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Ahmedabad : Over the centuries Ahmedabad has had a, number of periods of grandeur, each followed by decline. It was founded in l411 by Ahmed Shah (from whom the city takes its name) and in the I7th century was thought to be one of the finest cities in lndia. In 1615, In the noted English ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, judged it to be 'a goodly city, as large as London' but in the l8th century, it went through a period of decline. Its industrial strength once again raised the city up, and from 1915, it become famous as the site of Gandhi's ashram and the place where he launched his celebrated march against the Salt Law.

Major Attractions :

Sabarmati Ashram : Seven km from the centre of town, on the west bank of the Sabarmati River, this was Gandhi's headquarters during the long struggle for Indian independence. His ashram was founded in 1915 and still makes handicrafts, handmade paper and spinning wheels. Gandhi's spartan living quarters are preserved as a small museum and there is a pictorial record of the major events in his life..

Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza : Bhadra Fort was built by the city's founder, Ahmed Shah, in 1411 and later named after the goddess Bhadra, an incarnation of Kali. It now houses government offices and is of no particular interest. There is a post office in the former Palace of Azam Khan, within the fort. To the east of the fort stands the triple gateway, or Teen Darwaja, from which sultans used to watch processions from the palace to the jama Masjid.

Jama Masjid : The Jama Masjid, built in 1423 by Ahmed Shah, is beside Mahatma Gandhi Rd, just to the east of the Teen Darwaja. Although 260 columns support the roof and its 15 cupolas, the two 'shaking' minarets lost half their height  in the great earthquake of  1819, and another tremor in l957 completed the demolition Much of this early Ahmedabad mosque was built using items salvaged from the demolished Hindu and jain temples. It is said that a large black slab by the main arch is actually the base of a Jain idol, buried upside down for the Muslim faithful to tread on.