Ahmadabad is located in the Western Indian state of Gujarat. This city which is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River was once the capital of Gujarat state but in 1970 it relinquished that position to the city of Gandhinagar.
Ahmadabad was founded in the 11th Century and was then subsequently ruled by a series of Hindu and Muslim kings until 1818 when it was annexed by the British who made it a part of the Bombay Presidency.Ahmedabad played a vital role in the Indian Independence struggle and the leader of the movement, Mahatama Gandhi established two ashrams here namely the Kochrab Ashram and the Sabarmati Ashram which functioned as major hubs of resistance. Additionally, Gandhi launched several civil disobedience campaigns from Ahmedabad like the Salt Satyagrah which featured the famous Dandi March and the Quit India Movement, as a result of which Ahmedabad like several other Indian cities suffered large scale communal violence during the Indian independence struggle.
Thereafter Ahmedabad was made the capital of the new state of Gujarat. This event took place after Gujarat was separated from Bombay on the 1st of May 1960. This separation was a blessing for the city as it subsequently boomed and saw the development and establishment of several heavy industries and educational and research institutions. Further Ahmedabad also benefited enormously from the economic reforms that were introduced in India in the early 1990’s and today it is a thriving city ...Read Morewhich is an important hub of economic and commercial activity.
Ahmedabad is equipped with an international airport, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International which is located at a distance of 15km to the north of city. This adequately outfitted airport plays host to a number of domestic and international airlines like Singapore Airlines, Jet Airways, Emirates, Sri Lankan Airways and British Airways which provide air links to Ahmedabad from various parts of the world. However if you are flying out to Ahmadabad from anywhere in the US, your journey is likely to extend over 20 hours as it is sure to have one or more stops on the way.
Such a long journey is likely to exhaust even the most enthusiastic traveler let alone a traveler of advanced years. In that case it would perhaps be prudent to look for a cheap business class airfare to Ahmedabad for even a discount business class ticket Ahmadabad will entitle you to all the luxuries associated with regular business class like seats that convert into flat beds at the push of a few buttons, priority check-in and boarding, excess baggage allowance and personalized attention on board the aircraft. All of which would contribute to making your journey to Ahmadabad much more comfortable not to mention pleasurable.
However people often believe that business class fares to Ahmedabad from the US are very expensive and thus out of reach for regular folk. This need not be the case if you keep an eye out for the business class air travel that many airlines announce periodically such as the companion flies free sale offered by Air India and business class sales offered by British Airways. These business class deals to Ahmadabad often require purchase months in advance but the savings that these business class tickets offer are unbeatable and should be taken advantage of. If these cheap business class airfares to Ahemdadbad elude you then you could always try to locate similar business class discounts from a reputable airfares consolidator who always has a selection of discount business airfares available to various destinations.
Ahmadabad, like much of Western India experiences a hot semi-arid climate though it has three main seasons namely summer, monsoon and winter. During the months of March to June the city experiences sizzling temperatures that often top 45° C (113°F) though the months between November to February are marginally cooler when daytime temperatures that register as 30 °C (85 °F) though nights in the city are quite cool at 15 °C (59 °F). This is the best season to visit Ahmadabad and sample its winter time specialty, called Undhiyu which is a smoked mixed vegetable dish that is prepared only made during the winter months.
Ahmadabad’s cityscape displays a fusion of styles as many buildings in the city display a kind of architecture which is known as the ‘Indo-Saracenic style’ that represents an fusion of Hindu and Islamic styles. The city is also extremely green as its governing body is cognizant of the upkeep of its various parks and gardens like Victoria Park(which hosts a statue of Queen Victoria), Bal Vatika( a children’s park located on the banks of the Kankaria Lake) and Law Garden which is located near the College of Law and is thus named after it. Other popular gardens in the city include green spaces like Parimal Garden, Prahlad Nagar Garden and Lal Darwaja Garden.
Ahmadabad is widely associated with the father of the Indian Nation, Mahatama Gandhi hence its main attractions also bear a Gandhian tilt and include the renowned Sabarmati Ashram which is in fact known as ‘Gandhi Ashram’ was it was founded by the Mahatama on the banks of the Sabarmati River in 1915. This Ashram which was once the origin of the Salt Satyagrah and the Dandi March movements is now Ahmadabad’s most famous attraction which has within its folds a handicraft center, a handmade paper and spinning wheel factory as well as various arte-facts from Gandhi’s time.
Ahmendabad has for years been an important center for the production of textiles in India and its Calico Textile Museum bears witness to this fact. This museum is housed in a traditional haveli( home) which is located within the Sarabhai foundation near the Shahibagh Palace. The exhibits in this museum show case ancient textiles that have been produced in various parts of India over the years. However the museum’s displays are not limited only to textiles as it also has exhibits of furniture, temple artifacts and more. The Calico museum is surrounded by verdant gardens, courtyards and fountains and also hosts an excellent reference library.
Yet another famous attraction in Ahmadabad is its Sidi Sayed Mosque. This mosque was constructed in 1573 by Sidi Sayed who was a slave of the Sultan Ahmed Shah. The mosque is renowned for its ten unique semi-circular windows that display ‘jali’or intricate stone filigree work.
Like many other Indian cities, Ahmedabad also celebrates various festivals throughout the year but perhaps its most famous event is Navratri which translates as the festival of nine nights. This festival precedes the famous Hindu festival of Deepvali and during this festival Ahmedabad wears a coat of much revelry. The festival is dedicated to the goddess Shakti and the goddess is celebrated with elaborate rituals as well as folk dances known as ‘Graba’ and ‘Dandia Raas’ which are native to Gujarat. These dances are performed for the entire duration of the festival and feature much enthusiastic public participation as they usually take place on public grounds which are beautifully anointed with flowers and fairy lights. Men, women and children all wear elaborate traditional costumes for the dances. It is not uncommon for many fashion conscious folk to wear a new garment for each night’s performance as they really try to look their best for Ahmedabad’s main event.
If you are planning to visit Ahmadabad any time soon then you should try and plan your visit to coincide with the exciting Navratri festival. So don’t waste any more time and start looking for that discount business class airfare to Ahmadabad which will enable you to travel in style and arrive ready to take in the many delights that the city of Gandhi has t Hide