Ahmedabad, the city famously known as the “Boston of India” had another title added to its name “India’s first world heritage city” as declared by UNESCO in July 2017. It was a moment of immense pride for the nation to be included in the world heritage city list by a prominent world-renowned institution.
Ahmedabad is one of those few cities among India's industrialized cities, wherein the past and present have melded remarkably to create a setting that, unlike most other Indian cities of prominence, owes little to European dominance. The city of Ahmedabad has distinguished itself among more well-known Indian cities such as metro capitals of Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai by meeting the requirements for a world heritage city.
· A little sneak peek into the foundation history!
It was founded in the early era of the 15th century by Sultan Ahmad Shah, this was the result of the Sultan's desire to create a commercial rival to the nearby Hindu trade center of Asaval.
The Top Reasons Why Ahmedabad Is Crowned As The Heritage City Of India
· A bustling commercial hub
Sultan Ahmad Shah attracted traders, weavers, and other skilled tradesmen to come to Ahmedabad and help develop it into a bustling center for trade and business when he founded the city. Since the early days, Ahmedabad was at the crossroads of the popular caravan routes leading in all the directions right from north, south, and other parts of the world. Ahmedabad's popularity for trade and commerce, which it gained in the 15th century, has been sustained since then, and the city continues to be recognized as a vibrant commercial hub, with its residents regarded as some of the world's brightest business minds.
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· A Hindu-Muslim cultural merger of architecture
One of the major reasons for the declaration of Ahmedabad as the world’s heritage city is the rich cultural heritage it has for centuries. Ahmedabad is also known for its varied culture that includes all the diverse cultures of our country such as Hindus, Muslims, Jains, etc. The cultural convergence of Hindu and Muslim influences in Ahmedabad adds to the city's architectural diversity. It has a lot of other major monuments such as the Ahmad Shah’s mosque, Teen Darwaza, the Jama Masjid, and Qutub Shah’s mosque that are so subtle even till today.
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· The epicenter to Gandhi’s freedom struggle
How can one forget the struggle for independence by our brave hearts and warriors? Many people from the city of Ahmedabad proved their patriotism in the freedom struggle for India led by Mahatma Gandhi. This was also a major reason for the title of heritage city by UNESCO. Ahmedabad's prominence in modern history is due in large part to Mahatma Gandhi's decision to make it the starting point for his Indian independence movement. Except for Bombay or Calcutta, the privileged that joined the independence movement in Ahmedabad did not align with the Europeans in any way.
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· Little inclination towards the western world
This is also a major factor in shaping the place as the world’s heritage city. Ahmedabad has been successful in maintaining its raw heritage despite the heavy tilt towards western culture by the other capital cities of Delhi, and Bombay. The city has an unique flavor while being a vibrant center for trade and manufacturing, it owes next to nothing to the Western hemisphere for its modernization.
Wrapping Up
Ahmedabad surely has a rich culture that is unique to itself except for the western influence. It has competed with cities like Delhi and Bombay for the tag of “India’s world heritage city”. The city has also been inferred with many other titles such as “Boston of India” and “Manchester of the East” and since then it has lived up to the expectations of the country and the people of the city. It holds a very bright future in almost every field that is necessary to maintain the standard of living in the country.