Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is regarded as the largest city in Gujarat and is also one of the fastest growing cities in India, located on the banks of Sabarmati. The language spoken here is Gujarati and the place is locally known as Amdavad. The city Ahmedabad is closely associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation. The city is popular as the Manchester of the East as it is famous for its textile mills.

The history of Ahmedabad dates back to 15th century when it was known as Karnavati after the name of the King Karandev, the ruler of the place. Later when Sultan Ahmed Shah, medieval ruler of Gujarat, conquered the place it was renamed as Ahmedabad. The city was spacious and built to the east of Sabarmati. There is a fort known as Bhadra Fort which is enclosed by 12 gates. On both sides of the river, the city was expanded with beautiful structures and lakes.

There are other monuments as well, which hold a great importance in the history of Ahmedabad, the tombs of Ahmed Shah and his queens, Ahmed Shah's Mosque, Jama Masjid, Mosque of Sidi Sayid, Teen Darwaza or Triple Gateway are major monuments.

The modernization was done under the British rule. Sabarmati ashram was established on the banks of Sabarmati by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915. Ahmedabad is famous for typical Gujarati festivals i.e. navratras and garba which attracts huge number of masses all over the world. The famous Makar Sakranti fair is held in Ahmedabad during the month of January which features the Kite festival which is held between 9th and 11th January 2012, music and folk dance festival etc. The place is famous for its handicrafts and clothes majorly traditional Gujarati dress which is famous all over the world.

Best time to visit Ahmedabad is in winter, though it is cold i.e. between November and February. However, from the end of January the weather is more or less pleasant.

Visiting Ahmedabad during January is a sight to behold. The Kite festival rewards with a vision of the sky clustered with millions of colorful kites.

The monuments in Ahmedabad have a sultanate craftsmanship with Islamic architecture. The renowned Indian Institute of Management was designed by Louis Kahn. The place has a number of gardens such as Victoria Garden, Bal Vatika and Law Garden. There are 76 parks and 96 traffic islands. Queen Victoria is regarded as a great work of art. The wonderful climate of the place attracts visitors throughout the year.

The place also holds a great importance in the academic front. Ahmedabad has a number of educational institutes and museums. Well-known museums and galleries of the city are Calico Museum of Textiles, Calico Mills, Shreyas Folk Art Museum, National Institution of Design, Kite Museum, and Sanskar Kendra, Natural History Museum, Kankaria, etc.

Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport is Mumbai’s own domestic and international airport. Most of the airlines provide services to Mumbai and are well connected to all major cities in India. The airport is also connected to many international cities which includes Singapore, New York, Bangok, Hong Kong and to many gulf cities.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station is the major railways station that connects to most parts of the Indian cities with Mumbai. Other railway stations in Mumbai are Dadar, Kurla and Churchgate.

Mumbai has state owned buses connecting to all neighbouring areas. Also available are, deluxe and super deluxe buses for traveling in and around the city.