Sarkhej is a suburban neighbourhood in the city of
Ahmedabad. 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.
History
Mainly erected under
Mahmud Begada'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). He was the spiritual guide of the sultan
Ahmed Shah.
He is said to have been one of the fourth ''Ahmed'' who founded the city of
Ahmedabad.
His ''
Roza
Roza may refer to:
People
Last name
*Fernando Luiz Roza (b. 1985), Brazilian soccer player
*Lita Roza (1926–2008), British singer
First name
*Roza Anagnosti (born 1943) Albanian actress
*Roza Baglanova (1922–2011), Soviet/Kazakh opera ...
'' or ''
Maqbara
The Arabic word ''Maqbara'' ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''Maqâbir'') is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic cultures (espe ...
'' is one of the biggest
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be con ...
of India, competing with the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
.
The complex became a retreat place for
sultans and later an imperial necropolis.
Organized around a large artificial water reservoir are to be found gardens, a mosque and the holy man's tomb, together with the tombs of
Mahmud Begada and his wife
Rajabai, as well as palaces, a
harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
and pavilions.
The buildings have an austere beauty, a mixture of Hindu and Islamic styles.
Location
Sarkhej is accessible through National Highways
NH 8A
National Highway 41 (NH 41) is a primary national highway in India. This highway runs entirely in the state of Gujarat starting from Samakhiyali and terminating at Narayan Sarovar. This national highway is long.
Route
NH-41 connects Samak ...
and
NH 8C and the
Sardar Patel Ring Road.
Sarkhej is an important godown area for
Ahmedabad. 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 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
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