The Ahmedabad Diaries - Day 7 (Night Heritage Walk)

 There are two heritage walks - one morning and one evening - and we planned to do both. we missed the morning one and decided to hit the night one. I called the number I found on the website (98251 25920) and the lay who answered said she would get back with information on whether the walk was on. Normally its on every evening from 830 -1015 pm. It starts at Sidi Sayyid mosque and ends at Manek chowk. Indians pay 200 bucks and foreigners pay more.

Ginger chai at Lucky cafe

The Sidi Sayyid mosque in the background

The Sidi Sayyid mosque - Murtuza to the right in the foreground

Tree of life jali

Once she confirmed that we could join the group at 830 at Sidi Sayyid mosque at 830, Jyo and I got a light dinner and headed out there. We found the handsome, young Murtuza sitting on the seats in front of the mosque. Since there was still time we hopped across and had a tea at Lucky Cafe. By the time we came back the group had come - a bunch of people from Delhi who were brought by their host in Ahmedabad for the night heritage walk.

Off on the heritage walk

Murtuza immediately enlightened us by saying that there are only two Heritage cities in India - Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Others have heritage sites. He told us about Sidi Sayyid and showed us his tomb right there. He told us that the mosque is famously known as jali masjid because of the fine work on the jalis - the tree of life which is depicted in both jalis but which are different. He also told us that if we visit the mosque after 3, the sunlight makes beautiful patterns through the jalis. I should go there certainly.

We crossed over - a road called Relief road which he said does not give much relief to pedestrians. We walked past to the Lal Darwaza which is not there anymore but the area is still called Lal Darwaza and there is a bus stop named after it. Here there is a GTB stone he said which was planted by the British to indicate the MSL of Ahmedabad and I could not make sense of what he said though he spoke at length on the topic.

GTB marking by the British

The route was Sidi Sayyid mosque, GTB point, Bhadrakali temple, Bhadra fort, Azam Khan Sarai, Kotwal lamp, Teen Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Badshah no Hajira, Ahmedabad Stock Exchange, Muhurat Pol and ends at Manek chowk by 1015.

Teen Darwaza

From there we went to the Bhadra Fort area and he explained how Ahmed Shah named this Bhadra Fort after the fort he had built in another place he was ruling before he came to Ahmedabad. There is a Bhadrakali temple there and we went and got her blessings. Next to that is the Azam Khan sarai which is now a government book depot.

A closer look at TD

We walked to the Teen Darwaza aread and stopped at the middle darwaza where a lamp is kept lit forever by the family of Siddique Kotwal who cut off his head to prevent Goddess Lakshmi from leaving Ahmedabad. It is a fascinating story and we actually met a person from that family who was standing near the lamp which was lit.

Siddique Kotwal's lamp that's kept burning perenially

Jama masjid court

Then Jama masjid which he said was called Jami masjid at one gate, Jama masjid at another and Juma masjid at another. Juma is for Friday, Jama means large. It had minarets which fell down during an earthquake. Again, it has intricate carvings which have Hindu and Jain influences.

Jama masjid

Manek Chowk food court - crazy numbers of people

Muhurat pol - Ahemdabad's first pol apparently

Ahmedabad Stock Exchange - second in India, now not in use

People at the food stalls

Teen Darwaza at night

Lucky once again

Paulo Coelho for company

After bidding Murtuza and the others farewell Jyo and I headed back to Lucky Cafe for a masala chai. Back in the room I have my latest acquisition, Paulo Coelho's 'The Pilgrimage' which I picked up in a second hand bookstore down the road. 

That's a lot of stuff for Day 1 of 2025!