Sarkhej is a suburban neighbourhood in the city of

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

. It is primarily known for the Sarkhej Roza, an architectural complex located 8 km south from the city centre. One of the most important roads of metropolitan Ahmedabad, Sarkhej–Gandhinagar Highway, originates from Sarkhej and ends at the twin city

Gandhinagar Gandhinagar () is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the industrial corridor between the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai. Gandhinagar ...

History

Originally, before the mugal invasion it was called “Shree kshetra” meaning where Shree(goddess Lakshmi) resides. Mainly erected under

Mahmud Begada Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I ( Gujarati: અબુલ ફત નાસીર ઉદ દિન મહમુદ શાહ), more famously known as Mahmud Begada, was a Sultan of the Gujarat Sultanate. Raised to the throne at a young age ...

's reign (1442–51), it has been built on the location where the holy man and religious Muslim leader Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh (or ''Shaikh Ahmad Khattri'') lived and died (in 1446).the Sufi mystic was drawn to the strong spiritual vibrations of the prosperous land of “shree kshetra”. He was the spiritual guide of the sultan Ahmed Shah. He is said to have been one of the fourth ''Ahmed'' who invaded the city of Karnavati and later named it ahmedabad. His '' Roza'' or ''

Maqbara The Arabic language, Arabic word ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''maqâbir'') is derived from the word qabr, which means grave (burial), grave. Though refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic ...

'' is one of the biggest

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

of India, competing with the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

. The complex became a retreat place for

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

s and later an imperial necropolis. Organized around a large artificial water reservoir are to be found gardens and the holy man's tomb, together with the tombs of

and his wife Rajabai, as well as palaces, a

harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...

and pavilions. The buildings have an austere beauty, a mixture of different Indian styles.

Location

Sarkhej is accessible through National Highways NH 8A and NH 8C and the Sardar Patel Ring Road. Sarkhej is an important godown area for

. Warehousing and Distribution for entire Gujarat is done from Sarkhej. Sarkhej has a meter gauge Railway Station (SEJ).

Public Transport

The

Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation abbreviated (GSRTC), is a Government State Transport Undertaking of Gujarat for passengers facilitating with road public transport in moffusil / city services. GSRTC operates within the state of Gujarat, ...

runs a circular bus service along the Sardar Patel Ring Road from Sarkhej on an hourly basis.

References

Neighbourhoods in Ahmedabad Archaeological sites in Gujarat {{Ahmedabad-geo-stub