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A fine facade in the heart of Ahmedabad

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ALTHOUGH WE HAVE visited Ahmedabad (in Gujarat) at least 4 times, we had never been to the hectically busy Manek Chowk area in daylight, which is why we had never noticed a fine building until today, when we went to the area in the morning. After dark, the area is so busy that one needs to be wary of the numerous autorickshaws and motorised two-wheelers whizzing around to notice the architecture of the buildings overlooking the frenetic bazaar.

 

The building we noticed this morning (1 December 2025) has a facade with some neo-classical detailing and jharokhas (projecting windows). Overall, this edifice, which is far more elegant than its neighbours,  has a European appearance. Above its main entrance, you can see the following words (in English): “The Ahmedabad Share and Stock Brokers Association”.

 

According to a website (https://www.knocksense.com/ahmedabad/exploring-the-history-of-ahmedabad-stock-exchange-a-symbol-of-entrepreneurship-since-1894), until 1996 :

“… Ahmedabad Stock Exchange functioned in a building constructed in 1919 when the Bombay Share and Stock Brokers association collaborated with the Ahmedabad Share and Stock Brokers association. And that heritage style building served as ASE’s home before it was shifted to Kamdhenu complex in 1996.”

The Kamdhenu Complex is in the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

 

Following the establishment of the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1875, the Ahmedabad Stock Exchange (‘ASE’) was set up in 1894. At that time and until well after Independence,  Gujarat was part of the former Bombay Presidency. According to an article in Wikipedia, at first:

“… stock exchange functioned under the framework of the Bombay Securities Contracts Act, 1925. Following the passage of The Securities Contract Regulations Act, 1956 the Gujarat Share & Stock Exchange, Indian Share and General Exchange Association and Bombay Share and Stock Exchange, Share and Stock Brokers Association merged with the Ahmedabad Share and Stock Brokers Association and gave rise to ASE.”

 

The ASE was India’s second oldest stock exchange, the oldest being in Bombay. As already noted, the ASE functioned in the elegant, now disused edifice we saw at Manek Chowk today.

Dining with the dead in Ahmedabad

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IN CENTRAL AHMEDABAD, a large city in India’s state of Gujarat, there is a curious café called Lucky. This popular eatery, founded in 1950, is unusual not because it does not serve coffee but because its tables and chairs are placed between Moslem graves. Also, the trunk of an old tree is contained within the restaurant. Its base is within the eatery and it passes out of the place through a hole in Lucky’s ceiling.

Tree trunk and a grave at Lucky

Lucky’s is sited on an old Moslem graveyard, but this does not put off a steady flow of customers from enjoying a wide variety of vegetarian meals and snacks in this eatery. Closer to home, near the south side of London’s Lambeth Bridge, there is another café sited on a former graveyard.

A mosque on the road to the Delhi Gate of Ahmedabad

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THE CITY OF Ahmedabad was founded in 1411 AD when Ahmad Shah I of the Gujarat Sultanate moved his capital to the already existing settlement of Ashaval. He renamed the place as Ahmedabad. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many fine mosques were built in the city. During previous visits to Ahmedabad,  we have looked at many of these edifice.

 

Today, 29 November 2025, we came across a mosque we had not seen before. It, the Rani Rupamati (aka Rupavati) Masjid, is beside the main road (Mirzapur Rd) that leads from the Sidi Saiyed mosque in the city centre to the Delhi Gate.

 

The Rani Rupamati Masjid was constructed  in the fifteenth century,  possibly Sultan Mahmud Begada for Rani Rupamati,  whom he married. The mosque and the dargah next door to it are connected with Sunni Sufism.

 

Architecturally,  the mosque shares many features in common with other mosques built in Ahmedabad and the rest of Gujarat in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.  Built in the so-called Indo-Saracenic style, this mosque and others  built in the same era contain architectural and decorative features often found in Hindu and Jain temples. Although rich in decorative ornamentation, the mosques, unlike the temples,  are devoid of representations of people and animals. Floral and leafy motifs can be found at the Rupamati Masjid,  as well as at other mosques built in the same era. The highly decorated bases of two minarets can be seen  but the tall upper parts of the minarets were listed during an earthquake in the early nineteenth century.

 

 Beside the mosque and within its grounds, there is another structure, topped by two domes. This pillared hall contains the tombs of Rupamati and other worthies.

 

The mosque is a protected historical monument, but is still used by worshippers.  Although it is an attractive  building,  it does not seem to be on the main ‘tourist trail’.

Caring for pigeons in India

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This tall structure with numerous openings is a chabutra (Hindi), a chabutro (Gujarati). It is build to provide nesting places for pigeons. In Gujarat, one can see many of these. Their shapes differ but they all serve the same purpose.

You might wonder why pigeons, which are regarded as pests in the UK, should be provided with these wonderful living spaces in India, especially in Gujarat. Well, you can find out about pigeons in India in my book “88 DAYS IN INDIA: A JOURNEY OF MEMORY AND DISCOVERY”, which can be obtained from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/88-DAYS-INDIA-JOURNEY-DISCOVERY/dp/B0FKTFBFM2/ )

Riding from Udaipur to Ahmedabad: a road trip

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TODAY WE TRAVELLED by road from Udaipur in Rajasthan to Ahmedabad in the neighbouring state, Gujarat. The 158 mile journey took us about 4.5 hours with a brief stop for tea.

South of Udaipur in Rajasthan

The hilly scenery between Udaipur and the frontier between Rajasthan and Gujarat was pleasant. It was mostly rural with few industrial buildings.

On entering Gujarat, everything changed. The terrain became flat and the countryside was liberally dotted with industrial structures, both small and large. In addition, there were plenty of fields for growing crops. Many of these fields were equipped with elaborate irrigation systems. Compared with the delightful, almost ar arcadian landscape in south5 Rajasthan, the landscape in the part of Gujarat north of Ahmedabad is far from attractive.

Until we reached the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the traffic on the dual-carriageway highway was light. Most of the vehicles we met were trucks. We saw only a few private cars.

After passing Ahmedabad airport, we entered the old city via the recently constructed Sabarmati Riverside road. This passes beneath a bridge being constructed for the new Ahmedabad to Bombay superfast railway, which should e running in about 2 years time.

Although the journey was not the most fascinating we have made on Indian roads,we were driven enough superbly by Rajesh, a driver engaged for us my the helpful Mr Yashwant of PP Tour and Travels in central Udaipur.

A shrine near the Pichola Lake in Udaipur

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 A DARGAH IS a shrine enclosing the grave of a (usually) Sufi saint or ‘pir’ (a Sufi spiritual guide). During my travels in India, I have visited many dargahs. Today (27  November 2025), we came across a dargah close to the Imli Ghat and the city wall by the shore of Pichola Lake in Udaipur.

 

The tree growing within the dargah

The dargah was contained in a decoratively perforated stainless steel enclosure. Part of the shrine is the trunk of a tall, growing tree. A gentleman who has a shop nearby showed me that part of the trunk is hollowed out. This space is covered by a decorated cloth such as can often be found draped on Muslim gravestones.  Fresh flowers were scattered at various places in the dargah.

 

What interested me is something I have noticed before in dargahs. That is the presence of smoking agarbatti (incense sticks), similar to those used at Hindu religious shrines and temples.

 

In the case of the dargah near the Imli Ghat,  another feature that caught my attention was the tree growing within it. Maybe, it was not significant,  but it reminded me of the multitude of Hindu shrines located around the trunks of trees.

 

In my book “CORACLES AND CROCODILES: 101 TALES OF INDIA”, I have written about practices shared by both Hindus and Muslims in India. Although the two religions differ considerably, it seems to me that some rituals (rather than beliefs) are commonly used by Indian adherents of both of them. Some other commonalities related to religious rituals are also described in my book.

[My book is available from Amazon]

A park on an island in a lake at Udaipur (Rajasthan)

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THE FATEH SAGAR is one of the 4 lakes within the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan.  It is man-made,  having g first been established by Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar in the 1680s. Two centuries later, the dam holding the lake was washed away. In 1889, a new dam was built, the lake enlarged,and given its present name. The lake is a little way outside the centre of the city and is surrounded by hills. It is a peaceful place.

 

At Nehru Park

Electrically powered boats ferry visitors to and from an island in the lake. This island contains the well-maintained Nehru Park, which was established in 1967 and named after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

 

The small park is beautifully planted with trees and other plants. Various paths criss – cross the island and one runs around its perimeter. The perimeter path is punctuated by circular domed pavilions that provide shade. There is also an elaborate fountain system that was out of action when we visited the park one morning.

 

Refreshments can be obtaine at a small cafe behind which there is a very clean set of WCs.  We spent a very pleasant hour on this small island, and while we were there we spotted some interesting birds which neither of us could identify.

 Nehru Park is a lovely refuge: a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the historic  entre of Udaipur.

A disappointment in the heart of Udaipur (Rajasthan)

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THE ENTRY TICKETS to the City Palace in Udaipur (Rajasthan, India) were reduced in price today (25 November 2025) because parts of it were closed because a major wedding had just been held within them.

The palace, which is perched on a hill high above Pichola Lake, began to be constructed in 1553. Over the next 400 years, its construction continued. Overall, it is an example of typical Rajput architecture, sharing features that can be seen in other royal palaces in Rajasthan.

On entering the palace today, we confronted with a sea of debris, the remains of temporary structures used during the wedding. It looked as if a bomb had exploded. The crowds of tourists had to avoid bumping into the numerous workmen carrying boards and planks that were the remains of the demolished temporary structures. It was not a pleasant way to enter a historic building.

Visitors to the palace are obliged to follow a route through its various rooms and courtyards. The passageways co necting these are narrow, featureless, airless, and crowded. Moving through the palace was an unpleasant experience.

Was it worth the effort? I think it was not. Evenif there had been no debris and workmen, the palace would not have impressed me. The City Palace in Udaipu is no way as elegant and beautiful as the royal palaces I have seen elsewhere in Rajasthan, notably those in Amer (Amber near Jaipur), Jodhpur, and Bikaner.

Well, after having seen the City Palace, one of the main ‘attractions’ of Udaipur, I would certainly give it a miss should we ever visit the city again.

An interesting discovery in a café in Udaipur (India)

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A MAJOR ATTRACTION in Udaipur (Rajasthan,  India) is its Lake Pichola. There are plenty of hotels and eateries close to the water. One of these is Jheels Ginger café.  This small establishment is next to the waterside and has great views of the lake. Also it has a small bookshelf. On it, my wife found a book that aroused my interest.

 

An entry in the Canadian dictionary

The book, which was falling to pieces, was “Compact Dictionary of Canadian English” edited by Thomas Paikeday, and published 1976 in Toronto. It was the first Dictionary of English as used and spoken in Canada.

 

Thomas Paikeday was born in Thiruvananthapuram, India in 1926. He completed his studies at Madras Christian College (1958) and the University of Madras (1960). Then, he became a lecturer of English at the University of Delhi. In 1964, after studying in the USA at Boston College and the University of Michigan, he became a lexicographer.

 

Paikeday was a pioneer in the use of computers for collecting and analysing data for compiling dictionaries. He  became highly respected amongst lexicographers, linguists, and other scholars. He died in 2019 at Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

 

It was strange discovering a dictionary of Canadian English lying discarded in a café in Udaipur. But given that it was in India that its editor was born, it seemed quite both appropriate and really amazing.