# Ahmedabad - India's first World Heritage City

- Travel, Lifestyle
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Situated near the Sabarmati river and in the state where Mahatma Gandhi and India’s current Prime Minister Narendra Modi were born, Ahmedabad is a confluence of culture, food, diamonds and cotton textiles in the modern state of Gujarat.

The former state capital, Ahmedabad or Amdavad as it is locally called, is the fifth most populous city in India. With a rich cultural heritage, Ahmedabad continues to be the center of Gujarati cultural activities and diverse traditions of diverse ethnic and religious communities.

With thriving industries,the city has a population of 5.5 million people and attracts workers even from some of the farthest Indian states. You’ll see migrant workers not just from other parts of Gujarat including Kutch and Saurashtra but also from states in North, West and even South. As a result of this, the city boasts of a sizable population of Punjabis, Marathis, Tamils, Malayalis and Marwaris, who bring their languages and cultures to the city.

That said, the city has managed to preserve its own culture and the most commonly spoken language continues to be Gujarati. However, the languages spoken in commerce, education, politics and government are Hindi and English.

Ahmedabad enjoys great religious diversity - most of the people in Ahmedabad are Hindu, Jain, Muslim or Christian. Parsis and a community of Bene Israel Jews are also living in Ahmedabad.

Aside from the monsoon season, the climate is extremely dry. The weather is hot from March to June, with an average summer maximum of 43°C (109°F), and an average minimum of 24°C (75°F). From November to February, the average maximum temperature is 30°C (86°F), the average minimum is 13°C (55°F), and the climate is extremely dry. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill in January. The southwest monsoon brings a humid climate from mid-June to mid-September.

## Housing

Ahmedabad was named the best Indian city for quality living in 2012 by the Times of India and is one of the most popular cities to live in for both Indian and expats. Due to high influx of people hoping to live in the city, its rental market has developed considerably in the last few years, offering expats a range of accommodation options in and around Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is divided into several neighbourhoods that include Old City, Jodhpur, Vastrapur, Satellite, Prahladnagar, South Bopal and Bodakdev, among others. Most of the neighbourhoods boast giant commercial and residential complexes, shopping malls, multiplexes and other places of interests for inhabitants.

Satellite and Bodakdev are well-developed and preferred by prospective residents, but they are expensive options. If you are looking for something more affordable, then you can try locations like South Bopal, Gokuldham, Thaltej or Bopal. Prahladnagar is another option that is also a commercial hub with several multinational companies, BPOs etc.. It also has all basic facilities like schools, hospitals, banks and malls in the vicinity. The Expat localities have independent houses and apartments. Some of the newly constructed apartments are well planned and luxurious with modular kitchen and modern fixtures and fittings.

## Ahmedabad Cuisine

If you’re looking for fine dining options in Ahmedabad, you’ll have no shortage of options but it is the street food of the city that attracts thousands of gastronomes. Street food is so popular in the city that many prefer it over restaurant food. Moreover, street food in Ahmedabad is noted because people from all economic classes eat on the roadside almost round the clock. You’ll find revellers relisheshing Gujarati delicacies such as Khakhra, Fafda, Dhokla, Thepla, Dalvada, Dabeli, Khandvi, and Patara, which continue to be some of the most popular food items in Ahmedabad.

If you’re not a vegetarian then you might find it challenging to find anything to eat on the streets. Even most of the restaurants in the city serve only vegetarian food as a strong tradition of vegetarianism is maintained by the city’s Jain and Hindu communities where, in fact, the first all-vegetarian Pizza Hut in the world opened in Ahmedabad.

That said, the city is home to several restaurants, which serve Indian and international cuisines. Manek Chowk is an open square near the center of the city that functions as a vegetable market in the morning, a jewellery market in the afternoon and food stalls in the evening, which sell local street food.

## Healthcare

Healthcare in Ahmedabad is provided through several hospitals and medical colleges - both government and private. In addition to providing healthcare to the Gujarat population Ahmedabad also focuses on medical tourism in 2009 received about 1,500 visitors from outside the state, including some from abroad.

Ahmedabad has some of the best world-class hospitals where thousands of international patients come for treatment each year. However, public facilities don't often meet international standards and you’re better off going to a private hospital. Some of the best hospitals are Shalby Hospital, Zydus Hospitals, Columbia Asia Hospital, Krishna Heart Institute, Apollo Hospitals and SAL Hospital.

## Schooling

With India gaining popularity globally, Ahmedabad stands to gain a lot and this fact is clearly reflected in terms of education. Ahmedabad, today, is considered a desirable destination to pursue education and is a favored educational destination among many nationalities. The schools and other educational institutions in Ahmedabad are either run by the NCT government or by private organizations. Some of the schools offering ICSE curriculum are Mahatma Gandhi International School, Olive Green International School and Ahmedabad International School.

## Finance

Ahmedabad is the industrial base for sectors such as chemicals, textiles, drugs, pharmaceuticals and food processing industries. Ahmedabad accounts for 21.5% factories and employs 18% workers of state. Over 14% of the total investments in all stock exchanges in India and 60% of the total industrial productivity is contributed by Ahmedabad. Most of the medium and large scale industries are concentrated in talukas such as Ahmedabad city, Sanand, Viramgam, Daskroi and Dholka.

The textile industry expanded rapidly during the First World War, and benefited from the influence of Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement, which promoted the purchase of Indian-made goods. Ahmedabad was known as the “Manchester of the East” for its textile industry.

The city is the largest supplier of denim and one of the largest exporters of gemstones and jewellery in India. The automobile industry is also important to the city; after Tata’s Nano project, Ford and Suzuki are planning to establish plants near Ahmedabad while the groundbreaking ceremony for Peugeot has already taken place. Ahmedabad also has a thriving chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Two of the biggest pharmaceutical companies of India, Zydus Cadila and Torrent Pharmaceuticals, are located in the city.

## Immigration

Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Indian government had made several changes to the country’s visa policies, making it easier for foreign nationals to travel to India for work or for leisure. Indian visas are divided between Regular Visas, e-Visas and Visa-on-Arrival. As per the recent changes now an applicant can apply for e-Tourist or e-Business Visa any time before his travel to India. The validity of the visa has now been made 365 days. Thus, an applicant can enter India any day post the grant to e-Tourist and e-Business visa until any time in the next 365 days.

Maximum continuous stay period allowed under e-Tourist visa is up to 180 days for - USA, UK, Canada and Japan. For other countries it is 90 continuous days. Similarly, under e-Business visa, a continuous stay of 180 days is allowed and there is no requirement for registration. If the stay exceeds 180 days or if the aggregate stay in a calendar year has increased then 180 days then the applicant is required to register with the FRRO/FRO within 2 weeks of the completion of 180 days in India.

India also has a facility for visa-on-arrival, which has now been extended to nationals of South Korea and UAE also in addition to Japanese nationals. For UAE nationals though they are eligible for this category of visa only if they have applied for e-Visa and/or Regular sticker visa in the past. The validity of the visa is 60 days and can be used for tourism, business, conference and medical visit purposes. Pakistan-origin UAE nationals are not eligible for this visa category and would need to apply for a regular or e-Visa.

Currently, the regular Tourist Visa, e-Visas and Visa-on-Arrival remain to be suspended until further notice due to the Pandemic. All other visa categories that is - Employment, Dependent, Student and Business Visa are being issued by the Indian missions abroad. In-country visa services like Resident Permit, Visa Extension, Change of Address/Passport etc are being processed smoothly.

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