Situated on the banks of Sabarmati River, Ahmedabad is the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] largest city of India as well as a commercial hub of Gujarat. One of the largest cities of Gujarat, Ahmedabad is also famous as the textile city of India. The city is well-known for its rich cultural heritage and presents a unique blend of ancient heritage and vibrant present. Once known as the city of mills or the Manchester of the East due to its exquisite mill culture is the financial capital of the state and houses some of the premier educational institutions of the country one of these being the Indian Institute of Management. Geography and Climate Located at 23.03°N 72.58°E in western India at an elevation of 53 metres (174 ft) from sea level on the banks of the Sabarmati river, in north-central Gujarat, the city of Ahmedabad covers an area of 464 sq km (179 sq mi). Ahmedabad has a hot semi-arid climate, with marginally less rain than required for a tropical savanna climate. Demographics The Judicial Capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has a population of 5,570,585; of which male and female are 2,935,869 and 2,634,716, respectively as per the provisional reports of Census India, 2011. The total literates in Ahmedabad city are 4,464,303 of which 2,459,823 are males while 2,004,480 are females with an average literacy rate of 89.62% of which male and female literacy was 93.96% and 84.81%, respectively. The sex ratio of Ahmedabad city is 897 per 1000 males. According to the census for the Ninth Plan, there are 30,737 rural families living in Ahmedabad. Of those, 5.41% (1663 families) live below the poverty line. Ahmedabad is home to a large population of Vanias (i.e., traders), belonging to the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism and various sects of Jainism. The city is also an abode of some 2000 Parsis and some 125 members of the Bene Israel Jewish community. History of Ahemadad The region around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century, when it was known as Ashaval (or Ashapalli), which is evident from the Archaeological findings. During the era of Karandev I, the Solanki ruler of Anhilwara (modern Patan), waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval, and established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati. Solanki rule lasted until the 13th century, when Gujarat came under the control of the Vaghela dynasty of Dholka. Gujarat subsequently came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century. However, by the earlier 15th century, the local governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar established his independence from the Delhi Sultanate and crowned himself Sultan of Gujarat as Muzaffar Shah I, thereby founding the Muzaffarid dynasty. Karnavati finally came under the control of his grandson Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 A.D. who renamed the city as Ahmedabad after himself. In the year 1487, Mahmud Begada, the grandson of Ahmed Shah, fortified the city with an outer wall 10 km in border and comprised twelve gates, 189 bastions and over 6,000 battlements. In the year 1535 Humayun briefly occupied Ahmedabad after annexing Champaner when the ruler of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah ran away to Diu. Until 1573 when Gujarat was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar, Ahmedabad was again occupied by the Muzaffarid dynasty and during the Mughal reign, the city became one of the flourishing hubs of trade, mainly in textiles, which were exported to other countries. The Mughal ruler Shahjahan spent the prime of his life in the city, sponsoring the construction of the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug. From the year 1737 to 1753, there was a joint rule of the Mughal Empire and the Peshwa over Ahmedabad and in 1753 the combined armies of Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaeakwad took over the fortress, which brought an end of Mughal rule in Ahmedabad. During the rule of Maratha Empire, the objective and function of was put into the hands of Gaekwad and Peshawas of which the later had greater jurisdiction. The Marathas rule for 64 years but owing to the constant brawl between the Gaekwads and the Peshwas, it started declining and came to an end. The British Government took over the administration of the city in 1818, which brought about peaceful and orderly administration in Ahmedabad. n 1864, a railway link between Ahmedabad and Mumbai was built by the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI), enabling traffic and trade between northern and southern India via the city. The city became one of the major centres of India’s Independence movement when Mahatma Gandhi established two ashrams, namely the Kochrab Ashram near Paldi in 1915 and the Satyagraha Ashram (now Sabarmati Ashram) on the banks of the Sabarmati in 1917. During the mass protests against the Rowlatt Act in 1919, textile workers of Ahmedabad burned 51 government buildings across the city in protest of British Government’s attempt to extend wartime regulations after the First World War. In the 1920s, textile workers and teachers went on strike, demanding civil rights and better pay and working conditions. In the year 1930, Mahatma Gandhi started the Salt Satyagraha from Ahmedabad by going on board from his ashram on the Dandi Salt March. Following independence and the partition of India in 1947, the city was scarred by the intense communal violence that broke out between Hindus and Muslims1947, Ahmedabad was the focus for settlement by Hindu migrants from Pakistan. Culture of Ahmedabad Ahmedabad has a prosperous cultural tradition and being the centre of Gujarati cultural activities, the city features diverse traditions of different ethnic and religious communities. The city celebrates numerous festivals with great fervor and zest. Popular celebrations and observances include Uttarayan, an annual kite-flying day on 14 and 15 January. Nine nights of Navratri are celebrated with people performing Garba, the most popular folk dance of Gujarat, at venues across the city. The festival of lights, Deepavali, is celebrated with the lighting of lamps in every house, decorating the floors with rangoli, and the lighting of firecrackers. Besides these, Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, Gudi Padwa, Eid ul-Fitr and Christmas are also celebrated. Important events include the Tajia during the Muslim holy month of Muharram and the annual Rath Yatra procession on the Ashadh-sud-bij date of the Hindu calendar, which displays the secular and diversified culture of the state. The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and the typical Gujarati thali, which comprises different kinds of dishes such as rotli, dal or kadhi, sabzi also known as shaak and rice along with pickles and roasted papads. Beverages include buttermilk and tea; sweet dishes include laddoo, mango, and vedhmi. Tourist Destinations in Ahmedabad Apart from being an industrial as well as commercial hub, Ahmedabad has now developed into a prominent tourist attraction of the state. The presence of marvelous monuments, great museums and dazzling lakes, makes this city a desired tourist destination of the country. The hospitality of the inhabitants as well magnetizes the travelers from various parts of the World. Some of the major attractions that top the list of sightseeing itinerary are: Sardar Patel National Memorial Sabarmati Ashram Kankaria Lake Chandola Lake Hussain Doshi Gufa Calico Museum of Textiles Bhadra Fort Dada Hari Vav Jhulta Minar Sarkhej Roza Teen Darwaza Ahmed Shah Mosque Akshardham Temple Hathee Singh Temple Jama Masjid Rani Rupmati Mosque Sidi Sayed Mosque Swaminarayan Temple Transportation Air The city of Ahmedabad houses an International museum named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, which is located 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city centre. It serves both domestic and international flights to and from Ahmedabad and the neighbouring cities of Surendranagar, Mehsana, and Nadiad. The airport connects the city with destinations across India and is the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] busiest airport of India with an average of 250 aircraft movements a day. Railway Ahmedabad is one of the six operating divisions of the Western Railway and is connected to all towns in Gujarat and other major Indian cities. The Ahmedabad Railway Station, locally known as Kalupur Station is the city's main terminus; Ahmedabad's other stations are Maninagar, Vatva, Gandhigram, Asarva, Chandlodia, Kali gam, Vastrapur, Sabarmati, Sarkhej, Naroda and Aamli. Roads National Highway 8, linking Delhi to Mumbai, passes though Ahmedabad and connects it with Gandhinagar, Delhi and Mumbai. The National Highway 8C also links Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar and is also connected to Vadodara through National Expressway 1, a 94 km (58 mi) long expressway with only two exits, which is part of the Golden Quadrilateral project. Idgah Station is the major bus stand of the city Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (also known as AMTS), maintained by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, operates the public bus service within the city. For travelling around the city, there are yellow and green autorickshaws, which forms a common means of transportation. Although taxis are available, it is not a very common means of transportation.
