Shahibaug

Shahibaug
suburb
Shahibaug Location in Gujarat, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Gujarat
Metro	Ahmedabad
Government
• Body	Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	380 004
Vehicle registration	GJ-1-XX-XXXX
Civic agency	Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Shahibaug is a locality of the city of Ahmedabad.

History

Shahibaug, or the Royal Garden palace, was built in 1622 by Shah Jahan then (1616-1622) Viceroy of Ahmedabad, to give work to the poor during a season of scarcity. The palace is now known as Moti Shahi Mahal. The Shahibaug gardens were in the seventeenth century famous, the resort of the whole city, and one of its chief ornaments. A century and a half later (1781), though the well was in ruins and the fountains and water-courses broken, the gardens could still boast of some noble cypresses, cedars, palms, sandals, and cassias, with mango, tamarind, and other spreading fruit trees. Besides the Shahi Baug gardens, there was, a little beyond, an older garden called the Andhari Badi, or dark garden, with large ruins. The palace, always kept in good repair, is thus described by Forbes in 1781:

The saloon is spacious and lofty as tho buildmg; the walls are covered with a white stucco, polished like the finest marble, and the ceiling is painted in small compartments with much taste. The angular recesses lead to eight small octagon rooms, four below and as many above with separate stairs to each. They are finished in the same style as the saloon, the walla like alabaster and the ceiling embossed. The flat roof commands a wide view; the rooms under the saloon, and a surrounding platform ornamented with small canals and fountains, form a cool retreat.

To the original centre saloon, two large wings and several rooms and terraces were, about 1835, added by Mr. Williams, of the Civil Service. At a little distance from the royal mansion, on the bank of the Sabarmati river, with separate gardens, baths and fountains, was the zanana or ladies' palace. The apartments for the officers and attendants of the court were still further detached. In the great flood of 1875 the strong stone wall, which prevents the river from passing south towards the city, was slightly injured, and sand was washed over it covering and destroying the garden beds.

Locality

The places of interest in Sahibaug include Hutheesing Jain Temple, Ahmedabad Cantonment, Camp Hanuman Temple.

Rajasthan Hospital situated in this area is one of the main hospitals of Ahmedabad. The Farki outlet of Shahibaug is famous for its Lassi. The Civil hospital of Ahmedabad City is also located near Shahibaug.

Shahibaug also served as home to many famous people, including Ravindranath Tagore, Sardar Patel, Behchar Lashkari and Bhagavatprasad Ranchoddas Family. Ravindranath Tagore stayed in Shahibaug during his visit to Gujarat and this is where he got inspired for his great work "Hungry Stones" and wrote this book.

Schools and Offices

Well known Schools of Shahibaug are

• Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 - One of the renowned series of schools in India affiliated with CBSE
• Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 - Second Kendriya Vidyalaya school Near Hanuman Camp