Ahmedabad's Darwajas

Ahmedabad's Darwajas

Old Ahmedabad city, Gujarat's commercial and financial centre, was encompassed within a fort. Bhadra fort once believed to have 12 darwajas (gates) actually has 21 darwajas. Each of the darwaja has beautiful carvings, calligraphy and some of them even balconies.

These entrances to the city has a unique name. Pretty much the area surrounding these gates have adopted the name of darwaja as the name of the locality.

• Teen Darwaja (Tran Darwaja, Three gates) - It is composed of 3 arched entrances was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as a royal entrance to Maidan Shahi. Mughal emperor Jehangir and his wife Nur Jahan used to watch the Tazia procession of Mahuram from over these gates.
• Ashtodia Darwaja - Dyes used to be brought into the city through Ashtodia Darwaja, a key trading .
• Raipur Darwaja - Commoners used Raipur Darwaja to enter and exit the city.
• Sarangpur Darwaja - People used to enter and exit the city through Sarangpur Darwaja.
• Panchkuva Darwaja - Panchkuva Darwaja was built when the city grew in size.
• Prem Darwaja - Prem Darwaja was used by traders to transport their goods.
• Kalupur Darwaja - Food supplies were brought into the city through Kalupur Darwaja.
• Dariyapur Darwaja - Soldiers and their convoys used to pass through Dariyapur Darwaja.
• Delhi Darwaja (Dilli Darwaja) - Delhi Darwaja, as the name suggests was a transit point to the capital Delhi.
• Shahpur Darwaja - People reached Sabarmati River by accessing Shahpur Darwaja.
• Khanpur Darwaja - Khanpur was an entrance to the King's garden.
• Jamalpur Darwaja - Jamalpur Darwaja was an exit point to Vadodara and other cities.
• Halim Darwaja - Halim Darwaja once stood in Shahpoor. Soldiers used to march into the city through this gate.
• Mauda Darwaja - Mahudha Darwaja was built in Panch Kuva area. It was a goods' passage.
• Khan-a-jahan Darwaja - Khan-a-jahan Darwaja was an emergency exit.
• Raikhad Darwaja - People used to go to the Sabarmati through Raikhad Darwaja.
• Ganesh Darwaja - Ganesh Darwaja once stood in area that's currently tucked under Ellis Bridge. It provided people access to the sabarmati river.
• Kharu Darwaja - Kharu Darwaja was built in Karanj to provide soldiers an additional post.
• Bhadra Darwaja - Rulers from other states entered the city through Bhadra Darwaja.
• Lal Darwaja - Lal Darwaja once stood in front of Siddi Sayyed Mosque.
• Salapas Darwaja - Salapas Darwaja stood in the area which is currently close to Advance Talkies. The Queen's convoy used it.

Apart from these Gomtipur Darwaja and Shah-e-Alam Darwaja exist in Modern day Ahmedabad.

A pair of gates (Darwaza) of Ahmedabad are still in a village of Rajasthan namely Nimaj as during the reign of Sarbuland Khan, the Governor of Ahmedabad, it was attacked by Mharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur. Nimaj was one of the Thikanas of Marwar under the then Rathore rulers. The Jagridar of Nimaj took the gates of one of the Darwazas of Ahmedabad as a trophy after defeating the force of Sarbuland Khan. Jodhpur army camped at a place which is still known as 'Jodhpur Tekra' and 'Jodhpur village' in Ahmedabad.