Ahmedabad (, ) or is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh largest city in India, with a population of more than 52 lakhs (5.2 million). The city was at the forefront of the Indian independence movement in the first half of the 20th century. It was the epicentre of many campaigns of civil disobedience to promote workers' rights, civil rights and political independence.
With the creation of the state of Gujarat in 1960, Ahmedabad gained prominence as the political and commercial capital of the state. Once characterised by dusty roads and bungalows, the city is witnessing a major construction boom and population increase. A rising centre of education, information technology and scientific industries, Ahmedabad remains the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat, and much of western India. Since 2000, the city has been transformed through the construction of skyscrapers, shopping malls and multiplexes. However, this progress has been marred by natural calamities, political instability and outbreaks of communal violence.
Exterior view of the Sidi Saiyyed Jaali — an unofficial symbol of Ahmedabad
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century, when it was known as Ashapalli or Ashaval. At that time, Karandev I, the Solanki ruler of Anhilwara (modern Patan) waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval. Soon after the victory, he established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati at the site of modern Ahmedabad. Solanki rule lasted until the 13th century, when Gujarat came under the control of the Vaghela dynasty of Dholka and Ahmedabad was conquered by the Sultanate of Delhi.
Map of Ahmedabad, depicted in a miniature style painting on a cloth, circa 19th century
In 1411, the rule of the Muzaffarid dynasty was established in Gujarat. According to tradition, Sultan Ahmed Shah, while camping on the banks of the River Sabarmati, saw a hare chasing a dog. Impressed by this act of bravery, the Sultan, who had been looking for a place to build his new capital, decided to locate the capital here and called it Ahmedabad.
In 1487, Mahmud Begada the grandson of Ahmed Shah, fortified the city with an outer wall 10 km (6 miles) in circumference and consisting of twelve gates, 189 bastions and over 6,000 battlements. Ahmedabad was ruled by the Muzaffarid dynasty till 1573 when Muzaffar II was the Sultan of Ahmedabad. Gujarat was then conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1573. During the Mughal reign, Ahmedabad became one of the Empire's thriving centres of trade, mainly in textiles, which were exported to as far as Europe. The Mughal ruler Shahjahan spent the prime of his life in the city, sponsoring the construction of the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug. The armies of the Maratha generals Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaekwad captured the city and ended Mughal rule in Ahmedabad. A famine in 1630 and the constant conflicts between the Peshwa and the Gaekwad armies virtually destroyed many parts of the city, causing its population to flee.Ahmedabad is located at in western India at an elevation of 53 metres (174 feet). The city sits on the banks of the River Sabarmati, in north-central Gujarat. It spans an area of 205 km² (79.15 square miles). The Sabarmati frequently dries up in the summer, leaving only a small stream of water. The city is located in a sandy and dry area. Many of the localities and roads are often spread in sand, reflecting the intensifying fallout caused by deforestation. The steady expansion of the Rann of Kutch threatens to increase desertification around the city area and much of the state. Except for the small hills of Thaltej-Jodhpur Tekra, the city is almost flat. Two lakes are within the city's limits — Kankaria Lake and Vastrapur Lake. Kankaria lake, in the neighbourhood of Maninagar, is an artificial lake developed by the Sultan of Delhi, Qutb-ud-din Aybak in 1451.
Balvantrai Thakore, Sardar Patel and Ganesh Mavlankar at a ceremony held in the municipality compound to celebrate centenary year of the Ahmedabad Municipality in 1935
Ahmedabad is administered by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Some of the regions surrounding the city are administered by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). The AMC was established in July 1950 under the Bombay Provincial Corporation Act, 1949. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into five zones and 43 wards. Three corporators are elected from each ward,
Ahmedabad is the largest inland industrial centre in western India, and has historically enjoyed a reputation as an important base of commerce, trade and industry. Under Muzaffarid rule, the city was a major trade destination for western India, because of its proximity to the port at Surat and for its access to the hinterland of Gujarat. In the 19th century, the textile and garments industry developed and thrived in the city — on May 30, 1861Ranchhodlal Chhotalal founded the first Indian textile mill, the Ahmedabad Spinning and Weaving Company Limited. This was followed by the establishment of a series of textile mills such as the Calico Mills in 1880 by Maganbhai, and mills founded by industrialists such as Ambalal Sarabhai and Kasturbhai Lalbhai. The textile industry expanded rapidly during the First World War, and benefited from the influence of Mahatma Gandhi's Swadeshi movement, which promoted the purchase of Indian-made goods.Arvind Mills, located in Ahmedabad, is one of the largest textile mills in the country.
Ahmedabad has a thriving chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry. Two of the biggest pharmaceutical companies of India — Zydus Cadila and Torrent Pharmaceuticals — are based in the city. The city serves as the corporate headquarters of the Adani Group, which is a leading multinational trading company. The Nirma group of industries, which runs a large number of detergent and chemical industrial units, has its corporate headquarters in the city. The completion and operation of the Sardar Sarovar Project of dams and canals has improved the supply of potable water and electricity for the city. In recent years, the Gujarat government has increased investment in the modernisation of the city's infrastructure, providing for the construction of larger roads and improvements to water supply, electricity and communications. The information technology industry has developed significantly in Ahmedabad. A NASSCOM survey in 2002 on the "Super Nine Indian Destinations" for IT-enabled services had ranked Ahmedabad fifth among the top nine most competitive cities in the country.
A diverse labour force of migrant workers from different parts of Gujarat and neighbouring states is integral to the economy of the city. These workers provide vital household labour and services for the city's large middle class. Ahmedabad plays a strong and significant role in providing commercial resources and market access for the economies of neighbouring cities. A majority of the working-age citizens of Ahmedabad are traders and business people. This has led to the creation of major mercantile corporations and artisan guilds that are a key influence on the economic life of Gujarat. The city's educational and industrial institutions have attracted students and young skilled workers from the rest of India.
The world's first Swaminarayan Temple was built in Ahmedabad by the instructions of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
According to the 2001 national census, the population of Ahmedabad was 35 lakhs (3.5 million). This figure was limited to the municipal region. The total population of the Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration (which includes the region governed by AUDA) came to 45.19 lakhs (4.5 million). There are 886 females to every 1000 males. Ahmedabad has a literacy rate of 79.89%, which is the highest in Gujarat (87.81% males and 71.12% females are literate).Ahmedabad enjoys a thriving cultural tradition, being the centre of Gujarati cultural activities and diverse traditions of different ethnic and religious communities. Popular celebrations and observances include Uttarayan — an annual kite-flying day on 14 January. The nine nights of Navaratri are celebrated with people performing Garba — the folk dance of Gujarat — at venues across the city. The festival of lights — Deepavali is celebrated with the lighting of lamps in every house, the decorating the floors with the rangoli and the bursting of firecrackers. Other festivals such as Holi, Eid ul-Fitr and Christmas are celebrated with enthusiasm. The annual Rathyatra procession on the Ashadh-sud-bij date of the Hindu calendar and the procession of Tajia during the Muslim holy month of Muharram are integral parts of the city's culture.
The people of Ahmedabad enjoy rich culinary traditions. The most popular form of meal — a typical Gujarati thali (meal) — consists of roti, dal, rice and Shaak (cooked vegetables, sometimes with curry), with accompaniments of pickles and roasted papads. Popular beverages include buttermilk and tea; sweet dishes include laddoos and mango. There are many restaurants, which serve a wide array of Indian and international cuisines. Most of the food outlets serve only vegetarian food, as a strong tradition of vegetarianism is maintained by the city's Jain and Hindu communities. The first all-vegetarian Pizza Hut in the world opened in Ahmedabad.
The architectural history of Ahmedabad stretches across the last millennium. The Sultanate fused Hindu craftsmanship with Islamic architecture, giving rise to the Indo-Saracenic style. Many mosques in the city are built in this fashion. After independence, modern buildings were constructed in Ahmedabad to the designs of renowned visiting architects Louis Kahn, Le Corbusier and Charles Correa.
Traditional clothes called Chania Cholis being sold at Law Garden
Parts of Ahmedabad are known for their speciality of folk art. The Paldi area is famous for shops selling works of embroidery from Kutch and Saurashtra region. The artisans of Rangeela pol are famous for making bandhinis (tie and dye work), while the cobbler shops of Madhupura sell traditional mojri footwear. High-quality idols of Ganesh and other religious icons are made in huge numbers in the Gulbai Tekra area. The shops at the Law Garden are famous for their mirror work handicraft. Victorian architecture is showcased in most college, railway station and government buildings, mainly constructed during the colonial period.
Many Gujarati intellectuals immigrated to Ahmedabad due to its prosperity. Three main literary institutions were established in Ahmedabad for the promotion of Gujarati literature — Gujarat Vidhya Sabha, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad and Gujarat Sahitya Sabha. Musicians and instrumentalists from across the world come to perform at the popular classical music festival held each 1 January by the Saptak School of Music. The Sanskar Kendra â€" one of the many buildings in Ahmedabad designed by the Le Corbusier â€" is a city museum depicting history, art, culture and architecture of Ahmedabad. The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial have a permanent display of photographs, documents and other articles of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, respectively. The Calico Museum of Textiles has a large collection of Indian and international fabrics, garments and textiles. Ahmedabad maintains a strong popular literary tradition in large public libraries maintained by the literary societies, research and government institutions and colleges. The Hazrat Pir Mohammad Shah Library has a collection of rare original manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi and Turkish languages.
Cricket stadium at the Sports Club of Gujarat
Cricket is the most popular sport in the city. Both one-day internationals and test matches are played at the Sardar Patel Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 48,000 and has frequently served as venue for matches during major tournaments as the 1987 Cricket World Cup, the 1996 Cricket World Cup and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Ahmedabad has a second cricket stadium at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Sports Club of Gujarat, which as the home ground of the Gujarat cricket team, is the venue for domestic tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy and many inter-school and collegiate tournaments. Even though other sports are overshadowed by the popularity of cricket, football (soccer, field hockey, badminton, tennis, squash and basketball are gaining popularity at collegiate levels. There has been a significant increase in recent years in the number of private sports clubs, gymkhanas, gymnasiums and sports teams sponsored by corporations, private associations, schools and colleges. Young people congregate in the evenings to play cricket and soccer on the numerous public and neighbourhood grounds . Ahmedabad's rich sports traditions have produced legendary sportsmen, such as Jasu Patel, and younger stars such as Parthiv Patel and Geet Sethi, a five-time winner of the World Professional Billiards Championship and a recipient of India's highest sporting award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
Rickshaws and scooters navigating through packed roads in front of the Teen Darwaja
Ahmedabad is one of the six operating divisions of the Western Railway. Railway lines connect the city to all towns in Gujarat, and to major cities in the rest of India. The Ahmedabad Railway Station and the Maninagar Railway Station are the main terminals for the city. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport provides for both domestic and international aviation for the city and the neighbouring cities of Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Nadiad. The airport connects the city with destinations across India and to cities in the Middle East, East Asia and destinations in Western Europe.
National Highway 8, linking Delhi to Mumbai, passes though Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is connected to Vadodara through National Expressway 1, a 94 km (58 miles) long highway with only two exits. This expressway is part of the Golden Quadrilateral project. Ahmedabad is directly connected by highways to Bhavnagar, Nadiad, Mehsana, Surendranagar, Bhuj, Rajkot and Gandhinagar. The city's main traffic arterires are the Mahatma Gandhi Road, C. G. Road, the Jawaharlal Nehru Road, the Ashram Road and the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway. Auto rickshaws and taxis are the most popular forms of public transport. The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service runs the local bus service in the city. In 2005, AMTS began a drive to convert all of its petrol and diesel engine buses to run on compressed natural gas engines to reduce the effects of air pollution. AMTS runs 750 buses. Bicycles and motorcycles are a popular medium of transport with the city's young people and students.
Broadcasting tower of the All India Radio, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad has a number of newspaper publications. English-language dailies published and sold in the city are the Times of India, Indian Express, Asian Age and Economic Times. There are three Gujarati dailies in the city — Sandesh, Gujarat Samachar and Divya Bhaskar. A large number of magazines, periodicals and journals, are regularly published and circulated across the city. The city is home to the historic Navajivan Publishing House — founded in 1919 by Mahatma Gandhi — which is one of India's premier publications company. The Gujarat film and television industry has a small but significant presence in the city. The city has two local FM stations: Radio Mirchi (91.9 MHz) and All India Radio (96.7 MHz). All India Radio is broadcast on the AM band.
