Lal Darwaja in Ahmedabad

Lal Darwaza, Ahmedabad Overview

With lots of hawkers selling various items from clothes to electronics items, Lal Darwaza is crowded yet one of the most famous markets of Ahmedabad.

Sharpen your bargaining skills and shop to your heart's content. You can eat a variety of local food in the area like pani puri, samosa, dhokla, flavourful paan at Lal Darwaja. Lal Bazar is quite popular for the famous dhosa here. Just follow some easy safety tips to avoid any unpleasant incident in the market.

What to Buy at Lal Darwaja

Lal Darwaja houses an array of stalls selling clothes, handbags, footwear, accessories, children's toys, linen, nail paints, socks, hats, wallets, electronics and other such souvenir purchases. However, ensure to bargain as much as possible, as prices are always quoted much higher than the original especially for tourists.

History of Lal Darwaja - Gates of Ahmedabad

Built during the year 1411, the Gates of Ahmedabad was used to protect the walled city of Ahmedabad. The number of gates present on this expanse of a fortification has always been speculated; some say there were 12, some, 16, while other historians recall 21.

However, the Lal Darwaja was the north-eastern gate which was turned into an official stone doorway in the 1860s. Formerly facing the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, the Lal Darwaja was 13 feet in width and 15 feet in height. Although most of the gateway is in ruins today, some portions of these historic walls are still evident.

How to Reach Lal Darwaja

Lal Darwaja is about 10 kms from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad International Airport). It would be about 15 to 20 mins drive via the Airport Road but can be pushed to 50 mins via bus.

The Ahmedabad Railway Station is just 3 to 4 km from Lal Darwaja, which would be a 10 to 15-minute car drive or bus ride.

There are good inter-state and intra-state bus and train connectivity lines with major cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and nearby junctions such as Vadodara, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Surat and Rajkot.

Tips

Bargain as much as possible.
Double-check for quality, since most of the products are sold at cheaper prices, the quality might be compromised.
Do not carry any valuables and a lot of cash, as pick-pocketing, chain-snatching and theft is a common occurrence at this crowded street shopping area.