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Places to Visit At Ahmedabad
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Sabarmati Ashram
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The beautiful ashram complex of Ahmedabad, with its shady trees populated by thousands
of parakeets, beef eaters, sunbirds and squirrels, offers a refuge from the loud
streets of the city, and is one the foremost tourist attractions of Ahmedabad. This
ashram was Gandhi's headquarters during the long struggle for Indian independence.
His ashram was founded in 1915 and still makes handicraft, handmade paper and spinning
wheels. Gandhi's Spartan living quarter is preserved as a small museum and there
is a pictorial record of the major events in his life.
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The Shaking Minarets
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To see the miracles of Ahmedabad architecture, called Shaking Minarets (Jhoolta
Minor), you must head for Siddhi Bashir mosque, where when one minaret is moved
with force, the other shakes in sympathy. Unfortunately, after the Qutab Minar tragedy
during which many were crushed, climbing up the Minaret to feel the 'shaking'
has been dis-allowed.
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Rani Rupmati's Mosque
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Mosque was built between 1430 to 1440 A. D. Rani Rupmati Masjid named after the
princess of Dhār who married the Sultan of Ahmedabad, is another fine example of
the Indo-Saracen blended style. A high central arch, 3 imposing domes, slim minarets,
carved galleries and an exquisite Mihrab are the high points. Note how the dome
is raised to allow light in around the base but cut out the glare of the sun. The
tomb of Rani Rupmati is next to the mosque.
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Hatheesing Jain Temples
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Hathee Singh Jain Temple was built outside Delhi Gate in 1850 by a rich Jain Merchant.
This is the best known of Ahmedabad's many ornate Jain Temples. Built of pure
white marble and profusely decorated with rich carvings. The temple is a two
storied structure with elaborate porches on three sides and front porch crowned
by a large dome. The Hathee Singh Temple is dedicated to Dharamanath, the 15th Jina
or Jain apposite.
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Calico Museum
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The Calico Museum of Textiles, widely regarded as one of the finest textile museums
in the world was constructed in 1949. The Museum houses no less than five centuries
of the finest fabrics spun, woven, printed and painted in different parts of India.
It also has a collection of marble, sandstone and bronze icons and busts split in
two thematic sections-gallery for religious textiles and historical textiles.
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Modhera Temple
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The golden period for Gujarat came during the rule of the Solanki dynasty, with
some splendid architectural wonders during the 9th - 12th centuries. These include
the Sahastraling Talao and stepwells of Patan, and the Sun Temple at Modhera built
in 1026 AD by Bhimadev of the Solanki Rajput clan.
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Jama Masjid
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Built by Ahmad Shah in 1423, Jama Masjid is the principal mosque of the Islamic
era, situated at the heart of the city. The mosque was built in the Indo- Saracenic
architectural era and is said to be the most beautiful mosque in the East. The mosque
has 260 pillars supporting 15 domes arranged symmetrically. A special feature of
the mosque is the Muluk-Khana, or the Royal Gallery, which is a platform standing
on pillars and enclosed up to the roof with beautiful stone work.
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How to Get to Ahmedabad
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By air:
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Ahmedabad airport has both national and international flights. It is 10 km north
of the city. It is linked with UK, USA, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Goa and Chennai.
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By rail:
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Ahmedabad is well connected by trains with Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodara and Udaipur.
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By road:
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Ahmedabad has a good road network. By road it is linked with towns like Vadodara,
Rajkot, Palatine and Jamnagar. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles
for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
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