Ahmedabad

India's first World Heritage City, with Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, Indo-Islamic mosques and stepwells across the old city, and the Sun Temple and Rani ki Vav stepwell nearby.

Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat in western India. It was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmad Shah I on the east bank of the Sabarmati River, and in 2017 its old city became India's first World Heritage City as the Historic City of Ahmadabad. The city has two halves. East of the river, the old city, the core of any walking tour, has the Jama Masjid, the Tree of Life stone lattice window at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Bhadra Fort, Teen Darwaza and hundreds of neighbourhoods of carved wooden houses called pols. West of the river is the new city, with the Sabarmati Riverfront, Law Garden and modern buildings designed by Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. On the northern outskirts are the Gandhi Ashram and Adalaj Stepwell, and about 30 km further north is the Akshardham temple in the state capital, Gandhinagar. The classic day trip is to the Modhera Sun Temple and the Rani ki Vav stepwell in Patan (a World Heritage Site), 100–125 km to the northwest; to the southwest you can visit the Harappan site of Lothal and go birdwatching at Nal Sarovar. The climate is hot and dry. Nov–Feb is the most comfortable time, and around 14 January the International Kite Festival sees the whole city flying kites from rooftops; in Sep–Oct, Navratri brings all-night garba dancing. Apr–Jun often exceeds 40°C, and Jul–Sep is the rainy season. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has domestic and international routes; in the city you can use Uber/Ola, and the old city's narrow lanes are best explored on foot or by tuk-tuk. Gujarat is a dry state where alcohol is prohibited, and the food is mainly vegetarian. Allow 2–3 days, plus a day trip to the stepwell and temple. When visiting mosques and temples, remove your shoes and wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.

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