Discovering Ahmedabad Pols on a Heritage Walk
Ahmedabad is known as the City of Nawabs and it has been a major cultural centre since ancient times. The city has many monuments that are worth seeing including several Pols (old lanes) which are narrow and winding with houses built on both sides of the road. These Pols have changed over time because they weren’t built in one go; instead, they were constructed one by one with each successive owner adding his embellishments to them.
The entrance of the first pol is from the wide street, where there are several garages and a few shops. As you enter the main gate, nothing prepares you for the narrow lane that morphs into the first pol. It is so narrow that if someone was to walk in front of you they would have to turn around and walk backwards! The first pol has five lanes that run parallel to each other on either side of a small square area with water tanks at one end.
The water tanks were used by locals as an emergency source of drinking water during monsoon season when there was no rainwater collected from nearby wells or ponds due to the lack of a rainwater collection system in Ahmedabad city (also known as “Old City” because it existed before Ahmedabad became an independent state). The narrow winding lanes are lined on both sides by places of worship and much like any other old city, the temples, mosques and gurudwaras are all built close to each other to be accessible to all in times of need.
The walk starts from Mahadev Mandir and goes through Kankaria Bazaar, Virji Mandir, Babri Masjid (mosque) etc., before ending at Vastrapur Road. The most striking sites are the painted houses with intricate wood carvings on their windows and balconies and each house is embellished with individual styles. The houses are painted in bright colours, mostly white, yellow or red. They have high ceilings which give them a feeling of height in comparison to your own home.
The street-side walls of each house consist of wooden beams that support a roof made from palm leaves (which are still used today). This provides ample shade for residents who live close by as well as privacy from passersby! A well on one side gives way to a small reservoir full of water hyacinths and water lilies at this particular point of the walk. It borders two temples one of which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati with three beautifully sculpted figures-Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
The well is in the middle of the road, but it is surrounded by water hyacinths and water lilies. It borders two temples one of which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati with three beautifully sculpted figures-Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The other temple on this side has an image of Durga riding in her lion form (the goddess who kills demons). There are also several other temples around this area where you can see how close these people were to nature as they built their homes directly into rock faces or cave openings so as not to disturb them too much when they lived here!
There is a small temple at almost every turn in these Pols; some more elaborate than others-the temples have been built over some time by individuals who dedicate them to their patron Gods. Many of these temples are also dedicated to families or lineages in memory of their founding ancestors. An example would be the ‘Shankersinhji Temple’, which was built by Shankersinhji Jethwa, an influential businessperson during British rule in India. He later passed away and his wife dedicated this temple after her husband’s death. This has been ongoing ever since then!
There are hardly any vehicles in these narrow lanes-only cycles carrying laundry, or other items for households that line up both sides of the road as far as you can see. The narrow lanes of Ahmedabad are lined with houses and temples, and they are full of people. They’re also full of cycles carrying laundry, or other items for households that line up both sides of the road as far as you can see. We’ve gone on a heritage walk through one such lane to get an idea of how everyday life was when Ahmedabad was founded by Sultan Muhammed Shah in 1411.
I have been lucky enough to visit Ahmedabad twice and each time I return home with memories of the city that will stay with me forever. The heritage walk is one of those experiences that makes me proud to be Indian and I can’t wait to go back again!
