
hot-air balloon (10-minute
ride `100, 10am to 10pm),
a mini-train and a zoo. One
Tree Hill Garden on the west
side (entered from outside)
contains some quite grand
colonial Dutch tombs.
Visit Ahmedabad
during Navratri Festival
(September/October). People
dress up in sparkling finery to
whirl the night away in garba
or dandiya rasa circle dances till
the early hours. This carries on
for nine nights.
ACCOMMODATION
HousE of mG
%25506946; www.
houseofmg.com; Lal
darwaja; rooms from `4990
This 1920s building (with two
excellent restaurants) opposite
Siddi Sayid’s Mosque was once
the home of textile magnate
Sheth Mangaldas Girdhardas; it
was converted into a beautiful
heritage hotel in the 1990s by
his great grandson.
LE mERIdIEN aHmEdabad
%25505505; http://
lemeridien.com/
ahmedabad; Khanpur Road;
rooms from `6500
This luxurious option towers
over the Sabarmati River’s
east bank. All rooms are
super comfortable – making
cheaper rooms the best deal
– and the suites are palatial.
Breakfast is excellent and as
huge as you like, and there is
I holiDay inn express ahmeDabaD ashram roaD
is Done up in bright colours; © pallavi pasricha
a neat indoor swimming pool,
spa and sauna. Ask for the
best available rate, which can
be about half the rack rate.
HoTEL ambassadoR
%25502490; www.
ambassadorahmedabad.
com; Khanpur Road; rooms
from `2100
With a bright white exterior
and modern decor inside, the
Ambassador greets you with
a chilled lobby and friendly
desk. It follows up with rooms
that are quite stylish in browns
and creams. With discounts
often available, it’s good value;
ask to have breakfast included
and it will be.
RITz INN
%22123842; www.
hotelritzinn.com; station
Road; rooms from `2700
Near the railway station, this
smart hotel has unusual class
and is excellent value for
money. The art-deco lobby,
comfortable rooms with
superb beds, and unusually
slick and amiable service make
it an outstanding option.
comfoRT INN pREsIdENT
%26467575; www.
comfortinnpresident.com;
off cG Road, Navrangpura;
rooms from `3125
This is a calm, well-run hotel
on a quiet street close to
the Chimanlal Girdharilal
(CG) Road shops in middleclass Navrangpura. Rooms
aren’t huge but are solidly
comfortable and well
equipped, and there’s an inhouse wine shop as well as a
multicuisine restaurant. Good
discounts are often available;
airport transfers are free.
HoLIday INN ExpREss
aHmEdabad asHRam
Road
%61656699; www.ihg.com;
ashram Road; rooms from
`3500
The business hotel has a
good location and is close
to the Gandhi Ashram. It has
173 spacious well-decorated
rooms. There is free Wi-Fi
access for the guests. It has
two restaurants – The Great
Room, where breakfast is
served and Asia Kitchen,
which offers a variety of
Oriental options, and that’s not
just limited to Chinese. Think
Korean, Japanese, Burmese
and Indonesian. The lobby is
done up in bright shades.
EATING
NEELKaNTH paTaNG
%26586200; chinubhai
center, west end Nehru
bridge
For a meal with a view, the
Neelkanth Patang has no rivals
as it’s 50m above the ground
and revolves. The multi-cuisine
buffet meals are bountiful. It’s
worth calling ahead to book.
aGasHIyE
%25506946; House of mG,
Lal darwaja
On the rooftop terrace of the
city’s finest hotel, Agashiye
features an all-veg menu,
which changes daily, begins
with a welcoming drink and
is a cultural journey around
the traditional thali, with a
multitude of diverse dishes
delivered to your plate. It
finishes with hand-churned
ice cream. For dinner, it is
advisable to book ahead.
HoTEL zK
Relief Road, Lal darwaja
This popular AC, non-veg
restaurant has tinted windows,
low lighting and impeccable
service. The boneless mutton
kadai is fantastic, and (like
a many dishes here) comes
served over a flame. The
chicken Afghani curry is also
recommended and locals love
the chicken pesto Chinese. On
weekends, there may be wait.
GREEN HousE
House of mG, Lal darwaja
Green House is the casual
front restaurant at the House
of MG. The selection of veggie
Gujarati dishes is superb, as is
the chaat; the house special
sharbat; and the malpuva.
SHOPPING
Law GaRdEN NIGHT
maRKET
An evening market packed
with stalls selling glittering
wares from Kachchh and
Saurashtra. It’s chocka-block
with fantastically decorated
cholis and chaniyas, as well as
embroidered wall hangings,
costume jewellery and more.
GaRvI GuRjaRI
ashram Road
This state government- run
outlet has three floors of
Gujarati crafts, including silk
and handloomed- cotton saris,
painted metal jewellery boxes
and clothing in folksy designs.
There are some good finds if
you rummage around.
I gujarat is Famous For its
sweets anD snacks;
© getty images/ Devansh jhaveri