The Ahmedabad Diaries - Day 10 (Morning Heritage Walk)

 We planned the Morning Heritage Walk which is scheduled to start at Swaminarayan Temple, Kalupur, at 8 am. We were asked to report there by 730-745 am. We asked Nitesh if he wanted to join as he is one of the few who is interested in travel, history, culture and stuff like that. plan was to get breakfast at 645 am and head out by 710 am to Swaminarayan temple. We got ourselves a rickshaw and were there by 730.

The Heritage Walk Office

From the Swaminarayan temple

Kavi Dalpat Ram Chowk

There were lots of people hanging about and I wondered if that was the normal size of the crowd there. We were asked to go up to the Heritage Walk office on the first floor navigating a curved staircase which was not the easiest to climb. We found Murtuza, our guide from the other night heritage walk and he signed us in, took the money and asked us to watch the introductory video. It costs 200 bucks a head and 400 if its special which means a breakfast is added in.

View of the house with a section of the crowd

We were asked to check out the temple for some 15 minutes and assemble again for the tour to start. We had been there before so we randomly walked around. The tour guide Vishal showed up and that is when we realised how many people were actually there on the tour - some 30-35 - including a large group from a local college. 

Bird Feeder

Shree Kala Ram Mandir

The pipe to let off gases from the sewage with an indicator

Thankfully they broke up the group into two - one English and another Hindi. No one moved to the Hindi one - perhaps the English guide was cuter! Anyway we followed the Hindi guy and headed off into some of the narrowest lanes one could ever walk through.

Construction of old houses - brick and Burmah wood

Out of the secret passage

It started with the house of poet which was quite a lovely structure. We then followed some gullies and went to the Kalu Ram temple which houses Ram in his vanvaas days before Sita was kidnapped - hence no idol of Hanuman. And then into a pol or a gated community, the explanation of how old sewage lines worked, a gully where house were of four types of architecture - Maratha, Gujrathi, British and something else. Very quaint. 

Dodhia Haveli- converted their house into a homestay

Magnificent house - some lady businesswoman and philanthropist

Then we squeezed through a narrow, secret passage. Walked into another temple, past the Fernandiz Bridge which houses many bookstores, the old Ahmedabad Stock Exchange, Manek Chowk, Badshah ni Hajiro and finally, Jama masjid.

Fernandiz Bridge in the background - known for the bookstores

Ahemdabad Stock Exchange - Old

Jama Masjid

The walk ended at 1015. Nitesh had a meeting so he left. Jyo and I walked the 2 kms to Lucky café and ate maska bun and had pudina chai. I tried a Mysore masala dosa and was surprised at the portion they served. We took a rickshaw back to the hotel. I went to the second hand bookstore and bought a copy of 'Eleven Minutes' by Paulo Coelho. Wonder why I am getting only his books to start the year with.

Teen Darwaza

 Our evening plan of walking the Atal bridge did not happen because of the Flower Show which drew crazy crowds. We gave up our plans and walked back the 3 kms by the riverfront to the hotel.

Day well spent again.