Boutique hotels and homestays of Ahmedabad

Text: Vrunda Bhatt Photographs: Piyush Patel  Edit: Yatharth Dave

Ahmedabad or as the Gujarati’s call it, Amdavad, often directly or indirectly, gets associated with trade, business and commerce. However, not much is written about the city’s 600 years -old heritage. Being declared as India’s first world city by UNESCO from an otherwise hustling and cosmopolitan city brought the local back to their roots. The external recognition to their history and culture acted as a stimulus to explore their heritage.

There is a lot to explore in Ahmedabad. The old part of the city is visually alluring. As I  passed by a dozen street vendors in the famous area of Manek Chowk selling all sorts of stuff from food to clothing and accessories, a quick montage of my Navratri and wedding shopping flashed before my eyes. What we spotted next took left us in shock and awe. We ventured into a narrow lane and stumbled upon Mangaldas ni Haveli-I and Mangaldas ni Haveli-II.

House of Mangaldas -Picture Credits @Piyush Patel 

Haveli stands for traditional townhouses or mansions dating back to the Mughal era. They are a common architectural structure in India and have carried significance in terms of many parameters like socio-cultural aspects, security and privacy, climate maintenance and versatile use of space that they provide resident with.

Mangaldas ni Haveli-I and Managaldas in Haveli-II are around 300 and 150 years old, respectively. These Havelis are located in alleys of ‘pols’. A pol is an enclosed residential cluster that includes a network of streets, side lanes and open community spaces (otla). Some pols also had bird houses on raised platforms to feed the birds.  The architectural strength of the houses or havelis in these pols was evident by their stupendous display of standing hard as rock and withstanding the 2001 catastrophic earthquake that many modern-day buildings couldn’t withstand. We visited five such iconic heritage homes cum havelis. It was a pleasant surprise to know that despite the modern makeover, they have managed to retain basic characteristics like a huge courtyard and a traditional swing

A traditional swing is a key part of houses in Gujarat and hence the lifestyle of Gujaratis across the globe. A picture of a ‘Jhula’ placed in Mangaldas ni Haveli-I.  Pictures @Piyush Patel, Photojournalist, Ahemdabad

(A chandelier at Mangaldas ni Haveli- I Photo credits @Piyush Patel)

HOUSE OF MANGALDAS (MG), MANGALDAS NI HAVELI-I , MANGALDAS NI HAVELI II

Most people in Ahmedabad are familiar with the main House of Mangaldas, a boutique heritage hotel which is well placed in the centre of the old city.

However, Haveli I and Haveli II were acquired in 2007 and 2010 respectively, by owner Abhay Mangaldas. These houses were named after Abhay’s father Mangaldas Giridhardas. There were almost 22 families who resided in the House of Mangaldas. All the family members used to have their dinner at the agashi (terrace) back then. Today, Agashiye is one of the most sought after Gujarati restaurant of the city. After completing his studies from abroad, Abhay Mangaldas extensively started restoration of his ancestral heritage home, a part of which was owned by his uncle Chimanlal Giridhardas.

“In the early 2000 despite the announcement of the magnanimous Riverfront Project by the state Government, a lot of development was taking place in the new side of the city. I just knew that I was an early bird at the right time. However, the mammoth task before us was to construct bathrooms. There were only 2 bathrooms among these 38 rooms at the house of Mangaldas,” laughs Mangaldas.

A good blend of traditional yet modern architecture in these Havelis (I and IIaccessed with a narrow staircase. There are only two rooms in Mangaldas ni Haveli-I – a courtyard room and a terrace room. A huge contemporary chandelier illuminates the courtyard of the building. Rooms of both the havelis overlook the ornately carved courtyards. Though the furnishings in the rooms have been given a modern flamboyant look, one could still spot the huge well (traditionally known as the tankas (underground cisterns), in the corner of house. It is believed that a tanka can store up to 15,000 liters of water. Interestingly, these huge courtyards and tankas also act as a thermal regulator for the houses by keeping them cool during the summer. At the time of acquisition, the entire building was leaning on one side of the beam. Instead of replacing the beam the haveli was elevated from a corner and the beam was strengthened with steel. Haveli–II displays many modern architectural elements, with six rooms. Both the havelis have everything that can take you back in the time.

JAGDIP MEHTA’S HERITAGE HOMESTAY

The only thin line of difference which separates a boutique heritage hotel from a homestay is the fact that the owner of the house stays along with a tourist. A retired account executive and former musician, Jagdip Mehta fought a 10-year-long battle up to 2014 to make his house in Mota Suthar Wado known as an official homestay. As we sit for a cup of tea at his place, he distinctly recalls how back then, people called him mad for acquiring his adjoining 200-year-old house and wasting all his savings in restoring it. Nothing stopped him. He went on to invest about Rs 15 lakh in restoring the house. It was in a derelict condition at the time of acquisition. Over the years, Mehta House has seen tourists from all countries like South Africa, France and other parts of the World coming and staying together for months with the Mehta family. His twin daughters (Mausam and Malka, who are renowned singers) and his own connections with music makes this place more magical as the visitor gets a chance to learn traditional folk music. The place speaks for the musical vibes as you spot the Indian musical instrument tambura, juxtaposed with traditional floor bedding, underneath a beautifully designed ceiling. “We consider visitors as a part of our family. We offer them the same food that we prepare and eat,” says Mehta. “During the summer, when we do our bedding on the terrace, our guests are also welcomed to relax and spend a night under the clear summer sky. We even offer to teach them to prepare Gujarati food, wear Gujarati attire and learn the local jargon. Most of the foreigners who visit us are stunned to see a joint family staying together in harmony. Very recently, an Indian family from South Africa came and stayed with us because they wanted to acquaint their kids with traditional Indian culture”.

(Interior of Jagdip Mehta’s homestays. Picture Credits: Piyush Patel)

THE FRENCH HAVELI

A female model clad in traditional oxidized jewellery, loose Patiala pants and a Peplum top, busy swinging on the traditional swing and posing for the photographer; and an enthusiastic traveller from Spain seemingly in a hurry completing his check-out formalities – these are what caught our eyes at Ahmedabad’s French Haveli, a boutique hotel cum heritage home. This 150-yearold haveli, which once belonged to a Jain jeweler, is set in Dhal ni Pol locality. The fact that the haveli was acquired from its former owner, Anupa Mehta, by one of the prominent builders of the city, Rajeev Patel in 2013, only goes to prove that the walled city is the next big business opportunity. As French architects were involved extensively in its restoration as part of an Indo-French project, the haveli ended up with its unique name. Plain cement finish and terrazzo flooring along with a mix of European architectural style welcomes a set of tourists at the French Haveli. Patel prefers to call his place a mix of heritage home and a boutique hotel. The rooms in the French Haveli are uniquely named, for example, Chabutaro – The Bird Feeder and Agaasgi – The terrace. Other havelis and heritage home stays worth checking out in Ahmedabad include Jethabhai ni Haveli, Hutheesing Haveli, Diwan’s Bungalow, Bavishi House, Baghban Haveli and Deewanji ni Haveli. My forays into these heritage wonders led me to this conclusion: the more busy we get in running the modern rat race, the more we are attracted towards nostalgia. All said and done, nothing much has changed as far as the flow of the tourists is concerned, say the owners of all these heritage havelis and homes. But the number of players has increased as real estate prices in the old city have gone up by 30 to 40 per cent.

(French Haveli in old Ahmedabad. Picture Credits: Piyush Patel)

(The original article was published in In-flight magazine of Spice Jet airlines -Spice route in December 2018. P.S- All pictures are subject to copyright. Usage of any photographs or information without citation will lead to serious copyright issues)

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