More than 600-year-old Walled City of Ahmedabad founded by Ahmed Shah has been declared India’s first World Heritage City, recognizing the heritage value of the walled city’s unique heritage.
Heritage of Ahmedabad
The first city gate, Teen Darwaza, which was built at the same time as the citadel of Bhadra. All other gates were built during the sixteenth century and were made of bricks veneered with stone. The city wall was made of terracotta bricks, lime mortar, and lime plaster. K.V. Soundara Rajan, the noted scholar of the Archaeological Survey of India, has described the sultanate architecture of Gujarat style. He writes:‘’ By the incidence of its example, as by the ambitious scale of composition, reveals alike the assiduous patronage and vigor of the Ahmad-Shahi rulers to whom these owed their genesis, as the complementary and profound cultural traditions of the ruled.
The Gujarat style became by far the most successful indigenous of the Islamic architectural principles consciously adapted by the artisans to suit the demands of the Muslims.‘’ The Ahmedabad epigraphs provide some fine specimens, the most outstanding of which is furnished by the Jama mosque inscription. This superb piece of Islamic calligraphy, which is certainly the best of the inscribed Ahmedabad records, can easily rank among the world’s finest examples of this art.‘’
There are about 600 pols in the old town of Ahmedabad alone. Many of them have colorful names, reflecting the richness of the Gujarati language. These densely packed clusters of rows upon rows of houses, joined by labyrinthine streets are where the thousands of years old Indian architecture traditions continue to live. These pols sport an exuberant riot of beautiful wooden facades, lovely wooden brackets, lovingly carved fenestrated windows, magical balconies, Otlas, chabutaras (bird feeders), Khadkis and chowks. Time has bestowed beauty on this Pol architecture of Gujarat, making it as valuable as an ornament in the architecture of the world.
Ahmedabad Heritage Restaurant – Agashiye
Agashiye’ in Gujarati means ‘on the terrace’. Recognized for serving the best Gujarati thali in India, this restaurant is spread over the entire terrace of the huge mansion and has both outdoor and indoor seating. Here you can enjoy a sit-down dinner, exactly how a Gujarati family eats at home. The food is prepared from seasonal ingredients and served unlimited in a ‘Kansa thali’, a plate made from alloy with medicinal properties. Much like the city and its people, Agashiye celebrates traditional Gujarati food made fresh. A Jain menu is available on request.
