A walk through the pulse of Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad’s old city Pols (housing clusters) are teeming with life, and are like life themselves.

As life is unexpected, so are the winding lanes of the Pols. You never know where one will lead. Decrepit alleys yield magnificent results. Like in life, you’re always dodging something: here, it’s people, vehicles, or cattle. Sometimes, if you’re careless, you’ll be deep in piles of unmentionables (courtesy, cattle). You encounter generations gone by, fascinating tales of tolerance and valour, and of time and death being unflinching levelers. At the end of it all, you will only emerge rich with experience.

True: Our old cities are not the manicured wonderlands that their European counterparts are.

True: There is a fine line between authentic or rustic, and filthy.

Don’t let that deprive you of the experience of a heritage ‘Pol Walk’, if you are in Ahmedabad. As traffic often becomes an issue, part of the attractions are covered early in the morning, and others late at night.

Glimpses of the Kalupur Swaminarayan temple

As Ahmedabad was just getting the sleep out of its eyes, we started our tour at the delightfully colourful Kalupur Swami Narayan temple. In an alley just outside, two men prepared manja, the deceptively innocuous string that decides outcomes of the city’s enthusiastic kite flying festival in January.

A statue dedicated to 19th century poet, Dalpatram. It's not uncommon for kids to sit beside this grandfatherly figure, with their arms around his shoulders. The partially visible facade to the left, is a replica of the house where he lived (not the actual location though)

Passing through a series of gullies I will never manage to remember without GPS, we entered the Kala Ramji Temple (one of few such temples with a black marble idol of the Hindu God, Ram), the Ashtapad Jain temple, Badshah no Hajiro (Sultan Ahmad Shah’s tomb) and Rani no Hajiro (his wives’ tombs). The latter two appear to be in urgent need of refurbishment, but the quality of craftsmanship is stellar. Within their enclosed spaces, it was easy to leave the din behind and revel for a few minutes in the meditative silence.

Entering the Shri Kala Ramji Mandir and the sights that await inside

Architectural diversity is in abundance here. In a small square at the centre of a Pol, stood houses with myriad doorways: one European, the other Maratha; one with Persian influences, and another that was a fusion of everything. Even more bizarre was the old haveli of the influencial Hutheesingh family, with dragons reminiscent of the far-east staring back from the intricate woodwork.

A collage of varied doorways, and a faux vintage streetlamp

One wouldn’t imagine that such congested, treeless neighbourhoods could be a haven for song birds, but the chirping that accompanied the diffused winter sunshine, belied our assumptions. The credit goes to chabutaros, tower-like structures that resemble trees and contain enclosures for birds to build their nests. Perches on the upper floors of some of the houses also play host to birds.

A Chabutaro in a Pol

While the street layout in itself can confuse the newcomer and make invasion difficult, the Pols were also equipped with secret passageways connecting them to each other. Some of these remain in use today.

Fast-forwarding through the day to 9.30 p.m… when the shops in the old city had already shut. Manek Chowk’s street food scene was of course, just starting, and we were back for more. First on the list, was admiring the renowned jali work on the Siddi Sayyad Mosque, now recognisable as the inspiration behind the logo of IIM A. 

As with the morning tour, unexpected sights and stories awaited us. In a traffic island across Bhadra Fort, was a marker from a trigonometric survey from a century ago, proclaiming Ahmedabad’s height from the mean sea level. 

The famed jali work at the Sidi Sayyad mosque and the altitude marker from the 1907 Great Trigonometric Survey

On the other side of the fort, the bells of the Bhadrakali temple cut through the cold night breeze. The oldest person in this scene was the statue of 19^th century textile baron and philanthropist, Sir Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal, who was also the first Hindu Baronet in British India.

Still further down the road, under the shelter of the famed Teen Darwaza, burned a small, but significant Akhand Jyot (eternal flame). Legend has it that one night during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Shah, the doorkeeper, Khwaja Siddique Kotwal had a vision of the Goddess Lakshmi, who said that she was leaving the city through those gates. Alarmed that the goddess of wealth wanted to leave, he requested that she wait until he returns after seeking the King’s permission to let her pass. In audience with the King, he asked to be beheaded, so that he never has to return and let the goddess through. It is said that the flame has been burning since as a tribute to his sacrifice, still kept alive by his descendants.

Clockwise: Teen Darwaza, statue of Chinubhai Baronet, the Bhadrakali temple and the Akhand Jyot

The evening leg of the walk took approximately an hour and ended on a spiritual high note in the tranquility of the Jami mosque (we were the only four people in this vast complex).

Instances of syncretism are found across the country. It’s inalienable to our identity. Ahmedabad is no different. The story behind the jyot, as well as the Kalpavriksha and Kalash inspired adornments on the Sidi Sayyad and Jami mosques are proof. The residents of the Pols are a mix of many communities too.

Syncretic architecture at the Jami mosque

But life in the Pols is not easy. Beyond our romanticised notions of community living, lies the fact many structures are in decay, infrastructure is crumbling, and privacy is in short supply. The allure of more comfortable, modern living has emptied out many homes of their younger generations. The administration has preserved some structures that were abandoned, but there’s much to be done, even in prominent attractions like the royal tombs.

In the meanwhile, going on this walk and witnessing these neighbourhoods first hand will only help keep them alive and burning bright... like the Teen Darwaza’s Akhand Jyot.

Facade of the Ashtapad Jain Derasar and the unconventional woodwork on the Hutheesingh Haveli