Hot & Mystic Gujarat - Karnavati (Ahmedabad)

18th of May was the last day of my Post Graduation. By 11 in the morning, I was done with my project viva and that ceremoniously ended two years of studies. Such a moment accounted for a celebration but that was not the case to be as I had to go to Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad for an entrance that very evening.
So, we (me and Chiti) left for Ahmedabad by the 07:50 PM Pune – New Bhuj Express. The journey was a pleasant one and we reached Ahmedabad 12 hours later. My friend Sudhanva came to pick me up at the station. I was to stay at his sisters’. Sudhanva was not able to get his way correct and after a slight trepidation we were able to spot Rahul B tower (Henceforth it was our landmark). It was easy to go from there to his sister’s house in the Anandnagar locality. His sister and Jiju received me warmly and for the next 2 days of stay I never felt to be in an unfamiliar place (Though I was afraid of his sister!!!).
His sister and Jiju went out for the day and we had the house to ourselves. We were to go visiting places in Ahmadabad but decided otherwise because of the immense heat. We slept the whole afternoon and it was only in the late evening that we went out to Vastrapur Lake after dinner. The lake is a beautiful spectacle and has a large following among the people from neighbouring places. Also being in Gujju-land it is surrounded by all kinds of eateries ranging from fast food joints to big hotels. We stayed there for almost an hour savouring the cool moist air of the lake and then went to see the famed IIM-Ahmedabad. We went back home and within an hour I slept to get ready for next day’s entrance.
Sudhanva dropped me at PRL in the morning. I was expecting Chiti to be early as she was staying with our senior in PRL itself. But she was late. As soon as I entered the lobby, I spotted a familiar maroon shirt. The shirt belonged to my friend from IIT-Guwahati, Shubhankar. He was equally surprised by my presence. Before we could properly exchange the hellos, we were ushered into the exam hall and the next 3 hours the only thought that crossed my mind was to crack the entrance. The entrance was simple and with the hopes of an interview call, I went to have the lunch. After lunch, we went to meet our senior with whom Chiti was staying. From there we went to the exam hall to find that the results were being announced. Both me and Chiti had cleared the entrance and so did Shubhankar. Even before we could get hold of the situation, we were sent for the interviews. Chiti and me were to face the same panel. Chiti was the second to go and she was the only one in the whole day to come back with an assurance of pursuing a PhD there. I was the last to go for the interview and had a so-so interview. Getting a call would surprise me more than anyone else!!!
I was again the culprit of spoiling the plan of roaming around (Last time I had done so during INAT). Now I was free to do the sightseeing. The first place we went was the ISKCON temple on SG highway. Though I am not a great fan of ISKCON, I did like the temple for its sheer grandeur and beauty. It was more beautiful than the one I had been in Mumbai. From here I went to meet Pinki, my friend of 11th – 12th whom I had not met for almost 6 years. Sudhanva and Chiti also accompanied me. I had a hell of a time with her. We had a bite at Wrappidos and then had Ice-cream. Sudhanva gave Chiti nice company which she surprisingly liked and hence I had more time with my old friend. We set out together for home and as soon as she took a left turn, the only thought that crossed my mind was that whether we will meet again!!!
The next day we left early for Sabarmati Ashram. The plan was totally mine and Chiti and Sudhanva came along. The new Ahmedabad was devoid of any architectural heritage. The buildings all looked alike to me and presented neither variety nor beauty at least to my eyes. But as soon as you cross the Sabarmati to the eastern side of the city, you start getting glimpses of the old city. We were to meet Chiti at the Lal Darwaza bus stand. This place itself has three beautiful structures in its surroundings namely Sidi Syed ki Jaali (Logo of IIM-A), a fort and the mosque of Sultan Ahmed Shah.
The transportation in Ahmedabad runs on CNG and hence has a far more clean environment than before. We reached the Ashram at about quarter to eleven. We were supposed to leave early as Chiti had to go to PRL and we two had to go to Baroda. But the quaint picturesque peaceful environment was hard to leave. No doubt in such an environment the great man could think about peace only. Even in these cool environs, we got politically charged and had one of those never-ending hot debates. Only one thing that I didn’t like in the Ashram was the shop in the museum. Bapu all his life advised people to lead a simple life but the shop didn’t seem to believe it!!! It had all souvenirs at exorbitant prices.
We bade byes to Chiti and left for Baroda. We travelled through NE1 which has only two exits at both ends. The journey was through hot Gujarat Summer and we both slept through the whole journey out of sheer tiredness.
We reached Baroda at about 4 in the evening. I stayed there for only 25 hours but those were one of the most enjoyable 25 hours of my life and my next blog will be dedicated to it.