What’s happening, everyone?
I’ve had an action-packed weekend at Ahmedabad and I want to thank all my Twitter and Instagram followers from there for the tons of inside-tips on things to do in the city! It’s the first Tier 2 Indian city I’ve been to and I can totally picture myself living there.
Why?
Because it’s clean, has minimal traffic (although not very good traffic sense) and I love the feeling of space. Not to mention, total value for money in terms of food and accommodation – that’s not something I can say about Mumbai and Goa! AND DUDE! Havmore ice-cream!
I spent two days eating to my heart’s content and checking out famous + little-known places, yet still didn’t get to tick everything off my checklist. I know, Ahmedabad isn’t a tourist destination, but as I said in my post about Quick Weekend Getaways, it’s pretty cool to spend a few days exploring the city.
Although I did a little reading before the trip (yes, yes, I’m a nerd), I didn’t come across the fact that there are 7 bridges all through Ahmedabad that connect the old city to the new city across the Sabarmati River. Old Ahmedabad exuded charm and it’s easy to get caught up walking or riding down Pols (narrow, maze-like lanes and bylanes that hold a world of age-old stories)
Anyways, enough of the chitter-chatter! I want to tell you all the cool places I visited!
Siddi Sayyed Mosque – You’ve probably seen the IIM Ahmedabad logo of the half-circle with a weird-looking tree inside. That’s been inspired by the Tree of Life Jaali or stone lattice work done on one of the curved windows of this mosque. It was built way back in 1573 and now stands calmly as a roundabout on a street full of honking traffic. Being female, I couldn’t enter the premises, but that didn’t prevent me from admiring the beautiful aesthetics and delicate stone-work from the outside. Yet another gorgeous mosque that not many people know about, is the Khairrudin Mosque in Amritsar!
House of MG – MG is short for the house of Mangaldas Girihardas, and this gorgeous heritage mansion was built in 1924 but was later converted into a hotel and restaurant.
Old pictures of the family members and modern décor make it an interesting place to spend time in. The architecture is simply stunning and the house is interspersed with old statues, paintings, furniture and royal-looking swings.
The thali here is said to be EPIC and no trip to the city is complete without a meal at Agashiye, the rooftop restaurant. For Rs. 699, you’ll get an unlimited thali to die for.
Manek Chowk – By day, this city square is full of jewelry shops. But come 9 pm, and it transforms into a street-food ho tspot that needs to be seen to be believed. It’s even more crowded than Mohammad Ali Road or Bhendi Bazaar during Ramadan!
Long communal tables and chairs are placed in the centre with food stands all around. There’s so much to see, smell and eat that it’s a feast for all the senses – like those crazy Indian markets you see on TLC!
A waiter will take your order and shout it to another waiter-and another-and another- until it reaches the specific food stall who sells the cuisine/dish you want. The food then makes its way to you through this same passing-the-parcel system!
From chocolate sandwiches, to Chinese food and dosas to kulfi, the tiny, crowded market has everything and one must experience the madness if you’re ever in the city. The quantity of food you’ll be served in one dish is enough for 3 people and it’s so cheap!
Yet another cool thing about Old Ahmedabad is that everything is so close to each other. You can walk or maybe hire a bike and roam around the city with ease. If you have the time, here are some more things you can plan to see (none of them take more than twenty minutes)
- Sabarmati Ashram
- Sarkhej Roza
- Teen Darwaza
- Bhadra Fort – I passed it, but didn’t know what it was and just took the picture below. Again, the Instagram guys were quick to point it out!
Stay tuned for more exciting stories about the city. If you’ve been to Ahmedabad, live there or just heard something cool about it, I’d love to know! Subscribe and comment below!
In the meanwhile. you may also like to know some great places to eat in Chandigarh, go on a bike ride from Goa to Hampi, or take it easy in a boutique hotel surrounded by coconut trees in Pollachi.
Bubye!