Described by some as the most beautiful mosque in India, the congregational mosque was built by the city's founder, Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1423. Built in yellow sandstone, it combines the best of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. It stands on 260 pillars supporting 15 domes at varying elevations. The mosque is located in the centre of the old city.
Built outside Delhi Gate in 1850 by a rich Jain merchant, the Hatheesing Temple is the best known of Ahmedabad's many ornate Jain temples. Built of pure white marble and profusely decorated with rich carvings, the Hatheesing Temple is dedicated to Dharamnath, the 15th Jina or Jain apostle. Within the city there are many other Jain temples with remarkable carvings in stone and wood.
On a quiet stretch of the river Sabarmati, 7 kms north of the city, Mahatma Gandhi set up a simple retreat in 1915. This was his first Satyagraha Ashram and for many it was the nerve centre of India's freedom movement. Hridaya Kunj, the cottage where he lived is preserved as it was in the Mahatma's lifetime. The Gandhi Ashram has a memorial centre, library and a sound and light spectacle to offer its visitors.
One part of the wall in the old citadel of the mosque built by Ahmed Shah's slave, Sidi Sayed, is celebrated all over the world for its exquisite stone window tracery - a superb example of delicate carving that transforms stone into filigree.
