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]
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]
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]
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.
The details are on the north face two middle-sized gates, one leading to the Khanpur, and the other to the Mirzapur ward; the former was originally a small opening lately, at a cost of £11 (Rs. 110), turned into a gateway in 1860s, 13 feet wide and 15 feet high, with neither doors nor arches; on the east two, both large, the Lal Darwaza (23°1′0.53″N 72°35′27.34″E / 23.0168139°N 72.5909278°E) in the north-east and the Bhadra gate, formerly Piran Pir’s Darwaja, (23°1′27″N 72°34′50″E / 23.02417°N 72.58056°E, Archaeological Survey of India Monument of National Importance No. N-GJ-2); on the south two, one middle-sized gate without doors built in 1874, in the centre near Azam Khan Sarai, and the other the large Ganesh gate in the south-west corner; the former, an arched gateway, 18 feet wide and 17 feet high, cost £92 (Rs. 920); the Ganesh Bari or gate was in 1779 opened by Aapaji Ganesh, it is said, in one day; on the west two, both small, the Ram gate, with stone steps in the south-west, and the Baradari gate (23°1′35.83″N 72°34′37.64″E / 23.0266194°N 72.5771222°E) in the north-west. Additionally, Teen Darwaza (23°1′27″N 72°35′4″E / 23.02417°N 72.58444°E, ASI MNI No. N-GJ-5) was built later as an entrance to the royal square. Another Salapas gate (23°1′0.53″N 72°35′27.34″E / 23.0168139°N 72.5909278°E), used for envoy of queens, is now lost. Ganesh gate is now lost under Ellis Bridge. Lal Darwaza, opposite Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, is lost now but parts of wall is visible.
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]
Two new gates added by British after the opening of railways connecting Bombay in 1864 to facilitate the movement of public.
Kharu gate was built near Karanj to give soldiers addition post. Halim ni Khidki (23°2′18″N 72°35′2″E / 23.03833°N 72.58389°E) was a small window gate in north. There were gates which gave entry into suburbs of Ahmedabad: Gomtipur gate and Shah-e-Alam gate of Shah-e-Alam's Roza.
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