Ahmedabad is also a repository of architectural styles and one of India's intellectual and artistic capitals. The city is congested and hectic, but it has a wealth of museums, performing arts centers, and galleries. Some of the best universities in the country, especially for design and management, are also found here.
Sabarmati Ashram (also known as Harijan Ashram) was home to Mohandas Gandhi from 1917 until 1930 and served as one of the main centers of the Indian freedom struggle. Originally called the Satyagraha Ashram, reflecting the movement toward passive resistance launched by the Mahatma, the Ashram became home to the ideology that set India free. Sabarmati Ashram is named for the river on which it sits River Sabarmati.
Gujarat is known for its world-famous double ikat patola from Patan. It is a colorful and ostentatious weave with its figured body, along with the subtle merging of one shade into another. It is generally worn on auspicious and important occasions. The magic of patola textile is created by the art of lying and dyeing both the warp and west silk threads and then weaving them with great skill and precision into priceless fabric forms with clear and crisp patterns.
Champaner is a UNESCO Heritage site, it has a rich heritage with much of it built by Sultan Mehmud Begda who transformed Champaner into the powerful capital of Gujarat. Champaner was laid out over six kilometers with districts devoted to civic, religious, and domestic life. Over the hundreds of years since its construction, this vast urban territory has become buried beneath dense forest cover.
One of the two Akshardhams of the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Akshardham in Gandhinagar was the first to be constructed and completed in 1991. Built in Pink Sandstone, this magnificent structure is a sight to behold. Thousands of people visit it daily for its beauty, the exhibition halls, and the first Spiritual Light and Sound Show in the world ‘Sat-chit-anand’. Terrorists attacked this famous temple in 2002 where around 30 people lost their lives. The temple's main deity is the Lord Swaminarayan who is considered an incarnation of Lord Krishna and has an ardent following in the state of Gujarat. Overnight at Ahmedabad.
One of the most beautiful Jain temples in Gujarat, Hutheesingh Jain Temple in Ahmedabad was constructed in 1848 by Sheth Hutheesingh and his wife Harkunvarba Shethani. It was constructed at an estimated cost of 1 Million Indian Rupees with Premchand Salat being the chief architect. The Temple has been dedicated to worship Dharamnath who was the 15th Tirthankar as per the Jain Religion. This artistic temple is filled with intricate carvings in each and every corner with perfect attention to detail. The entrance of the temple is the most striking feature of the temple with its unbelievable piece of carving on the whole gate.
Adalaj Stepwell near Ahmedabad is one of the most beautiful Step-well in India with a perfect mixture of Hindu and Islamic architecture. Originally, it was constructed by Rana Veer Singh and was completed by Sultan Mahmud Begada of Ahmedabad as he had killed the former to expand his kingdom. The stepwell was completed as the Queen of Veer Singh demanded its completion from Mahmud Begada who had proposed to marry her after his husband’s demise. This resulted in the fusion of Indo-Islamic architecture in the stepwell. This 5-storey stepwell is constructed in such a way that sunlight cannot penetrate directly inside the stepwell which results in a difference of 5 degrees Celsius in temperature from the normal temperature. The intricate carving on the columns and the windows of the stepwell is a treat to watch for any architectural lover.
One of the most magnificent structures in India, Rani Ki Vav, a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been considered the Queen among the stepwells in India. The Stepwell was constructed by Queen Udayamati in memory of his husband Bhimadev I of the Solanki Dynasty. Constructed primarily for storing water for the locals, the stepwell was submerged with silt and sand due to the floods in the nearby Saraswati River in the 13th Century which was then excavated in the 1960s by the ASI when they found more the 500 God sculptors in Pristine Condition. The statues of Dashavatars, Yoginis, and various Gods and Goddesses adorn the walls of the Stepwell. It surely will leave the tourists in awe with the kind of workmanship on the stepwell. The length of this historic stepwell is about 64 m, the width is about 20 m and the depth is about 27 m. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2014 and also has been inscribed on the new Rs. 100 Currency Note in India.
Adalaj Stepwell near Ahmedabad is one of the most beautiful Step-wells in India with a perfect mixture of Hindu and Islamic architecture. Originally, it was constructed by Rana Veer Singh but was completed by Sultan Mahmud Begada of Ahmedabad as he had killed the former to expand his kingdom. The stepwell was completed as the Queen of Veer Singh demanded its completion from Mahmud Begada who had proposed to marry her after his husband’s demise. This resulted in the fusion of Indo-Islamic architecture in the stepwell. This 5-storey stepwell is constructed in such a way that sunlight cannot penetrate directly inside the stepwell which results in a difference of 5 degrees Celsius in temperature from the normal temperature. The intricate carving on the columns and the windows of the stepwell is a treat to watch for any architectural lover.