Ahmedabad

Our stay in Ahmedabad coincided with Shane's birthday. during the day we decided to visit a local Art Gallery and Museum. We haven't seen much Indian art work whilst here and thought this an ideal opportunity to do so.

The Gallery was devoted to Miniature Paintings. Each piece of art was wonderfully intricate and colourful and most depicted scenes of Hindu legend. Although we could not fully understand each scenario (there was little to explain them), we were impressed by the originality of the works - their style being unlike any we had seen before.

The Museum was well presented and housed items which were familiar to us from previous excisions in India. Lines of excavated sculptures and carvings are spread over the space and showcase Hindu, Buddhist and Jain works. We both liked the intricacies of the Jain pieces in particular.

That evening, to continue our celebrations, we went to the As Agashiye Restaurant which is recommended by Lonely Planet. The menu changes on a daily basis dependant on what is available from the local market, the premise is always the same, a freshly cooked Gujarati Thali. The evening is marketed as an indulgent one, and although pleasant enough it was not quite what we had hoped for. A Thali can be quite a complex dish which varies dependant on the area you are in. Instead of explaining the Gujarati Thali as expected, the restaurant supplied us with a leaflet that we were not given an opportunity to read. The experience was quite rushed, overpriced and a little disappointing. To be honest, we have had much better Thali dishes from local eateries for a fraction of the cost.

If you are coming to India, you must sample a Thali. When done well, they are fabulous! A Thali consists of several small dishes served on a metal plate and is traditionally eaten using your right hand. It should consist of food native to the region but typical dishes include: rice, dhal, vegetables, roti, papad, curd and pickle. Many restaurants offer a vegetarian Thali and some include bottomless refills on all components of your meal. They are enjoyed by locals and are generally a tasty meal at a bargain price.

For our last day in Ahmedabad we took the short trip to Sabarmati Ashram which was Gandhi's headquarters during his fight for Indian Independence. There was a wealth of accessible information about this remarkable man and we strongly recommend spending some time browsing the Ashram's archives and galleries. There is an on site store in which you can purchase many Gandhi related articles. We left with a book called An Introduction to Gandhi for Children and Beginners - we all have to start somewhere!