Five myths about Ahmedabad
15. oktober 2016 | Posted in English, Ude | By Rikke Schultz
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Founder of the city Ahmed Shah’s tomb in Ahmedabad
Sage Dadhichi’s sacrifice
Lord Indra was in search of a weapon to destroy the demon Vruttasur. He was advised to secure the bones of a living person with noble qualities to make such the weapon – Vajra. Sage Dadhichi, who lived on the banks of the river Shwabhramati (Sabarmati) at Dudheshwar readily accepted the request of Indra and sacrificed himself for the cause. It is on the foundations of such selfless sacrifice that the history of the city rests since millennia.
The story about a hare chasing a dog
Legend has it that once on a hunting trip, king Ahmedshah found a hare chasing a dog. He pondered over the unnatural phenomenon and came to the conclusion that the soil of the land must have some unusual power. Impressed by the dauntlessness and bravery, he chose to establish a settlement on the same soil and that is how Ahmedabad was founded.
Goddess of prosperity held within the city
Ahmedabad has been a prosperous city since ages. Legend has it that once a guard saw a magnificent
and aristocratic lady leaving the city through the Bhadra Gate, late at night. He asked her who she was. The lady replied that she was Goddess Lakshmi and wanted to leave the city. Bound by duty, the guard asked her to wait till he returned with the king’s permission to let her go. Lakshmi promised to wait till he returned. Realizing that the city will be doomed without her, the guard decided to sacrifice himself for the prosperity of the city and so beheaded himself. Ever since, Lakshmi has remained within the city keeping her promise to be here till the guard comes.
Four Ahmeds found the city:
The city of Ahmedabad is believed to have been founded on piousness. King Ahmed Shah sought the advice of the priest Al Khizr khwaja while establishing the city of Ahmedabad. The priest advised the king to find four pious men named Ahmed who have never in their life missed an afternoon prayer, to lay the foundation stone of the city. This, the priest said, would ensure the city’s prosperity. The four Ahmeds who laid the four corner stones of the city included King Ahmedshah who laid a stone in the east, Saint Ahmed Khattu in the west and two others from Gujarat -Kaji Ahmed and Mulla Ahmed for the north and south. The city is thus founded on the tenets of piousness, peace and collective concern.
Maneknath and the fort wall
A sage called Maneknath used to live on the banks of the river Sabarmati. Legend says that he wove a mat during the day when king Ahmedshah would carry out the construction of the fort wall. At night, however, Maneknath would unravel the mat and the fort wall would collapse. This is how he protested for several days. Once, the king asked him to demonstrate his powers by entering a small jar. The sage readily agreed. But as soon as he did so, the king closed the lid thereby trapping the sage within the jar. In memory of the sage Maneknath, the founding bastion of the fort wall was named as Manek Buraj and his place as Manekchowk. This story of Maneknath points to the pride in a place while the naming of the Buraj in his memory speaks of mutual respect, within rivalry.