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The sun temple at Modhera
in Mehsana districts, in north Gujarat,
built during the reign of the Solanki
king Bhimdev-I near a village of the
same name, represents one of the most
magnificent monuments of Gujarat. |
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| The stepwell is a masterpiece
in water architecture. It is situated
17 kms. north of Ahmedabad. The stepwell
at the village of Adalaj is another
fine example of this magnificent architectural
form. Adalaj Vav is richly carved,
every pillar and wall surface covered
with leaves and flowers, birds and
fishes and friezes of ornamental designs. |
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The Mosque of Sidi Saiyad,
near Lal Darwaja has earned worldwide
fame for its magnificent stone tracery.
The tracery is acclaimed for it's
splendid Jali screen, framed, in ten
semi-circular windows. |
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| Build by Ahmad Shah in 1423
it’s the principal mosque of the islamic
era, situated in the centre of the
city near Three Gates (Tran Darwaja).
The Mosque was built in indo- Saracenic
architectural time and is said to
be the most beautiful mosque in the
East. |
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Indroda Park is a beautiful
piece of woodland for birdwatching
and nature walks, and ocassionally
you could sight nilgai, wild boar,
jackal, porcupine, here and other
mammals. It has enclosures with deer,
antelope, crocodiles, monitor lizards,
birds and tortoise, as also a small
serpetroruim. The newly added prehistoric
models is worth seeing. The park is
23 kms from Ahmedabad. |
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| Hatheesing Jain Temple, an
impressive white structure. This Jain
temple built of white marble and profusely
carved is dedicated to Dharmanath
- the 15th Jina or Jain Apostle. Like
all Jain temples, this one too is
rich in the intricate carvings depicting
among other things - musicians. |
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Kankaria Lake, a circular
lake constructed in 1451 by Sultan
Qutubud-Din is just 3 kms away from
the city. In the centre of the lake
is an island garden with a summer
palace known as Nagina Wadi. The lake
is a popular recreation centre surrounded
by parks, 'Bal Vatika' - an aquarium,
a boat club, a natural history museum
a zoo and a water sports resort. |
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| Calico Museum of Textile,
this textile city was used to be known
as Manchester of india. The Calico
Museum of Textiles, widely regarded
as one of the finest Textile Museum
in the world. The museum has five
centuries of the finest fabrics spun,
woven, printed and painted in different
arts of india. It also has a collection
of marble, sandstone and bronze icons
and busts split in two thematic section
- galleries for religious textiles
and historical textiles. The museum
which was inaugurated by Pandit Nehru
in 1948, is now managed by the Sarabhai
Foundation. Visiting hours 10:30 am
and 2:45 pm. The museum is closed
on Wednesday. Photography is not allowed. |
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Akshardham Temple
is a unique cultural complex that
upholds the universal values of Humanity
and symbolized the glory of Indian
Culture. One of the many wonders of
the world, the imposing 10 story high,
intricately carved architectural masterpiece,
enshrines Golden Murti(idol)of the
Lord Swaminarayan. 6,000 tons of pink
sandstone have been pieced together
with incredible accuracy. More than
12 million man hours of 900 skilled
craftsmen have created this magnificent
monument of 93 sculpted pillars, 40
windows carved from both sides, and
a feast of forms and filigrees. It
is about 28 kms from Ahmedabad. |
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| Sabarmati Ashram , which
was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915
- is arguably the biggest tourist
attraction. It lies on the serene
stretch of the Sabarmati river and
was referred to as the Satyagrah Ashram
during the lifetime of the Mahatma.
It was from here, in 1930, that the
Mahatma began his' Dandi March ' to
protest against the Salt Tax imposed
by the British. One can see the three
wise monkeys and many more of Gandhiji's
teaching at the premises. The humble
cottage were Gandhiji lived 'Hridya
Kunj' - is now a small museum displaying
his few possessions. It is preserved
as a National Monument. In addition
to this there is the Gandhi Memorial
Centre, a Library and a Sound-and-Light
show that offers an interesting display
of the Mahatma's life and teachings. |
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Julta Minara (Shaking
Minarets), a quite an unusual structure
in the eastern part of the city. Julta
Minara of Shaking Minarets is a part
of the mosque of Siddi Bashir and
can be swayed by applying a little
force at the topmost arch. The mosque
was obviously built by master craftmen
and the crucial mechanism that cause
the vibration is still a mystery. |