iSee Sabarmati River

The dog and the rabbit

There once was a brave man. His name was Ahmed Shah. His army conquered many others, creating a new empire. He was looking for a place to set up a new capital. One day when he passed along the Sabarmati river he saw a little rabbit chasing a big dog. At once he knew this was the place and moved his capital to the land which made a rabbit courageous enough to fight off a ferocious dog.

A legendary Sultan

Sultan Ahmed Shah is the city’s much-revered ruler and patron. His legends live on today. The mujawar, or custodian of the royal tomb complex shares: “We Ahmedabadi’s consider Badhshah Ahmed Shah to be a saint because of the simple, moral life he led. Many traders and shopkeepers of the city credit their prosperity to him. He made prayer caps and sold them to pay for his personal expenses, he never used royal treasury funds for his personal use.”

A rejuvenated river

For decades the Sabarmati riverfront was a neglected space. But in recent years the riverfront has been rejuvenated into an 11-kilometer-long promenade garden with eateries and recreational spaces. For city dwellers on both the west and east bank, the river’s edge has become a place of respite and relaxation!

Gandhi’s ashram

Mahatma Gandhi set up his first ashram on the bank of the river Sabarmati. He chose the spot because of a popular story of self-sacrifice: Lord Indra, the god of gods, was forced out of his domain by a wicked demon. He then decided to descend to earth, met the sage Dadhichi at the banks of the River Sabarmati River, who sacrificed a rib from his body. Indra used the rib to make a weapon and defeated the demon-king.