Amazing Ahmedabad!

I finally arrived in Ahmedabad!  Our gracious host, Mrs. Monita Dash, picked us up from the airport and brought us to our very nice hotel.  Monita teaches high school biology at the Delhi Public School, Bopal.  It is an elite private school that serves grades 1-12.  This will be my home for the next 10 days.

View of city from hotel

Ahmedabad is an interesting city!  It is hot and humid but does not rain predictably every day.  Here, you will find cars, auto rickshaws, bicycles, buses, tractors, cows, sheep, dogs, and camels all in the street together.  The camels are a rarer sighting but I still get excited every time I see one!  Crossing the street is interesting...I think I am getting much better at it.  There is traffic and noise but the people here are very friendly and it is a bustling, cosmopolitan town.



Father and son on moped.

Busy street.

Roadside attraction!

There are some interesting cultural things to do here.  We visited the Jain Hatheesingh temple, which has amazing marble work and intricate carvings.  Did you know that people of the Jain religion do not eat animals or anything that grows below the ground? (no garlic, onions, carrots, etc.) A visit to Akshardham temple was quite an experience!  This cultural center belongs to the Hindu Swaminarayan group.  It is carved out of pink sandstone and has beautiful gardens. 

Me, our wonderful host Monita, and Jennice at Hatheesingh temple.

Close up of carvings

Akshardham Temple.  This picture is from the internet (no pictures allowed inside the temple's gates).

At night, we went to the law garden night market - stalls were packed with glittering fabrics and handicrafts of the region.  The cholis (backless mirrored blouses) chaniyas (long local skirts) and embroidered work were amazing - talk about bling!

Locally made mirrored clothing. 

Law garden night market.