Havelis – the Royal Guest Houses in the old city of Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad has its own style of celebrating its unique culture and admiring taste in every aspect.  Be it architecture, food, or a way of living, Ahmedabad sets a different tone.

Havelis of Ahmedabad serves everything in one platter. At the Havelis of Ahmedabad one can experience the ancient building designs, the traditional Gujarati Thali. You can experience the lifestyle lived by the Gujaratis from 18^th and 19^th Century. These Havelis are conserved and restored to give a royal heritage touch with a modern twist in how it operates. However, the experience of living in these Havelis match the expectation of the readers like me who know how those people stayed in Havelis.

Why conserved?

Conservation is not done for everything that is old but something special, to be treasured. Things that are worth to live forever be conserved, especially to be passed on to generation the way it is.  It is a gift from our ancestors which is meant to be experienced by us.

Why restored?

Restoring doesn't mean taking it to its oldest form, restoration means taking it to the level of today's comfort and better lifestyle. These Havelis are a blend of tradition, customary style of building for living like a Royal yet remaining a modern traveler.

The following are a must experience Havelis at Ahmedabad.

The House of M. G –

A 200 years old residence of Mangaldas Girdhardas, conserved for its heritage value. The House of M. G brings to you the taste of authentic Gujarati way of living a lifestyle accompanied with a luxuries and comfort of a 5 Star. The house cum hotel is made up with all- tradition, lifestyle, comfort and luxury, with details added so thoughtfully.

All the furniture and art pieces used are all handcrafted by artisans in and around Gujarat.  It has got 37 full service rooms and one full service apartment, two renowned restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, a salon and spa, a health club and spectacular banquets and conference space, a heritage bookstore and gallery for Indian textile gallery. The servers and people working in the surrounding send you vibes of being in a Gujarati home whose hospitality cannot be missed.  

The extension of the M.G house – Mangaldas Ni Haveli  with 5 heritage rooms, and 3 heritage suites are new addition, 10 – 15 minutes ride from The House of M.G., this is situated right in the center of the old city i.e. the pol. It is inaccessible for a car but an auto rickshaw can go. Despite being in between the hustle and bustle of the bazaar, it has a very calm, quite surrounding with a soothing smell-full sprinkler at the POL KHOLI CAFÉ that serves gujarati delicacies. A Stay at Mangaldas Ni Haveli also gives access to all the amentities at the House of M.G.

Location-Click here for Map and Location of The MG. House.

The French Haveli

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Also one of the traditional gujarati heritage home, the structure and built of the Haveli gives the essence of the early usage of spaces by the common people of the city. It is beautifully restored and lavishly designed for its guests. Living at French Haveli is almost a home-stay, with an open accessible kitchen, rooms and library. They serve freshly prepared breakfast. The ingredients are brought from the surrounded city market. The house of a Jain jeweler, The French Haveli is named after the architects who restored them. All the suites available are all different from one other, tracing each space of traditional Gujarati house. Starting with CHABUTRO- the birdfeeder, it is a room with three side open window, on olden days a placed used to serve the birds. MALO-the nest, this room is like a mezzanine floor given the access to the entire house. ORDO- retiring room, it is the coolest place of the house when their used to be no electricity, located on inside with central ventilation. THE MAHAJAN SUITE- room for great man, the bedroom of the head of the family, giving access to a private terrace with large size bed and bathroom. The entire Haveli is like a mini-palace and it is beautifully restored and redesigned. The words give you no experience until you go and experience it.

Location-Click Here for Location and Map

Experiencing one of the Haveli is doing like completing a good trip to Ahmedabad. 

The Tale of Two Cafes

Seva Cafe

A unique café is located at CG road in the city of Ahmedabad; somewhere in the midst of shopper’s paradise. Seva Café starts serving at 7 pm. Welcomes all, but serves the first 50 guests. YES! FIRST 50 GUESTS and not first 50 costumers. The café stands out for its unique concept.In the menu there is no price written adjacent to the food name. When you ask for the price they say the bill is already paid. Adding to the surprise the bill is actually paid. The bill is paid by the people who came in yesterday, they paid for you. Now you can pay for someone who will be visiting tomorrow, and the menu for the next day will be decided accordingly. This idea sounds a bit odd to your mind. But the place emits an air of simplicity at its best. The place is made with simple rules of humanity that are fading day by day.

At Seva Café one of the main ingredients put in every dish is LOVE. The café carries in it the tiny emotions of love and care in all its form. Seva Café has no professional chef and staff. It works as a family. Anyone who wants to be the part of the family can volunteer. They say living is giving; even your presence is a gift to someone and to you.

The Café is accompanied by a small library and a handicraft store. The Café is open for small unique celebrations with friends and family. It is also a great space for spending a cozy ‘me-time’, or to just relax and read books. You can also volunteer at the Café. Seva café is not just a dine-in experience but an experience in itself. Go get a treat at Seva Café and if you like it, gift the experience to someone else too. It is a place not to be missed if you are in Ahmedabad.

Location: Shopper’s plaza, 4^th floor Opp. municipal market, Cg road, Ahmedabad

Ask for: Mukhwas, Wealth Box

Zen café

Zen café is an amalgamation of architecture, artwork and nature. It has an open air Café with random sitting arrangements. Amdavad Gufa famous for its paintings by world famous artist M.F Hussain and designed by architect B.V Doshi houses Zen Café. Its semi underground designed by architect B.V Doshi and inside it, the art work done by M.F. Gufa means cave, hence the name. It is a cave like structure with dome protruding with no straight walls below, holding all the bold colors by M.F. Hussain. The best time to visit Zen is dusk; between 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. You can experience both, the artwork at the Gufa and the beautiful dim lights in the dark. Away from the hustle and bustle of the City life, the place offers an environment for good conversations and meetings. Youth flock to this place throughout the year.

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However, cozy and calming this place is, do not go with expectation of great food variety. It has a menu with limited items, yet some coffee and beverages are a specialty and a must try on. At times you can also find a few people singing or someone guitaring at the corner. The place is also open for small concerts and art exhibitions.

Location:  Zen Café, Amdavad Gufa, University Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad

Must try: Ginger and Mint chai

Timing: 4:00pm to 8:00pm