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The narrow lanes lead into the 110-year old Harkunvar Shethani ni Haveli containining 40 rooms that still houses the family. The house built during the British era, consists of a rain water storage tank that can store around 1 lakh litres of water only from the monsoon rains.
A memorial at the site of Kavi Dapatram's house in recognition of his sterling contribution to Gujarati literature and culture.The memorial comprises the facade of his house, Tulsi manch and a large bronze statue of Kavi Dalpatram.
The Calico Dome, which is one of the reminesces of the textile era. A number of fashion shows were conducted here during those times.
It was the 1st time I had entered a mosque. It looked beautiful and spacious. This was one of the few mosques worldwide where womed were allowed to enter. An intriguing fact is that on one of windows in the mosque the carving is in the form of an "OM" which is the symbol of the Hindu religion. This is something that most people would not notice.
''Pols'' is the plan of old city in Ahmedabad. Some of these pols are virtually small villages with narrow streets, a common square, a feeder for birds. Each pol has an entrance door with a guard room on the top of the door. Common square has a notice board used for mentioning the events for the week in the pols and a place for people to sit in a group. The pols also have secret passsages for easy access to different areas.
The tomb (Badshah-no Hajiro) of Ahmed Shah; the founder of the city, situated just outside the east gate of the Jama Masjid, is square shaped with porticos on each side and has pierced stone windows. Women are not allowed into the central chamber.
The walk moving through Doshiwada ni Pol, Zaveri Vad to Chaumukhji ni Pol where we saw ornate temples with their fascinating wooden carvings hidden under plain exteriors camouflaged beneath the aura of Mughal rule.
The first stop was the Swaminarayan temple. The temple at first glance seemed very spacious and colorful. It is also very well managed which speaks about the respect the local people have for their heritage.The temple is designed in authentic 'Haveli' style.
A chabutra (derived from ''kabutar"), which is essentially a bird feeding table, consists of a platform covered with a dome or hood and mounted on a 5-6 feet high pole. On the platform a dish of water and some food is put for the birds.
It was very interesting to see the way the people took care of birds and animals. The chabutras were constructed for two reasons: in olden times, ''kabutars'' were used as messengers & also since there were few trees in the area, this was a way to attract birds.
The century old Kala Ramji Mandir in the Haja Patel ni Pole with a unique idol of Lord Rama in dark colour and in a sitting posture.
Manek Chowk where amidst the deafening traffic the legend of Manek Baba after whom the chowk was named and the Manek Baba Mandir at the site where he shrank and entered a bottle to show his magical powers to Ahmed Shah, the founder of the City.
