Ahmedabad (also spelled Ahmadabad) is the fifth largest city in India with a population of 6.5 million. Although it is the commercial hub of one of the most prosperous states of India, Gujarat, it's not the state capital, which is its twin city of Gandhinagar, 30 km to the North.
The breathtaking beauty and intricacy of architecture, a culture with deep rooted conventions, a colourful environment oozing with exuberance and fun-loving people are some of the best words to describe the city. Ahmedabad is a perfect example of materialistic attitude and spirituality of self-renunciation. The city has a huge significance on the note of commercial and cultural parameter. Previously known as Karnavati, the city has various colours of India, therefore it is also seen as the representative of Indian Culture. Being the fastest growing city in India, Ahmedabad is also the centre of information technology, education and industries. Ahmedabad has a lot to offer to the travellers coming here from different parts of the world. Ahmedabad tourism is the pulse of Gujarat. Here you will find a number of places which show the real sign of India. Bhadra Fort, Shaking Minarets and Teen Darwaza are the historical beauties of the city. On the other hand, Kankaria Lake and Vastrapur Lake are those places which let you feel the pleasure of nature. If you want to enjoy the colourful side of this part, then pay a visit during the major festivals of Ahmedabad. Uttarayan and Navratri are two most famous festivals here that are celebrated with great zeal and gusto. The winter season is considered as the best time to visit the city.
Also Gujaratis are known for their hospitality and tourism in Gujarat is developing, with more people visiting Gujarat every year.
Districts
The classification below is according to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Some of it might seem confusing; e.g.: Motera is actually located in the Northern part and Vasna is in the Southern part, although both are classified as being in West Zone.
About
The city was founded by King Karandev 1 in the 11th century and originally called "Karnavati". The Hindu kingdom of Karnavati retained its importance until 1411 when Sultan Ahmed Shah conquered Gujarat and the city was renamed Ahmedabad after him.
The city was built in an open and spacious plane to the East of Sabarmati. It was comprised of smaller known Fort as Bhadra Fort. The city fort wall was enclosed containing 12 Gates. The city of Ahmedabad went on expanding in every direction by the addition of new areas on the sides of the river, with well laid out beautiful buildings, lakes and mosques.
In 1753 the combined armies of Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaekwad took the fort, which resulted into end of Mughal Rule in Ahmedabad. In 64 years during the rule of Gaekwad and Peshwa, city became cleaner. In 1818 the British annexed Ahmedabad via cunning. During this period the municipality committee was founded and a railway link was established.
The British restricted themselves to the cantonment area and didn’t take much interest in the city. Nor did they get around to colonizing Ahmedabad culturally; they didn't set up schools, churches and clubs all over the city, the way they did in other cities they integrated to their way of life.
So, unlike most other large Indian cities, Ahmedabad is not an English speaking city by nature - but language is never a problem as it has emerged as an international trading hub of Gujarat and almost everybody speaks English. The local language is Gujarati. You can get around by using Hindi or English with most people. The locals are by and large a friendly folk so you’ll get by, even if you don't speak any Indian languages.
Ahmedabad was a cradle of the non-violent movement for India's independence, being host to the Sabarmati ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Ahmedabad poses a mixture of rich tradition and modern feel. Ahmedabad is famous for the Navaratri festival. It's considered to be the longest dance festival on earth. Navratri rocks Ahmedabadi people and their guests too.
The Gujarati community is largely known for its hospitality and for being shrewd businessmen. Ahmedabad is a big industrial city long reputed for its textile industry, and today more so for its chemical, petroleum, international trade & IT industries. It is also well known for the Finance Wizards and as the modern hub of Jain Religion. The city has been put on world map by institutions like Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, National Institute of Design, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information & Communication Technology, IHM, MICA, EDI, Nirma University, Swaminarayan Gurukul, CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) University, NIFT and a few others. The place has become a landmark for good education practices.
Ahmedabad is, by and large, a hot place. Summer starts by mid-March and lasts up to mid-June. The typical temperature on a hot, sunny day in May would be 34-44°C (93-111 degrees Fahrenheit). It's advisable not to visit this place during summer. With the arrival of the monsoon by mid-June, the city becomes a fun place. You'll be able to enjoy the various monsoon specialities of the city like boiled or roasted corn dishes on road-side stalls or some special local dishes like Khichu during this season. There are also some famous Hindu festivals like Rakshabandhan (or Rakhi) and Janmastami - the birth date of Lord Krishna - which fall during this season. You may sometimes end up in a water logging problem though. Winter is the best season to visit the city when the typical temperature is 5-20°C (41-68°F). It's fun visiting various open-air restaurants and road-side stalls in winter.
How to Reach
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. (IATA: AMD) is in the area of Hansol, just 15 km north-east from the city-centre. The airport is expanding with permissions for many international air lines being given and development of new terminals. [1]
There is international direct flight to New York / New Jersey (Newark) via Mumbai served by Air India. Non-stop connections are available for Muscat, Kuwait (Kuwait Airways), Dubai (Emirates), Doha Qatar (Qatar Airways), Sharjah(Air Arabia) and Singapore (Singapore Airlines).
Ahmedabad is well-connected domestically via daily flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Indore, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, Kolkata, Jaipur, Pune, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Nagpur with connections to several other Indian cities and towns. Recently, flights to Kandla and Surat have also been launched. Most domestic airlines have a flight in and out of Ahmedabad.
Travelers hoping to arrive at the airport early should be advised that the international terminal is not open 24 hours, and may not open until the late afternoon. Similarly, as at other Indian airports, you will likely be denied entry until approximately three hours before your scheduled flight even if the terminal is open. Therefore, connecting between a domestic and an international flight will often involve waiting outside the airport with the throngs of touts for several hours.
The Hansol area where the airport is located lies near the river banks, between the areas of Shahibaug and Naroda that give access to Ahmedabad. For travelling to most of the main areas of Ahmedabad, head in the direction of Shahibaug. To the opposite of the river banks is the area of Motera - Chandkheda which are the northern ends of Ahmedabad and are better accessible through Koteshwar - Bhat Road (enters Motera through Koteshwar) or Ring Road (leading to Visat, turning left at Tapovan Circle); both these roads branch at different points on the road from Airport Circle (in direction of Naroda from the airport) to Koba Circle (take left from Airport Circle onto Indira Bridge). Also the famous S G Highway can be accessed by heading straight on the Ring Road, instead of turning left for Visat.
The twin city and the state capital, Gandhinagar, is accessible through the road from Airport Circle (in direction of Naroda from the airport): Take left from Airport Circle onto Indira Bridge and keep straight onto the inter - city highway, crossing roundabouts at Tapovan Circle and Koba Circle, ending at 'Indroda Circle' (CH 0), the starting point of Gandhinagar (from South).
An auto rickshaw or a taxi should cost roughly ₹ 200 - 300 respectively. Save yourself considerable hassle by using the prepaid booth, or, better yet, arrange a pickup through your hotel.
AMTS buses serve the airport directly. These buses have an extensive network all over the city.
Unfortunately, the BRTS corridor hasn't yet arrived nearby.
Indian Railways has a very wide network all over India and Ahmedabad (Central) Railway Station (Station code: ADI) is connected with Mumbai(500 km), Vadodara Jaipur, Jodhpur and Delhi with trains several times a day. Daily connections (or multiple weekly connections) are also available to several other major cities including Bikaner, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Udaipur, Indore, Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Nagpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Chennai, Nagarcoil, Trivendram, Bangaluru, and Coimbatore. Direct trains are also available for Jammu, Patna, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Kolhapur, Goa, Mangalore, Cochin, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Ahmedabad Central Railway Station (Kalupur). (Station code: ADI), the main railway station serving the city is located in Kalupur (Central Zone). The other stations serving Ahmedabad are Maninagar, Vatva, Gandhigram, Asarva, Chandlodia, Chandkheda, Saij, Kalol Jn, Kali Gam, Vastrapur, Sabarmati, Sarkhej, Naroda, Gandhinagar, Khodiyar, Aamli. Although the important and well-connected ones are only Sabarmati Junction ( for West & South-bound trains (Ranip).Station code: SBI, for North-bound trains (Dharmnagar).Station code: SBT) located in the neighbourhood of Sabarmati (Northern West Zone) and Maninagar Railway Station. (Station code: MAN) located in Maninagar (South Zone).
The website of Indian Railways will show you trains from a particular station to your destination along with days, timings, fares and availability. This will help you find trains from individual stations of Ahmedabad (separate searches) as NOT all trains stop at all stations except of course, the main Ahmedabad Railway Station (Station code: ADI) where each train halts (and for longer durations than any other station). Booking can be done through the website of IRCTC, a subsidiary of Indian Railways or through any of the railway reservation centres throughout India.
It is located in the area of Kalupur (Central Zone). It has a road-side Janmarg BRTS stand within the campus of the railway station, which is just outside the main entrance of the railway station. It is directly served by BRTS buses on the Line no. 9 (towards RTO Circle (Northern West Zone) and towards Ellisbridge (Central West Zone)) and Line no. 10 (towards Vasna (Southern West Zone)) and AMTS also directly serves the station to various parts of the city.
It is located in the neighbourhood of Sabarmati (Northern West Zone), is served by BRTS buses through the BRTS stations of either Sabarmati Powerhouse (closer to the railway station) or Sabarmati Police station, both on Line no. 8 (towards Maninagar (South Zone) and towards Visat Junction (serving the suburb of Chandkheda)). It is also served by AMTS buses directly.
It is located in Maninagar (South Ahmedabad) is directly served by BRTS buses on the Line no. 1 (towards RTO Circle (Northern West Zone)), Line no. 5 (towards Iskcon (New West Zone)) and Line no. 8 (towards Visat Junction (Northern West Zone)). AMTS buses also serve the railway station.
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) [2] has buses from all the parts of the Gujarat state entering into the city with the central bus terminus at Geeta Mandir along with other terminals at Subhash Bridge and Naroda; some minor stops are Paldi and Sabarmati Tollnaka, etc. It is advisable to pre-book seats due to the major possibility of crowding.
From bus terminals/stops to city:
GSRTC Central Bus Terminus (Geeta Mandir). (Central Zone) is served by BRTS buses through the BRTS station of Aastodia Darwaja on the Line no. 9 (towards RTO Circle (West Zone) and towards Ellisbridge (West Zone)) and AMTS buses serve through the stop of Astodia Darwaja.
The GSRTC stop of Sabarmati Tollnaka. is accessible through the BRTS station of Sabarmati Police station, both on Line no. 8 (towards Maninagar (South Zone) and towards Visat Junction (serving the suburb of Chandkheda)). AMTS buses also have a stop nearby.
You could drive to Ahmedabad from Mumbai on the new highway (NH-8) that's been built, but it will take you around 8 hours (without any traffic jams) to do the 550 odd kilometres. You'll pass Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, and Nadiad on your way. Driving on the NH-8 is an energy sapper and no fun as there is a huge amount of truck traffic. Be aware that broken down trucks on the highway regularly cause traffic jams for hours on end. The journey from Vadodara to Ahmedabad can also be done via the dedicated express way (NE-1) which does not pass through any towns, rather than NH-8.
The expressway from Vadodara (South Gujarat) to Ahmedabad will end at C.T.M (South Zone).
Turning right at C.T.M is the Narol - Naroda Road leading you to Naroda in North East Ahmedabad, while passing through the areas of Vastral, Odhav, Nikol, etc. on the right side of the road and the areas of Maninagar, Shastri Nagar, Hansol (Airport Area) on the left side of the road. For the northern areas of Sabarmati, Motera, Chandkheda, etc. turn right at Naroda Patiya Circle, where the Narol - Naroda Road ends, head straight on NH - 8 and turn left at Ranasan Circle onto Ring Road. Turn left at Tapovan Circle, after a few kms, Motera will be on the left side of the highway, Chandkheda on the right. The highway ends at Visat, from where turning left will lead you to Sabarmati.
Turning left at C.T.M is the Narol - Sarkhej Road which passes through Nehrunagar, Narol, Vatwa, Ghodasar, etc. ending at a T-junction on Vasna Road (or Jawaharlal Nehru Road). From here turn left, pass through the areas of Juhapura, Makarba, etc. till a Y-junction arrives. The right arm will lead you to Sarkhej Cross Roads, from where you turn right onto the S G Highway. The left arm at the Y-junction will lead you via Sarkhej, at Santhal Circle, turn right onto the Ring Road.
Ring Road is preferable if your destination is far (near Northern Ahmedabad) otherwise use S G Highway. Also for Bopal, use only Ring Road.
The major entry points from S G Highway are the areas of Prahladnagar, Shilaj, Vastrapur, Satellite, Bodakdev, Thaltej, Sola, Ognaj, Gota, etc.
You can enter Ahmedabad by passing through Gandhinagar. The inter - city highway starts at Indroda Circle (CH 0) (South Gandhinagar), passing through Koba Circle and Tapovan Circle and ends at Visat (Northern West Zone), the junction to the suburbs of Sabarmati, Motera and Chandkheda. Rather than going to Visat, you can also choose to join Ring Road: From Koba Circle head on the road to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) International Airport, but turn left at Rajasthan Hospital Circle and you're on Ring Road. From here you can connect to the areas of East Ahmedabad such as Nikol, Odhav, Vastral, etc. Also the Southern areas of Ahmedabad, such as Ramol, CTM, Ahmedabad - Vadodara Expressway, Narol, Vatwa, etc. are accessible through Ring Road.
Another option is to bypass Gandhinagar using Mahatma Mandir Road, then turning right at Sargasan Circle onto S G Highway. You may stay on the S G Highway or turn right at SGVP Circle (also known as Vaishnodevi Circle) onto Ring Road. There are several entry points along the border of extreme Western Ahmedabad, such as Gota, Ognaj, Sola, Thaltej, Bodakdev, Satellite, Vastrapur, Shilaj, Bopal, Prahladnagar, Sarkhej (where S G Highway ends) and Juhapura. For getting to Bopal, use Ring Road rather than S G Highway. Also if you've to go to Southern Ahmedabad, choose Ring Road as it'll be a much faster option than S G Highway.
Reproduced from Wikipedia
