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About Ahmedabad
Situated in the heart of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has a character like no other, defined by a spirit of enterprise. Although Ahmedabad is a bustling metropoliton with reputed institutes and a rapidly growing economy, it is also deeply rooted in tradition. The city if known for its association with Mahatma Gandhi and in addition to a complex maze of neighbourhood called pols, hosts some of the country's finest medieval Islamic Architecture.

The city of Ahmedabad was formerly known as Ashawal of Asha Bhil; Karnavati of Karanadev, Ahamdabad of Sultan Ahmed Shah, Rajnagar, the capital of Jainism, a politico-cultural city of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and Amdavad of 'Amdavadis'. The Britishers spelled it as Ahmedabad and it became internationally known as Ahmedabad. But in vernacular language, it became popular as Amdavad and all the Gujaratis know it as Amdavadis. The citizens are known as Amdavadis across the world.

URBAN STRUCTURE AND CHARACTER: SYMBOLIC INSTITUTIONS
Example of the sultanate architecture are located mainly in Ahmedabad, and also in town like Khambhat, Dabhoi, Champaner, Dholka (the ancient Dhavalika), Patan and Mehmdavad. Miral-Ahmadi has noted that the city of Ahmedabad had twelve gates, one hundred and thirty nine towers, nine corners and over six thousand battlement. The city wall of Ahmedabad, built by Ahmad Shah, Was ordered newly built by Mahmud Begda. It may be noted here that it was Begda who had first introduced the Persian garden scheme in Gujarat.

The first city gate, Teen Darwaza, which was built at the same time as the citadel of Bhadra. All other gates were built during the sixteenth century and were made of bricks veneered with stone. The city wall was made of terracotta bricks, lime mortar and lime plaster. K.V. Soundara Rajan, the noted scholar of the Archaeological Survey of India, has described the sultanate architecture of Gujarat style. He write: '' By the incidence of its example, as by the ambitious scale of composition, reveals alike the assiduous patronage and vigor of the Ahmad-Shah rulers to whom these owed their genesis, as the complementary and profound cultural traditions of the ruled. The Gujarat style became by far the most successfully indigenous of the Islamic architectural principles consciously adapted by the artisans to suit the demands of the Muslims. '' The Ahmedabad epigraphs provide some fine specimens, the most outstanding of which is furnished by the jami mosque inscription. This superb piece of Islamic calligraphy, which is certainly the best of the inscribed Ahmedabad records, can easily rank among the world's finest example of this art. ''

The Swaminarayan Temple at Kalupur in Ahmedabad, established by Sahajanand Swami himself, is a good example of Gujarati art and craft traditions. The temple has, at its north, a large court which is defined by wooden havelis on three sides. These traditionally built and decorated building are not older than about 100 years.They have a larger open hall for prayers and congregation on the ground levels. The rooms of the Havelis are used for storage and accommodation. The entire Swaminarayan complex is one of the largest Hindu places of worship in the old city of Ahmedabad.

Also, it may be noted here that there are more than one hundred jain temples tthe old town of Ahmedabad. Some of these are more than four hundred years old. Those of Vaghan Pol and Shantinath Pol are the most fascinating as they are built under the ground. These Jain temple of Ahmedabad and especially the Hutheesing temple are an architectural ornament of the state and a lovely echo of the great building traditions of the medieval period.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: THE LIVING HERITAGE(CAPITAL UNDER LINE)
There are about 600 pols in the old town of Ahmedabad alone. Many of them have colorful names, reflecting the richness of Gujarati language. These densely packed clusters of rows upon rows of houses, joined by labyrinthine streets are where the thousands of years old Indian architecture traditions continue to live. These pols sport an exuberant riot of beautiful wooden facades, lovely wooden brackets, lovingly carved fenestrated windows, magical balconies, Otlas, chabutaras (bird feeders), Khadkis and chowks. Time has bestowed beauty on this Pol architecture of Gujarat, making it as valuable as an ornament in the architecture of the world.