As much as we like to travel, once we land in India – it’s all about the family. And even when we do travel within India, it is usually to meet family. Our trip to Ahmedabad was no exception – we were headed there to spend a weekend with Ajey’s aunt and her family. So Ahmedabad – a lot of memories here for me. In the late 1980s, my grandparents moved to Gandhinagar, which is a mere 30kms from Ahmedabad. The closest train station to Gandhinagar is Ahmedabad, and whether it was the overnight Ahimsa Express from Pune, or the Shatabdi Express from Mumbai – the destination was always the Kalupur Railway station in Ahmedabad!

So although I’ve been to Ahmedabad several times, I’ve never really ‘been’ to Ahmedabad. I only have memories of the railway station and of course, who can forget the immense and chaotic cloth market, Dhalgarwad? My mom would stock up on all kinds of cotton wear here – as a child, I always resented these shopping trips for taking me away from my books!! Other than these childhood trips, another memorable trip to Ahmedabad was when I interviewed at the prestigious IIM – wonder where life would have taken me if I had gone down that path?

Anyway – back to the present. First time ever at Ahmedabad airport – and a really cool representation of the Gir forest right by the baggage claim. A very nice way to wait for your bags – trying to spot the various animals! Ajey’s cousin, M, picked us up and pure nostalgia as we drove out on the dusty roads – this part of Gujarat is very close to the desert, and the sandy dust is a way of life – with the bright pink bougainvillea on the dividers and the turn sign to Gandhinagar! We were headed to Bopal, one of Ahmedabad’s western suburbs – mile after mile on the Ring Road, modern high-rises lining both sides, a giant statue of Sardar Patel, shopping malls, apartment complexes – a very entertaining ride!

At home, we were greeted with steaming hot cups of tea and breakfast – our sister-in-law, S, is an enthusiastic and exceptional cook – no doubt we were in for a feast for the next 2 days!! A lovely surprise was meeting our nephew, A, who was visiting from Baroda! After a leisurely breakfast, we were ready to head out to explore Ahmedabad! The first stop on the tourist train – Gandhi Ashram on the banks of the river Sabarmati. This ashram was founded by Gandhiji in 1915, and he lived here for several years along with his wife, Kasturba. The famous Dandi march of 1930 was launched from this very ashram!

I do have a vague memory of coming to this ashram – and what I really remember is the almost dried-up river bed of the Sabarmati – barely a trickle of water. And dry, dry, dry surroundings. So this is definitely not the Ahmedabad I remember! Set among lush green gardens, the Gandhi ashram has a tranquil air – despite a large number of visitors. A museum chronicling Gandhiji’s journey, an exhibition of charkhas or spinning wheels, and of course, Gandhiji’s humble abode – shaded by neem trees, on the banks of the Sabarmati. A Sabarmati that has gained new vigor, drawing on the bounty of Narmada waters, with a stunning river-front that can hold its own anywhere in the world!! I love that we could be here with Manasi – this deep connection to history, and the simple beauty of this place! And then, an irresistible photo-op – the Kulkarnis pose with the fabled monkeys of Gandhiji – “Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil”!

After the spiritual, back to the simpler pleasures of life! Lunch, and then shopping!! There’s nothing better in the world than eating a Gujarati thali in Gujarat – and the lunch place M & S took us to pulled out all the stops! For the uninitiated, a thali is an unlimited buffet – the difference being that an endless stream of servers bring the various menu items right to your table, taking away the inconvenience of having to walk to the buffet. For both the gourmands and the gourmets, the thali is an ultimate culinary delight!! The food, needless to say, was amazing!! It’s difficult to contemplate anything but a nap after this marathon of lunches – but, not so fast – what about the shopping?

After much discussion, we decided to go to the shopping area behind Law Garden – pretty much a street market, mainly for handicrafts and traditional Gujarati clothes. Of course, all the malls these days have stores selling high-end designer wear – and of course, you will end up paying an arm and leg! I wanted to get a ghaghra for Manasi – those long, beautifully embroidered skirts, paired with a blouse and a matching dupatta – but knowing fully that she will wear this outfit maybe a single time – I definitely don’t want to spend a week’s salary! The street markets are the perfect solution – gorgeous clothes, not of the best quality, true – but ideal for a one-time wear! Of course, you need a local who can bargain fiercely – and S was simply awesome!! Ajey is quite proud of his own bargaining skills, and he too was taken by surprise at some of the bargains that S struck!! It was so much fun just walking down the street admiring the kaleidoscope of colors, and vibrant atmosphere!! And I did walk away with quite the haul – the ghaghra for Manasi in perfect shades of lavender and dark pink, the cutest sheet set with multi-colored elephants, bright jackets for Y & R, and a number of embroidered clutches and purses!! Now this is shopping!!

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After another quick stop for pain-puri and ice-cream, we headed home for a quiet dinner. And here was the best part of the visit – the reminiscences, the stories that have stayed evergreen through multiple tellings, family gossip and the non-stop laughter!! It does so much good for Manasi to hear these stories – it really amuses her to listen to stories of Ajey’s childhood mischief – and it is through this fun that she is gaining a true sense of family roots. We stayed up for a long time – talking late into the night, all of us, even R Kaku – a perfect end to a perfect day!

Next morning, another sumptuous breakfast – and another quick round of sight-seeing. We were on a time restriction – we had to return for lunch and then it was going to be straight to the airport. Just enough time for a quick trip to Adalaj – where an architectural marvel awaited us – a stepwell, or vav, as it is known in Gujarati, built in the 16th century. Now, ‘well’ is far too small a word to describe this magnificent structure! Descending 5 storeys deep to the actual well in the center, with ornately carved pillars, elaborate little nooks – this stepwell once served a dual purpose. Water from the well to serve the local population, and also a cool shelter for travellers, a relief from the burning sun. It was a good 5 degrees cooler than outside – what an amazing oasis for the weary on the dusty roads! The symmetry and the proportions are stunning – and all this was done without any of our modern tools and techniques! The Adalaj step-well is a designated Unesco heritage center, so it is quite well maintained – clean, manicured lawns – would be a perfect place to bring a picnic lunch, and spend the day! We had to hustle – although, there’s always time for refreshing coconut water!

We still had one more stop left before we went home for lunch. I had mentioned to S that one of my memories from my Gandhinagar vacations was eating fresh jalebis and fafda for breakfast – so, of course, she took us to a place for a quick pre-lunch snack. And then we also had to pick up Manasi’s dress – the ghaghra we had bought yesterday? – alterations done almost instantly – how convenient is that! Lunch was a Gujarati speciality – undhiyo – S had made this labor-intensive dish before we left, and Kaku had hot puris waiting for us when we returned! We were so hungry that we completely forgot to take pictures – but hats off to S – finger-licking good!!

We left for the airport soon after lunch – and watched the sunset from the airport as our flight was delayed, and delayed again. Reached Mumbai quite late – and waited and waited for our luggage – until one lone bag was left on the carousel. Obviously, someone had taken our bag instead of their own. Luckily, the airline staff was able to track down the passenger and call them. More waiting – for our bag to return. Now, nobody does this deliberately – however, it was surprising because our bag looked nothing like the bag that had been left behind. More surprising, the bag at the airport had a bright green identifying ribbon tied to the handle – how in the world did they miss that!! Anyway, we did get our bag back – so all’s well that ends well!!

What an amazing trip!! All credit to M & S for driving us around enthusiastically and for being such gracious hosts! Can’t believe how much we managed to pack in! Manasi absolutely loved it – she’s already suggesting that we add Ahmedabad to all our future India trip itineraries! Ahmedabad definitely surprised me too – I’m sure we’ll be back soon!