Ahmedabad was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 a .D (from whom the city takes its name) and in I7th century was thought to be one of the finest cities in lndia.

While returning from one of his campaigns the young Sultan Ahmed Shah impressed with the scenic surroundings and climate of the town of Ashawal undertook the building of his new capital with a fort and twelve gates and named it Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad is also popular as Amdavad among the local people. It is the most fascinated and liveliest city in the state of Gujarat .

It has been given recognition as the central hub for industrial cities in India . Over the centuries Ahmedabad had a number of periods of grandeur, each followed by decline.

In 1615, English ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe judged it to be 'a goodly city, as large as London but in the l8 th century, it went through a period of decline. Ahmedabad is also very noisy and incredibly polluted ; Relief Rd ( Tilak Rd ) gets the author's votes as one of the most polluted, congested and thoroughly chaotic strips of barely controlled mayhem in the country.

Visitors in the hot season should bear in mind the derisive title given to Ahmedabad by the Mugal emperor, Jehangir: Gardabad, the City of Dust . Nevertheless, this comparatively little-visited city has a number of attractions for travelers, and is one of the best places to study the blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles known as the Indo-Saracenic.