Ahmedabad is the major commercial center of Gujarat. It is also the sixth largest city in India, with a population of more than 5 million. The city was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 AD. The Sultan decided to make the city its capital because of a strange incident he witnessed here. According to a legend, he once saw a rabbit attacking one of his hunter dogs. This made him realize that if the rabbits of this region were so brave, then the people must be braver. Thus, he established Ahmedabad on the banks of River Sabarmati.

He graced his kingdom with a number of magnificent monuments, mosques, pavilions and mausoleums. The Indo-Saracenic style of architecture was started and employed by him in the various monuments that he built. This has contributed immensely to the historical heritage of the city. Today, Ahmedabad is a hustling and bustling city, with a flourishing textile industry. It is often termed as the 'Manchester of the East', owing to the fact that it is the largest denim producer in the world. Many buildings in the city are designed by world-renowned architects, like Le Corbusier, Louis Khan, Doshi and Correa.

Ahmedabad is the land where the Father of the Nation, Gandhiji, fought the battle of national freedom, based on the principle of non violence. Apart from this, the city is a major educational and learning center. Many world renowned educational institutes are located here, which are producing world class professionals. As a result, a huge influx of students, throng the campus of institutes every year. It is also the nerve center of cultural activities in the state. Ahmedabad is famous for its age old traditional folk art. There are also a number of important political buildings in the city.

The Riverfront



Stone Carving Flower

Ahmedabad Air Travel Information

• Ahmedabad Airport connects with 19 cities nonstop.
• The largest aircraft flying out of Ahmedabad Airport is a 747 with 423 seats.
• There are 10 airlines operating out of Ahmedabad Airport.
• There are 7 nonstop flights out of Ahmedabad Airport per week that have over 300 seats per aircraft

Airport Code: AMD Airport Name: Ahmedabad Airport City: Ahmedabad Country: India Latitude: 23.07 Longitude: 72.63

By Air

At present there are 3 international airlines namely Air India, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines which have direct flights to Ahmedabad. But Ahmedabad is well connected with both Mumbai and Delhi which are in the destination charts of all major airlines. From Mumbai to Ahmedabad and back there are 4 flights daily of Jet Airways (3 flights on Tuesday and Sunday) 3 flights daily of Indian Airlines the duration being 1 hour.
From Delhi to Ahmedabad and back there are 2 flights daily of Jet Airways and 2 flights daily of Indian Airlines the duration being 1 ½ hour.

For more information on flight schedules please visit
http://www.airportsindia.org.in



Tourist Places

There are a number of places around the city which will add onto your experience. The excursions around Ahmedabad will give a glimpse of the natural and historical heritage of India. These places of interest are delightful to be explored.

Lothal

Lothal is situated at a distance of 80 km from Ahmedabad. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in India. In the dialect of the local people language, Lothal means 'the mound of the dead'. The site was discovered in the year 1957, followed by excavations done by the Archaeological Survey of India. It was concluded from the excavations that the ruins of the settlement belonged to the Harappan Era, dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. It is an exquisite example of Harrappan town planning.

Sun Temple

The Sun temple of Gujarat is situated at Modhera. It is akin to the Sun Temple at Konark and is dedicated to the Sun God, Lord Surya. Though the temple has lost its glory of the yore, it is still an architectural and art master piece. The temple serves as the venue for the Dance Festival held in January each year. It was built in 1026 AD by the Solanki King Bhimdev I of Patan. The Solankis were Suryavanshis, the descendents of Sun God and therefore built this temple in the honor of Lord Surya. However, the temple was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni. One of the most striking features of the Modhera Sun temple is that the first ray of the sun falls on the deity at the time of the equinoxes. The temple has a unique architecture and consists of a number of other magnificent buildings in the vicinity.



Akshardham Temple

Akshardham is situated in the capital city of Gandhinagar, which lies near Ahmedabad. The magnificent temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. It was constructed on the directions of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Sanstha. The complex of this temple is the largest in Gujarat. Akshardham temple was inaugurated in the year 1992 and has become a major tourist attraction in India, during the last decade. It has a sprawling 23 acre area and is chiseled out in pink sandstone. It stands tall with a height of 108 feet and 6000 tones of stone were used in its construction.



Ranchhodraiji Temple

Ranchhodraiji Temple is situated in Dakor that comes under the Kheda district of Gujarat. Earlier Dakor was a small village, but with time it has grown into a major commercial center. The small shrine of the initial Ranchhodraiji Temple has now been enclosed in a huge complex. It was built by Shri Gopalrao Jagannath Tambwekar in 1772 A.D. It has brick walls and stones pillars, constructed at the cost of one lakh rupees. The complex is square in shape and has four gates on the outer walls, placed significantly. The main door faces the Gomati River of India.


For more information please visit
http://www.bharatonline.com/gujarat/travel/ahmedabad/excursions.html


Mount Abu

Mount Abu situated at a average height of 1,219 mtr's above sea level is the oasis in the deserted land of Rajasthan and posses the honor of being the only hill-station in Rajasthan as well as north-west India, The world famous tourist destination is known for its Delwara Jain temples and natural beauty world over, situated amidst lush green forested hills on the highest peak in the Aravali range is also the summer capital for the Indian state of Rajasthan, home to lakes, waterfalls and green forests, the hill retreat, has a very cool and soothing climate thanks to its rich flora covering the entire hillside that includes coniferous trees and flowering shrubs. Mount Abu with its word-class tourist facilities with hotels ranging from budget class to three star and heritage provides a great holiday escape and honeymoon attraction. Every year more then three million national and international tourists visit mount abu enjoying its scenic beauty, rich flora & fauna as well as the marble art of delwara jain temples.
Ahmedabad - Mt. Abu – 220 Kms.


For more information please visit
http://www.mountabu.com/


Somnath Temple

It is 412 km from Ahmedabad. It is Best - known for its Shiv Temple which houses one of the 12 jyotirlingas, Somnath is also an important Vaishnavite pilgrimage centre as Lord Krishna disappeared at Bhakhla Tirth and there is a Krishna cenotaph at Triveni Tirth. Also, worth seeing are the Sun Temple, the Pandav cave, the medieval temple built by ahilya Holkar, architectural fragments from the ruined temples of Somnath.



Diu & Daman

Diu is about 466 km from Ahmedabad. The union territory of Diu has the greatest 16th century Portuguese Fort in India. The town also has an impressive church, a museum and lanes lines with impressive havelis and Mediterranean - style mansions. The beach at Nagoa is one of the best on the west coast of India and is faced by good hotels.


Daman is about 379 km from Ahmedabad. The union territory of Daman was an important Portuguese enclave in the 16th century. Its churches are among the most beautiful abd best preserved in India, specially the cathedral of Bom Jesus built in Baroque style in 1603, its gigantic gabled Baroque facade opens onto a lofty vaulted hall and the Church of our Lady of the Rosary with ornate woodwork and tableaux of life of Jesus. The Moti Daman Fort is crammed with historic buildings. The Jampore beach is fairly good for swimming and the Devka Beach has ritzy resorts.



Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary

It is about 64 km from Ahmedabad. The huge shallow lake of Nalsarovar is one of the largest wetland bird sanctuaries in India, spanning about 130 sq km and interspersed with islands where local pastoral and fishing communities have shaks for tea and meals. Both species of flammingos and all three spices of pelicans found in India could be seen during a boat ride on the lake which attracts more than 250 species of birds including 100 winter migrants.



Dwarka

It is about 441 km from Ahmedabad. It is one of the four dhams and one of the seven holiest towns for Hindus, Dwarka has the Dwarkadish Temple, the exquisitely carved 13th Rukmini Temple. Gopi Talav Teerth and the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga are other sites.




Weather

Ahmedabad is the most prominent city in Gujarat, along with being a major commercial center in the state. Consequently, there has been a rapid increase in the number of industries and mills in and around the city. It had helped in the growth of the region and the state. Ahmedabad also experiences the three main seasons, like most of the cities in India.

The average temperature ranges between the 23°C to 43°C. During the winter months, i.e. from November to February, the climate is quite pleasant. One can feel a slight chill during the month of January, mainly because of the cold northerly winds flowing in the region.

Not to forget, the monsoon sweeps the city during mid-June and mid-September.