Places to visit nearby destination - Ahemdabad
Adalaj
 Adalaj is situated about 19 km north of
Ahmedabad on Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway. This step-well
was built by queen Rudabai in 1499. The well has three stepped
entrances that ascend into an open court. From here, a single
arched heavily decorated entrance leads to a corridor. The
corridor has four pavilions and is five storeys under the
ground up to the well. The monument is best seen around
noon, when sunlight penetrates the bottom of the five-storey
octagonal well shaft, making the exquisite sculptures, the
walls, pillars, cornices and niches portray erotica, dancing
maidens, musicians, animals and images of Shiva come alive.
Stone elephants, horses and mythical animals are seen around
the sides of the shaft.
Modhera
 Around 102 km north-west of Ahmedabad lies the town
of Modhera. The Sun Temple in this town, built by Raja Bhimdev
I, is a major source of attraction here. The Temple has
been divided into three main compartments. The first is
the Surya Kund, a fascinating massive rectangular stepped
tank. The tank now stands dry, but in ancient times it was
believed to be full of nirmal jal (holy water). Devotees
on their way to offer prayers to the Sun God were required
to first stop here for ceremonial ablutions. Several small
steps from the Kund lead up to the enchanting Sabha Mandap.
The place was meant for religious gatherings and conferences.
Open on all sides with four doorways, the major attraction
here is its unique walnut-shaped ceiling supported by 52
spectacular pillars. Each of these pillars is intricately
carved with scenes form Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Krishna
Leela (the childhood antics of Lord Krishna). The Guda Mandap
contains a surang (tunnel), the other end of which is believed
to emerge at Patan. These tunnels provided the ideal escape
routes for the kings and members of the royal family in
case of attacks. From Modhera, one can also take trip to
the nearby towns of Unjha, where one can find the fragmented
ruins of an ancient temple.
Patan
 Famous for Patola saris, Patan is situated at about
130 km north-west of Ahmedabad on the banks of the river
Saraswati. Originally known as Anhil-Vad-Pattan, the town
flourished during the reign of the Solanki dynasty in 8th-11th
century. The Queen/’s Step well or Rani-Ki-Vav is one of
the most fascinating monuments in the town. Constructed
by queen Udayamati (AD 1022-63) and built in the Khajuraho
style, the vav is 90 feet wide. Its walls are lined with
images of Vishnu, Shiva and other gods and goddesses. Also
situated here is the Sahastralinga Talav or tank of a thousand
Shiva shrines spread over an area of 5 km. Its construction
was carried out by Jayasimha Siddharaja (AD 1093-1143).
Among the Jain temples in Patan, said to number over a hundred,
the one dedicated to Panchasara Parasvanath is the largest.
It has a famous white marble image of Vanaraja. In its vicinity
lies the Hemchandracharya Jain Gyan Mandir that contains
valuable Jain manuscripts, some of which were written in
ink made of gold.
Sarkhej
 Sarkhej lies about 8 km from Ahmedabad city. Here
one can find some of the most elegant architectural complexes
of Ahmedabad. Around a stepped tank lies the tomb of saint
Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh, the mosque, the tombs of Mahmud
Shah Begada and his queen, and the palace and pavilions.
The pierced stone trellises have been used throughout the
construction of the buildings which are completely devoid
of arches.
|
