Rover - Magazine

On the east of Jama Masjid
lies the tomb of the founder of
Ahmedabad, Ahmed Shah I,
which is popularly known as
Badshah no Harjo. The tomb
and the masjid are connected
by a gate. The four corners of
the central hall have smaller
domed chambers with perforated
stone screens set in
arches. Women are not allowed
in here. Right across
Badshah no Hajiro lies Rani
no Hajiro.
If you are a fan of carvings,
then don’t miss out on the
Siddi Sayeed mosque. This
mosque holds one of the most
delicately carved lace patterns
on a stone.
The walled city also holds
many stepwells, which are locally
called “Vav”. Two of the
most popular known Vavs are
Adalaj Vav and Dada Harir
Vav. Vavs also serve as a community
meeting ground, as
in summers the people used
to gather around the vavs
to beat the heat. Occasionally
people perform prayers
on the finely carved walls
of the vavs. These vavs are
the best example of Indo-Islamic
architecture. Islamic
floral patterns seamlessly
fuse with Hindu and Jain
symbols. Dada Harir Vav,
besides the usual carvings,
also has Sanskrit and Arabic
scripts carved on the walls. If
you ever happen to visit the
walled city, do visit the museums,
they offer a clue to the
heritage scattered around the
city.
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NOVEMBER 2018