Jun 15, 2011
Apr 26, 2010
Apr 20, 2010
Feb 22, 2010
Updated Gates!
With more information through the old maps and recent revelations from newspapers, we find more gates in the plate. Not all the information are in sync. a certain level of assimilation from our side has to happen and conclude on them now.
The blue dots are the existing gates. Red ones are existing. Red area, is a possible location for the famous "Lal Darwaja".
Jan 13, 2010
Afghanistan and Ahmedabad
In the history of the mankind, there are many instances of world cultural heritage falling victim to the ignorance and intolerance of a few pushed by religious, ideological and political motives. However in case of Afghanistan, we have witnessed, for the first time in human history, the state taking initiative to decree its subjects to destroy their own past. The state became the own enemy of its own culture and heritage, leading the way to the destruction of the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, numismatists, and art historians, and the collective memory of 3000 years of the history of the afghan people.
How can we channel our pain, despair, and anger towards those who destroyed the cultural heritage of Afghanistan, once the greatest melting ground of central Asia, a crossroads between east and west? One cannot restore what has been destroyed. Let us fight to save at least what is left, for ancient Bactria is part of the cultural heritage of the whole of humanity, not just of a distant country often forgotten and abandoned to its sad fate.
How can we channel our pain, despair, and anger towards those who destroyed the cultural heritage of Afghanistan, once the greatest melting ground of central Asia, a crossroads between east and west? One cannot restore what has been destroyed. Let us fight to save at least what is left, for ancient Bactria is part of the cultural heritage of the whole of humanity, not just of a distant country often forgotten and abandoned to its sad fate.
Jan 12, 2010
Map of Transport operation plan, Ahmedabad 1969
Ahmedabad Traffic cell, 40 years before tries to ork out a traffic plan, to ease the congestion. The transport congestion 40 years before was the same thing, and the solutions as well, as it is suggested today. The same old, Parking issues, pedestrian space provision, removing the roadside shops, etc. Looks we haven't moved ahead itself...
Interestingly, the visuals in this manual of 1969, is also the same, expect for the Car and Bike brands.
Most striking feature of this map, it shows atleast 50% of the wall was existing just 40 years down the lane, along with two extra gates. But today, 10% of wall, and 11 gates instead of 14.
Jan 11, 2010
From a book called "Traffic Operations plan for the Walled city of Ahmedabad" 1969...
Ahmedabad found in 1411 AD, by Ahmed shah, the then Sultan of Gujarat, had been the citadel of the provincial administration since then. The walled city of Ahmedabad was located in open plains to the east of the river Sabarmati on a smaller area known as Bhadra. This was located with the access to water and road connections.
The city was planned according to the ancient Inda-Aryan tradition of royal capital, typically medieval in character in respect of wall within wall concept. The medieval character is also reflected in the road pattern. All major roads leads from the city gates to the citadel which is enclosed the royal palace. Later, subsidiary roads connecting different locales branched off from major roads.
Around the royal palace, residential quarters, segregated by castes, functions and religion grew in a number of localities known as ‘pole’. New localities grew around the walled city, to house the increasing population. The business activities that developed along the major roads made the walled city into a central business district.
On May 1960, separate state of Gujarat came into existence and Ahmedabad was chosen as the capital of the state. The additional administrative function had greatly enhanced the importance of the city. Gandhinagar started functioning as the capital, with no respite to the city, from its traffic or congestion.
There is a considerable variation in densities on either side of the river. The highest density of 338 persons/acre was within the walled city, while for areas outside the walled city, the density was 31.9 persons/acre. The walled city occupies only 6 percent of the total area contains nearly 40 percent of the total population (11,49,852) of the city.
The imbalance in density has created imbalance in traffic generation which is responsible for under utilisation of traffic facilities. The heavy concentration of population in the walled city has resulted in heavy traffic congestion and also heavy pedestrian traffic which is one of the biggest obstructions to vehicular movements.
Consequent to enormous growth in population, the municipal area of Ahmedabad was extended from time to time.
The city was planned according to the ancient Inda-Aryan tradition of royal capital, typically medieval in character in respect of wall within wall concept. The medieval character is also reflected in the road pattern. All major roads leads from the city gates to the citadel which is enclosed the royal palace. Later, subsidiary roads connecting different locales branched off from major roads.
Around the royal palace, residential quarters, segregated by castes, functions and religion grew in a number of localities known as ‘pole’. New localities grew around the walled city, to house the increasing population. The business activities that developed along the major roads made the walled city into a central business district.
On May 1960, separate state of Gujarat came into existence and Ahmedabad was chosen as the capital of the state. The additional administrative function had greatly enhanced the importance of the city. Gandhinagar started functioning as the capital, with no respite to the city, from its traffic or congestion.
There is a considerable variation in densities on either side of the river. The highest density of 338 persons/acre was within the walled city, while for areas outside the walled city, the density was 31.9 persons/acre. The walled city occupies only 6 percent of the total area contains nearly 40 percent of the total population (11,49,852) of the city.
The imbalance in density has created imbalance in traffic generation which is responsible for under utilisation of traffic facilities. The heavy concentration of population in the walled city has resulted in heavy traffic congestion and also heavy pedestrian traffic which is one of the biggest obstructions to vehicular movements.
Consequent to enormous growth in population, the municipal area of Ahmedabad was extended from time to time.
Dec 15, 2009
Amrita Varshini Vav
Vav- Step well
How many times, do you come across a place, which is could be called a "great heritage" worth seeing it. Here is one, "Amrita Varshini Vav". Hidden behind one of 12 gates of Old city, Ahmedabad- the Panchkuva Darwaja.
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