The Darwaja or Gates of Ahmedabad were built during different times starting from 1411 as the entrances to the walled city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.[1][2]
These entrances to the city has a unique name and history. Pretty much the area surrounding these gates have adopted the name of the gate as the name of the locality. Each of the gate has beautiful carvings, calligraphy and some of them even balconies.[3]
History
Ahmedabad was founded over the ancient settlement of Ashaval in 1411 by Ahmed Shah I of Gujarat Sultanate. He built the first citadel Bhadra Fort starting from Manek Burj, the first bastion of the city. The Bhadra Fort had eight gates excluding palace gates. When the city expanded, Ahmed Shah built the second fort which was later fortified by Mahmud Begada in 1486. The second fort had twelve major gates and other smaller gates. After arrival of railways, British built two more gates to facilitate the movement. Later the city walls were demolished leaving the gates as monuments.[3][4][5]
Gates
Most people believe that Ahmedabad had 12 gates but some historian suggested to have 16. Later some Indologists found that Ahmedabad had 21 gates.[3]
Gates of Bhadra Fort
Bhadra fort had eight gates, three large, two in the east and one in the south-west corner; three middle-sized, two in the north and one in the south; and two small, in the west.
As the city expanded, the second fort was built by Ahmed Shah I as described in Mirat-i- Ahmadi. It was further fortified by Mahmud Begada in 1489.[3][4][5]
In the city walls of second fort, there were eighteen gates, fifteen large and three small. Of the fifteen, one was closed, and two were added later. These gates were, beginning from the north-west corner, three in the north-wall, the Shahpur in the north-west, the Delhi in the north, and the Dariyapur in the north-east; four in the east wall, the Premabhai, a gate built by British, in the north-east, the Kalupur in the east, the Panchkuva, a gate built by British, in the east, and the Sarangpur in the south-east; four in the south wall, the Raipur and Astodiya in the south-east, and the Mahuda, the closed gate, and the Jamalpur in the south; seven in the west wall, the Khan Jahan, Raikhad and Manek in the south-west; the three citadel gates, Ganesh, Ram, and Baradari in the centre; and the Khanpur gate in the north-west.[4][5]
Delhi gate (23°2′16″N72°35′16″E / 23.03778°N 72.58778°E / 23.03778; 72.58778 (Delhi gate)): Formerly known as Idariyo Gate, the doors of iron-plated timber, the gateway of three stone arches fifteen feet broad and twenty-two high with a roofed platform 32x20 pierced for one gun. In 1878, on either side of the main gateway, two openings, each 8 feet wide and 16 high were added for foot passengers at a cost of £489 (Rs. 4890). (ASIMNI No. N-GJ-15)
Mahuda gate with a roofed platform 30x21 and twenty feet high. This gateway was ill-omened and was built up and never used. It is spoken of as the Shut, Bandh, gate, and is probably the Dhedriah gate mentioned in the Mirat-i-Ahmadi. Lost but rebuilt later.[6]