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Ahmedabad Heritage Walk
There's not much to do in Ahmedabad, but I've spent 3 years there while studing in the National Institute of Design, I guess the best photo op there is the heritage walk.
Goes through the old city. A 1-2 hour tour through the lanes of old Ahmedabad. The walk starts from the Swaminarayan Mandir near Kalupur, and if you're lucky you'll be the only person to show up at 8 AM. (I know I was)
It's a good time for shooting pics though. People are waking up, shops are opening up, and most important it's not crowded and full of traffic.
The highlights of the tour are couple of Jain temples, some Hindu temples and the Juma Masjid. More interesting are the alleyways and different neighbourhoods called POLs.
Each pol is connected to others with even more alleyways and most have a gate.
Inside the pol you'll find Havelis, old houses dating back to different periods of Ahmedabad's history.
This was a haveli which had 60 rooms.
But you wont know that from the narrow entrace to it, or from looking at the front face of the building! All homes are packed tightly, only once you're inside you know the difference. Something like Old Delhi I guess.
Its a good place to check out.. if you're into that, that is. Otherwise it's just a chore.
Like I said, it's better to go in the morning. Another thing is people are used to these tours in the morning, nobody is bothered if you play the dumb-tourist-with-the-camera here. And most people know the guide, so it's pretty cool. In some Jain temples photography is not allowed, so check with guide.
My tip would be to leave the buildings and photograph people. You find all kinds of interesting people and animals here :=)
But again, Ahmedabad is an edgy town, people get nervous quick. Specially if you're taking photographs. Like the following muslim man
He wasnt too happy about me taking a pic of him. Here's where having a Sony F series helps. The fact that the camera can swivel is better, I usually take it down and it looks like you're fiddeling with the camera, all the while the lens is pointed somewhere else. Also, helps to have a moving focus, I shot a little wide here, and cropped it later.
This woman was looking somewhere else so I could compose/expose at leasure. Am happy with both the shots :)
And then on the way saw this vegetable guy who looked so cool I had to shoot him.
Coming back to the tour, there's these small interesting things that the guide keeps telling you about. Like this Bird Feeder that every pol has. It's quite a tourist momento thing for Ahmedabad (and Gujarat) now. You'll find replicas all over the place. Even in the new city you find post-modern bird feeders.
And finally, the Juma Masjid. Photography is allowed, but bring your shoes inside with you.
So that's the tour. There's some more pictures Over Here. Hope you liked it.
My advice, if you're going to Ahmedabad, do visit it. Then later breakfast at the Meridian where you'll get the only pancakes you'll find in Ahmedabad.
What else.. best season to visit? LOL! There are only 2 seasons in Ahmedabad:
1. Extremly hot and dusty and polluted
2. Not so hot but still dusty and polluted.
I'd suggest the 2nd season which lasts around 10 days during December :)
Posted 36 months ago.
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@Saad: Those are some amazing photos. Having been to Ahmedabad a few times, I do know there's not much to photograph, besides it being a very dusty city. Inspite of that, your photographs are amazing.
I've done quite okay in the travelling department myself.
Crazy bike trips over 800 kilometeres in a day to photograph Chola masterpieces in Tamil Nadu and back...
A really loooong route to Kanceepuram from Madras to find out a ruined Pallava Palace and more such crazy stuff. Maybe I will one day write a book about it all. In the meanwhile, I can only point you folks to my blog - Selective Amnesia/travel
Posted 31 months ago.
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