5 things that every Ahmedabadi is proud of

My first time in Ahmedabad was a quick trip and I missed much; yet, I made a tour of all the places recommended by the locals and I could not have been more right. As they say, a good trip covers everything that the locals of the place are in love with. Taking it a notch above, I covered the places that they love and are even proud of. And, rightly so. If you have just a day or two in hand to explore Ahmedabad, these are the must-haves on your itinerary.

Agashiye Agashiye is what you will get for an answer if you ask around about the place that the locals love eating at. It is a part of the famous The House of MG, and has food lovers coming in from all across the country. You can head over here for an unparalleled rendezvous with Gujarat’s cuisine and give the perfect start to your time in Gujarat. An essentially thali restaurant, it has some clear favourites, including rasawala bateka, bharela ravaiya, Gujarati kadhi, shaak nu athaanu, and methi wala bateka.

Heritage Walk
The famous Heritage Walk in Ahmedabad, governed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, is another treasure that ever city dweller would be proud of. It is organised every morning at 8, starting from Kalupur Swaminarayan Temple. This heritage walk will take you to the Old Ahmedabad, inside this 500+ year old city. Take your camera along, for there is plenty to capture here, including some really ancient houses, architectural wonders, and the cuisine as well. Their luxury comes for a mere INR 200 for Indians, covering around 20 attractions over a period of around three hours. Plus, you also get to dig into the savoury fafda jalebis. Do not miss.
Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

An ode to Gujarat’s prosperous days under the Muslim rule, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque is where you will find a lot of old-school locals reminiscing about the bygone eras. A beautiful piece of architecture, it is slightly far from the city centre but is an essential to every Ahmedabad trip. Once in, have some good time spotting one of the intricately done windows here; the one that has inspired the logo for IIM Ahmedabad.

Tea with the dead
Yes, you read that right. When in Ahmedabad, you need to visit the New Lucky Restaurant and know what we are talking about. This tiny restaurant is the pride of the locals, for it has seen some big names including MF Hussain coming in very frequently. The highlight though is the fact that scattered around the tables are tombs! Yes, tombs that are barricaded by railings. The restaurant owner believes that the tombs belong to Sufi saints, and are a lucky charm for his business.

Jama Masjid
Ahmedabad, too, has a Jama Masjid, which is almost as stunning as the one at Delhi. It is visited mostly by the locals, even as it has a lot for the tourists too. An interesting history, intricate carvings, and its brush with the demolishing earthquake of 1819, makes it this city’s pride. On a typical noon, you will run into a group or two of local people, huddled over daily newspaper, letting you a sneak peek into the daily life of Ahmedabad.

Shaking minarets
When in Ahmedabad, do not skip a visit to the Sidi Bashir Mosque. While it is much revered as a place of worship, it also is home to the Shaking Minarets, or Jhulta Minar as the locals call it. The structure stands right by the side of the Ahmedabad Railway Junction so you will have no trouble spotting it; once there, try to give a nudge to one of the two minarets to find the other one sway as well! Yes, that is true; you will understand the thrill of it only after you have seen this wonder at work.