Ahmedabad Facts & Worksheets.

Ahmedabad, pronounced as Amdavad in Gujarati, is the largest city and former capital of the Indian state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad was established by muslim ruler Sultan Ahmed Shah. It is the fifth largest city in India with a population of 6.5 million, and India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City.

DESCRIPTION.
Ahmedabad is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River, 30 km (19 mi) from the state capital Gandhinagar, its twin city.
Ahmedabad has emerged as an important economic and industrial hub in India.
It is the second-largest producer of cotton in India, and its stock exchange is the country’s second-oldest.
In 2010, Ahmedabad was ranked third on Forbes’s list of fastest growing cities of the decade.
In 2012, Ahmedabad was chosen by The Times of India as India’s best city to live in.
Ahmedabad has been selected as one of one hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the Government of India’s flagship Smart Cities Mission.
Situated on the banks of the River Sabarmati in western India, Ahmedabad was the former capital of Gujarat and has been home to some of the most important leaders of India’s independence movement like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
Ahmedabad is also famous as the cultural and economic hub of Gujarat.

HISTORY.
Ahmedabad’s history is marked by a number of high points followed by declines.
Sultan Ahmed Shah, the erstwhile ruler of Gujarat during medieval times, founded Ahmedabad in 1411 AD.
The earliest story of Ahmedabad Gujarat has it that King Karandev I, the Solanki ruler, once fought a war against the Bhil King Ashapall or Ashaval. After his victory, Karandev established the city of Karnavati.
The Hindu kingdom of Karnavati remained important until the early 15th century when Gujarat fell under the Muslim Sultanate.
Ahmedabad was built at on open and spacious plain to the east of River Sabarmati. The city comprised a small fort known as Bhadra Fort, which was enclosed by a wall containing 12 gates.
It was mentioned that the city kept expanding, with beautiful buildings, lakes and mosques that added to the scenic beauty.
In 1753, Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaekwad joined forces to attack the fort and captured it, resulting in the end of Mughal rule in Ahmedabad. The city saw its worst phase in 64 years during the rule of Gaekwads and Peshwas. In 1818, the British took over the administration of Ahmedabad. Historical accounts of Ahmedabad Gujarat show that Ahmedabad improved a lot, with the development of the Municipality Committee and establishment of railway links.
In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to Ahmedabad from South Africa and established an ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati River, which would become the centre of nationalist activities.

GEOGRAPHY.
There are two main lakes located in the city limits – the Kankaria lake, and the Vastapur lake.

ECONOMY.
The RBI ranked Ahmedabad as the seventh-largest deposit centre and seventh-largest credit center nationwide as of June 2012.
The textile industry expanded rapidly during the First World War, and benefited from the influence of Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement, which promoted the purchase of Indian-made goods.
Ahmedabad was known as the “Manchester of the East” for its textile industry.
The city is the largest supplier of denim and one of the largest exporters of gemstones and jewellery in India.
The automobile industry is also important to the city; after Tata’s Nano project, Ford and Suzuki are planning to establish plants near Ahmedabad while the groundbreaking ceremony for Peugeot has already taken place.
Ahmedabad also has a thriving chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
Two of the biggest pharmaceutical companies of India, Zydus Cadila and Torrent Pharmaceuticals, are located in the city.

CULTURE.
Ahmedabad city became the center of Indian classical dance when the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts was established.
Ahmedabad observes a wide range of festivals. A popular one is the annual kite-flying day on January 14 and 15.
Nine nights of Navratri are celebrated with people performing Garba, the most popular folk dance of Gujarat, at venues across the city.
One of the most popular meals in Ahmedabad is a typical Gujarati thali which was first served commercially by Chandvilas Hotel in 1900.
Most of the food outlets serve only vegetarian food, as a strong tradition of vegetarianism is maintained by the city’s Jain and Hindu communities where, in fact, the first all-vegetarian Pizza Hut in the world opened in Ahmedabad.
Manek Chowk is an open square near the center of the city that functions as a vegetable market in the morning, a jewellery market in the afternoon and food stalls in the evening, which sell local street food.
The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial have permanent displays of photographs, documents, and other articles relating to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

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