On the road to Old Ahmedabad
Our impromptu journey to Ahmedabad started early in an attempt to visit the fabulous step-well at Patan before the heat got unbearable. Thankfully the air con in Mr Munir’s mini-van was working and we arrived still relatively cool.
Patan was a dusty, cow-thronged town. Not a place where you’d expect to find anything as spectacular as the Rani-Ki-Vav. Set in lovely grassy, tree shaded grounds there was nothing visible of the grand UNESCO listed step-well above ground. Arriving at the edge of the geometric patterned steps, the seven storied structure below just took your breath away. It was fabulous. Shaped like an inverted temple, with steps leading down to each level. Each level is supported by columns carved with intricate floral patterns, the tops with sculptures of women appearing to hold up the roof. The walls are lined with sculptures mainly of Vishnu in his many forms; Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Vaman along with other Hindu deities and dancing Apsaras. In all it contains over 800 sculptures depicting religious images, mythological creatures and non-sacred symbols, the detail increasing the lower we descended into the cool depths.
Rani-ki-Vav
It’s so good, it features on the 100 Rupee note.
The floor of the well
This was Gujarat’s oldest and finest stepwell. The only one commissioned by a woman, the Solanki queen Udayami, to commemorate a man, her husband Bhimdev I. Rani-Ki-Vav means Queen’s Step-well. Built in the last quarter of the 11th century it lay buried for centuries, only being rediscovered in the 1960’s and only restored, i.e. dug out, during the 1980’s. Unbelievable to think something so magnificent could just be forgotten for so long.
We moved on to Modhera, a few kilometres away. It was starting to get hot and lots of Indian tourists had started to arrive. As we were the only Westerners around, that meant a lot of requests for photos both from very excited groups of older ladies who dragged me (Helen) back for more photos when I attempted to walk away and from teenage lads posing like Indian film stars, not very successfully.
The Temple of the Sun, Modhera
The Helen Gleeson fan club (Gujarat chapter)
The Sun temple is oriented so the first rays of the equinox dawn sun fall on the image of the god that sits in the centre of the temple and was built in the 11th century in the reign of Bhimdev I (the guy Patan was built to commemorate) – older but on a smaller scale than the great Sun temple at Konark in Orissa that we went to on our first joint trip to India in 2014.
The temple complex has three aligned structures. The main hall where the Sun god image once resided in the inner sanctum and an outer assembly hall which leads onto a small sacred reservoir with tiered steps containing small shrines around the edges. Tiny elephant sculptures adorn the bases of each temple all the way round, each one slightly different. The outer walls decorated with carvings of dancers, floral motifs and geometric symbols. Above, intricately carved pillars lead to the internal shrine with a high domed ceiling and niches around the walls containing sculptures of Shiva and Vishnu in various forms. It was dark, though unfortunately not cool, inside the passageways, shafts of sunlight shining, lighting up the detail on the carvings and little bats hanging upside down on the roof high above.
The journey into Ahmedabad was long, hot and very uncomfortable, the air con failing to deal with the heat of the afternoon and we were definitely melting when we arrived at the Sabarmati Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived in the years prior to his Salt March to Dandi. Unlike the depiction in Richard Attenborough’s film of Gandhi’s life, it’s no longer the grassy, peaceful enclave in the countryside and is now engulfed by the sprawl of the city. It did still manage to be peaceful in the grounds but probably as all the roads around were closed. Ghandi’s spartan rooms and spinning wheel clearly showed the simple existence he maintained.
We were very glad to arrive at The House of MG, a lovely heritage hotel and an oasis of cool calm amidst the noise, chaos and heat of the city.
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Though we’d been told of the delights of Ahmedabad it initially seemed like any other oversized Indian city characterised by snarling traffic and searing heat, however we’d heard about a heritage tour offered by our hotel and thought we’d do a DIY version. First stop Swaminarayan mandir in the heart of the old walled city, an opulent, but to our tastes rather garish 19th century temple surrounded by impressive, and much more subtle three storey havelis (mansions) with a wealth of wooden adornment on supports and struts – flowers, creepers, lions, elephants, peacocks and parrots.
Haveli opposite Swaminarayan temple
Old Ahmedabad
Our route took us through several ‘pols’, self-contained neighbourhoods inhabited by particular castes or families, mini villages in effect, with tight, narrow streets, secret passages, squares with community wells and chabutras (towers) for feeding birds. The whole area is wonderfully dilapidated. We’re big fans of the character that comes with the crumbling, though it must be said, many of the houses and havelis are in desperate need of renovation before they’re lost for good.
We lost ourselves completely and wandered through seemingly private spaces, only to discover hidden temples and the occasional cow sheltering in the cooler shade of a covered courtyard. It felt like we met or squeezed past the population of the world – pol occupants, moped riders and market traders, all welcoming and most intrigued as to why we were there. A tea-seller revelled in an impromptu photo session, laughing as he poured his tea from a height. An eccentric tailor insisted we take photos of him and the many pictures of Hindu deities in his shop.
Bovine serenity in old Ahmedabad
Masala chai from on high
Saville Row, old Ahmedabad
We finished at the Jama Masjid, our first mosque on this trip, through a huge, foot-scorching marble courtyard to a beautifully peaceful prayer hall with a half dozen worshipers, then back outside to the chaos. A manic, but wonderfully entertaining and atmospheric afternoon in a surprisingly endearing city….
Helen & Simon (16th April 2025)
Footnote (Simon): Another day, another doctor. Fell asleep for an hour when we reached our hotel and woke up to Helen leaning over me shrieking “Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God…”. My left eye was pouring blood – the whole eye filled and dripping down onto my cheek. I freaked out a little I don’t mind admitting. The same thing happened in the middle of the night and I awoke to find my pillow covered in blood. Next morning, a frantic and difficult search for a hospital. Eventually found an ophthalmologist – the Eyeconic (aaargh!) clinic – who could see me within the hour. Turns out I just had a big scratch on the inside of the eyelid from our dusty safaris the day before, NOT a vicious eye-eating worm burrowing its way into my brain as I’d feared. Disappointed / not disappointed all at the same time….
Another wonderful experiencence for you both. Photos are amazing . X
Thanks – it’s an amazing and not so we known place (for tourists at least)
It’s amazing what they’re finding, I bet there’s still so many ancient architecture undiscovered buried beneath us.
Love how the locals are using you for free advertising.
Hope your eye’s OK!!
Thanks Zoe – eye is fine now. No more Zombie film re-inactments.
Wow…. The Rani-Ki-Vav looks absolutely amazing! The detail in the sculpting is just unbelievable. Looks like you’re having an a great adventure.
Hope the eye episode isn’t the start of a zombie attack!
Cheers David – the eye’s made a good recovery, but it worried the hell out of me for a few hours I can tell you. Yes the stepwell was unbelievable – could have stayed for hours
Wow scary eye thing but glad it could easily be explained. I did think at first that it might have been a UDI (unidentified drinking injury) but only because I read ‘Our route took us through several ‘pols’ as ‘Our route took us through several ‘pubs’……
Ha ha. Says more about you I think!