Gandhi trail in Saurashtra

Gandhi trail in Saurashtra

 

Dollops of history in Ahmedabad 

 

Way back in the last decade, a journey to Ahmedabad provided us an opportunity to have glimpses of Sabarmati Ashram- a dream conceptualized by Mahatma Gandhi. The sylvan environs on the banks of river Sabarmati represent an ode to simplicity and idealism. It was here way back on March 12, 1930 that the historic Dandi March took off for the coastal hamlet of Dandi.

 

A view of Gandhi Ashram

 

At Sabarmati Ashram, we stepped into Hriday Kunj- a simple ashram where Gandhiji stayed from 1918 to 1930 and the regular items like the spinning wheel used by Gandhiji are preserved here. A visit to Vinoba Kutir that formed the residence of Vinoba Bhave from 1918 to 1921 is worth the experience.

 

Ahmedabad prides in some of the impressive shrines like Shri Radha Govind Dham, an enchanting shrine done up with intricately carved doors with aluminium engravings and painted interiors that portray the life of Lord Krishna. There is Vaishno Devi Teerth Dham – a cave shrine replica of Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu. For history buffs, a visit to Adalaj Vav or steep well is a must lying about 17 km north of Ahmedabad. A unique five-storied well set up in 1499 has four highly carved pavilions.

 

The old quarters of the city has Siddi Saiyed Mosque that displays sandstone latticed work. The mosque was the work of Siddi Saiyed, a slave of Ahmed Shah, founder of the city of Ahmedabad. At the Sidhi Basher mosque, there are architectural wonders of the famed Shaking Minarets or Jhoolta Minar where when one minaret is moved with force, the other shakes in sympathy.

 

No tour of Ahmedabad is complete without a visit to the holy citadel in pink sandstone called Akshardham in Gandhinagar. Sprawling over 23 acres of land, the glorious shrine of 108 feet has a gold-plated copper statue of Lord Swaminarayan and the shrine is supported with 97 carved pillars, 17 domes and 8 ornate windows. It is a brilliant mix of ancient and modern artistry.

Gandhiji’s ties with Rajkot

 

Our next destination was Rajkot, around 216 km from Ahmedabad where Mahatma Gandhi had his early education. Once the capital of Saurashtra, Rajkot is one of the largest cities in Gujarat that has Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Vidyalay or Alfred High School set up in 1874. Rajkot has Ramakrishna temple bearing an elaborate display on the life and teachings of Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi and the global spiritual mission of Swami Vivekananda.

The charm of Porbandar

 

While trailing in the land of Mahatma, our ultimate destination was Porbandar or the “Yellow City” on the sea shore that evokes strong memories of Gandhiji. Porbandar was earlier known as Sudamapuri since it is the birthplace of Sudama, Lord Krishna’s friend. 

 

Bharat Ashram at Porbandar

 

 We headed to Kirti Mandir, the three-storied ancestral residence of Gandhiji. He was the fourth son of Putlibai and Karamchand Gandhi who was born in 1869 AD and the place of his birth is marked with a mystic cross. The residence has a library, prayer hall and oil paintings. One should not miss out on Bharat Mandir on Dayanand Bagh that was set up in 1956. The sprawling temple has a relief map of India and its walls have life-size works on canvas of Indian luminaries.