Ahemdabad Sight Seeing

Places Ahemdabad Sightseeing : Places to visit in destination Ahemdabad

JAMA MASJID

The Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad is one of the most beautiful mosques in the country. Located to the east of the Teen Darwaja besides Mahatma Gandhi road, the mosque was built in AD 1423 by Ahmad Shah. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the mosque has 260 columns supporting the roof. The dome is illuminated by the natural light which is reflected into it by the external roofs. One of the major attractions of the mosque is the beautiful stonework of the Muluk-Khana or the Royal Gallery, which is a platform standing on pillars.

SHAKING MINARETS

Built by Emperor Akbar on the west bank of the river Yamuna and beautified with palaces and gardens by Jehangir, Agra Fort today dominates the centre of the city. The crescent-shaped fort with its 20-metre high, 2.4 km outer walls contains a maze of buildings that form a small city within a city.

One can enter the fort only through the Amar Singh Gate. The public access is limited to the southern part of the fort which includes nearly all the buildings of tourist interest. The Diwan-i-Aam (hall of public audience) and Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) were built by Shahjahan for receiving audiences. Jehangir’s palace built by Akbar was the largest private residence in the fort. Close to Diwan-i-Khas, stands an octagonal tower known as Musamman Burj. It was here that Shahjahan breathed his last after seven years of imprisonment. Other places to see within the fort include the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (the mirror palace) and the Anguri Bagh (the Grape Garden).

CALICO TEXTILE MUSEUM

To the north of the fort, on the opposite bank of the Yamuna lies Itmad-ud-daulah, the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Jehingir’s wazir. Also known as the ’baby Taj’, it was the first Mughal structure totally built from marble and first to make extensive use of pietra dura. The place is the least visited of Agra’s three great monuments

HATHI SINGH TEMPLE

Built in 1648 AD, in memory of Sheikh Salim Chisthi and his grandson Islam Khan by Jehanara Begum, Shahjahan’s daughter, the masjid has a wonderful assimilation of Iranian architecture. The building with its rectangular open forecourt, has no minarets but its sandstone domes have a striking marble patterning.

STEP-WELLS

In the centre of a peaceful garden at Sikandara, 4 km north-west of Agra, lies the sandstone and marble tomb of Akbar. The mausoleum represents Akbar’s philosophy and secular outlook blending Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Christian motifs and styles.

SABARMATI ASHRAM

Three kilometers upstream from Itmad-ud-daulah lies Ram Bagh, one of the earliest Mughal Gardens in the country. The garden was laid out by Emperor Babar, and it is believed that he was buried here temporarily before being permanently interred at Kabul in Afghanistan.

VISHALA/VEECHAR (UTENSILS MUSEUM)

At Dayal Bagh, the headquarters of Radhaswami sect, there is a beautiful white marble temple coming up. The temple has been under construction for almost 100 years now. On a trip to the temple, you can view the pietra dura marble inlay work in process.