One of the best ways to begin your tour of the Old City of Ahmedabad is to first stop at a roadside stall for a taste of some typical Gujarati snacks– dhokla, fafda and ghatia, just a few from a long lip-smacking list.
It just sets the tone for the charming experience that lies ahead as you walk past street vendors selling flowers and vegetables towards Kalupur that houses the Swaminarayan Mandir, a beautiful 200-year-old temple. Having taken a look inside its serene environs where devotees throng to offer prayers, as we sit outside enjoying the temple’s artistic façade, intricately carved colourful statues of deities and watching pigeons peck on grains left for them in the ‘chabutro’ (bird feeder), we can almost feel the city, founded by Ahmad Shah I in 1411, beckoning us to enjoy a slice of its historic past.
A short walk from the temple takes you towards the Lambeshwar ni pol (neighbourhood) that houses one of the most prominent landmarks of the old city– the statue of Dalpatram Dahyabhai Travadi, a revered poet and social activist of the 1800s. Today, more than 120 years after his death, he continues to live in the hearts of not just this neighbourhood but also the city.
It was in 2001 that the residents here decided that a memorial dedicated to Kavi Dalpatram should be built. So, the area occupying his (by then dilapidated) house was cleared to make way for a courtyard where people could just sit and chat, children could play and cultural activities including recitations of the kavi’s (poets) poems could be organized. Just the façade of the poet’s house was recreated at one end to give a feel of what his home once looked like. On the other end, sits a bronze statue of Kavi Dalpatram and it’s not surprising to see people sitting with their arms around his shoulders as they would with a friend or children finding comfort in the lap of their ‘dada’ (grandfather).
It is this intermingling of the old and the new in Ahmedabad’s Old City that led to it being declared as UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017. As we follow our local guide through the labyrinthine lanes that form part of its innumerable neighbourhoods, admiring the beautifully ornate, exotic structures of centuries-old residential houses, it’s difficult not to be charmed by this juxtaposition.
There’s the Ramji’s Mandir that forms part of an old haveli. For many newlyweds, blessings of Lord Ram at this temple are a must. It’s interesting to note that besides residents of similar habits, caste and faith living in the same neighbourhood, their common compound will also showcase house essentials like a small temple, 'chabutro' and even a whiteboard that at one point carried announcements of important events that concerned all residents such as pol elections, dates of festivals, etc.
Another must-visit in the Old City is an intriguing courtyard that houses a little secret: a secret passage to take residents out in case of an attack. But it’s not easy locating the door leading to it for it is among many others (all fakes) to stall the enemy’s progress and attack.
Look out for some more architectural delights such as the city’s underground sewage system- the country’s first that was laid in Ahmedabad more than a 100 years ago. Also impressive is the basic structure of the houses that are all earthquake-proof. Little wonder then, despite the severity of the 2001 tremor in which many structures across the Gujarat state collapsed and a number of people lost their lives, the buildings here in the Old City, courtesy this technology, escaped unscathed.
The last leg of this tour must also include an unusual ‘old gem’ of the city that nestles in the Lal Darwaza area. It’s best to hop into an auto and get to the Lucky Tea Stall that might startle you with two real graves that lie at the entrance. But what attracts people here is 'maska pao' (a generous helping of butter on the sweetened bun) and 'chai' (tea) – its speciality for the past 200 years when a little shack (that, incidentally, happened to be next to a graveyard) came up to serve office-goers on their way to work.
Look around and you will notice its piece de resistance- an original MF Husain painting that the legendary artist himself gifted to its owner. It depicts a desert scene – picture of an oasis in the Arabian Nights. Whenever Husain visited Ahmedabad, he would, we are told, first visit Lucky for some maska pao and chai. And it’s not difficult to wonder why.
About the author:
Having long been a journalist with the mainstream media and a broadcaster with All India Radio, Purnima Sharma is now enjoying her stint as an independent writer. The Delhi-based journalist is happiest writing on people, places and anything that touches the heart. You can read more of her work here
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