Rover - Magazine

THE
HERITAGE CITY
Ahmedabad, located
in the heart of Gujarat,
has a character
like no other city of India.
Most of the Indian cities have
architecture influenced by the
Europeans, but Ahmedabad
has a unique blend of Hindu
Muslim architecture, which
completely stands out.
Since the olden days, Ahmedabad
has stayed strongly
rooted in its traditions. This
unique character also helped
Ahmedabad become the center
of freedom struggle under
Mahatma Gandhi.
When walking through
Ahmedabad, most of the visitors
often overlook the Pols.
One may walk right through
them without even noticing
the true heritage of the city.
Pols in Ahmedabad are a part
of living heritage. These pols
are one of the key reasons
that have earned Gujarat an
honor from UNESCO.
Pols are the cluster of various
communities that have lived
and are living in Ahmedabad.
Pols consist of narrow
lanes, which are lined up
by buildings on either side.
These buildings with wooden
facades converge on a central
square. As each pol is occupied
by a different community,
the houses reflect the
architectural styles of that
community. Like today we
have gardens between a concrete
forest, the olden days
had a huge open square, an
open space, which had a religious
structure, community
well and a place to feed birds.
Architectural diversity is the
main attraction of Ahmedabad.
As the business grew,
so did the city had to. As a
result, most of the 15th-century
walls were taken apart,
allowing the growth of the
city. A short section of wall
along with the Sabarmati
river and the original 12 gates
consisting of carvings and
calligraphy still exist.
There is not much knowledge
of the builders of the Jhulta
Minaras(Shaking Minarets),
they still stand as an example
of India’s engineering feat.
If one minaret of one pair is
shaken, the other one shakes
too. The city holds 2 pairs of
these richly carved minarets.
However, demonstration of
shaking minarets and visitor’s
entry in the minar is not
allowed anymore, in order
to preserve the heritage. The
mechanism of the shaking
minarets is still unknown and
stays a mystery.
Sites like Jama Masjid,
Teen-Darwaja, the Bhadra
gate, the king and queen’s
tomb reflect the blend of
Indo-Islamic architecture.
Many buildings from the
time of Maratha period and
British era still stand tall in
the city.
On the west of Manek
Chowk, lies a treasure, the
Jama Masjid. It has a wide
open courtyard, surrounded
by columns painted in
huge Arabic calligraphy. The
prayer hall has a total of 15
domes, supported by over
260 columns. The mosque is
covered with complex carvings.
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NOVEMBER 2018 NOVEMBER 2018