Ahmedabad, Nov 19 As World Heritage Week begins on November 19, Ahmedabad, the first Indian city to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City, stands as a living museum of coexistence. A few urban centres in the world hold centuries of Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Christian, Parsi and even Jewish heritage within a walkable radius.
In the old city’s dense lanes, domes, minarets, shikharas, fire temples, synagogues and church towers rise together, telling a story of a place where diversity has never been a slogan, but a way of life woven into daily rhythms.
Founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah, the old city was envisioned as a fortified capital along the Sabarmati River, but it quickly evolved into something more remarkable, a shared space where communities lived in pols, interdependent neighbourhoods that balanced cultural distinctiveness with social harmony.
Over time, these pols became microcosms of pluralism. A Jain derasar stands next to a Sufi shrine; a Haveli with Hindu iconography sits a few steps away from a centuries-old mosque; and tucked deep inside Khamasa, the Magen Abraham Synagogue quietly preserves the Jewish footprint in Gujarat’s history.
James Forbes (British officer and author of Oriental Memoirs, 1780s) once said, “Ahmedabad stands as a splendid monument of Mahmud Begada’s glory… temples, mosques, caravanserais, and palaces rise proudly, speaking of ages of prosperity.”
Islamic architectural brilliance marks the city’s earliest monuments, the Jama Masjid, Rani Sipri Mosque, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque with its famous Tree of Life jaali, and the Teen Darwaza, all masterpieces of Indo-Islamic style where Hindu craftsmanship carved Islamic form.
Just across the neighbourhoods are some of India’s most ornate Jain temples, such as the Hutheesing Jain Temple, known for its marble latticework and towering manastambha. The presence of Swaminarayan temples, including the 19th-century Kalupur Swaminarayan Mandir, adds yet another layer to the spiritual geography, showcasing the grandeur of the sect’s unique wooden carvings and colourful iconography.
Christianity, which reached Gujarat through European traders and missionaries, left its own imprint in the form of old churches built by the British and Portuguese, particularly in the Cantonment and Raikhad areas. The Parsi Zoroastrian community, whose migration to Gujarat dates back over a millennium, also found a home in the old city, with their serene fire temples standing as symbols of one of the world’s oldest religions.
Even the Jewish Bene Israel community has its mark here, the Magen Abraham Synagogue, built in 1934, still holds occasional prayers and protects its ancient Torah scrolls. What makes Ahmedabad extraordinary is not just the presence of these sites, but how they function as part of a shared ecosystem.
The morning 'aartis' blend with the call to prayer, Jain monks walk through lanes where Christian bells ring, and families from every background frequent each other’s shops and festivals.
UNESCO recognised this living heritage, not only for monuments, but for a city where intangible cultural traditions survive alongside architecture. The pol system, craft traditions, stepwells, wood-carved havelis, and neighbourhood shrines together create a heritage that is social as much as it is structural.
In an era when global cities struggle with identity and cohesion, Ahmedabad’s old city remains a rare, functioning model of pluralism that is centuries old yet vibrantly alive. As World Heritage Week unfolds, the lanes of Manek Chowk, Dariyapur, Khadia, Kalupur and Jamalpur offer more than history; they offer a reminder that coexistence is possible, ordinary, and beautiful when a city makes room for all.
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