Since we had gone out of our way to reach Aurangabad, we needed to backtrack in order to get to our next destination, Ahmedabad. This would be our longest bus ride to date, a 600 km overnight trip that took us 15 hours. Surprisingly it ended up being quite a pleasant experience. We binged some episodes of The White Lotus, slept for about 7 hours or so and woke up to watch another episode before arriving in Ahmedabad around 9:30 AM. Ahmedabad was originally going to just be a stopover between Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and as we worked on our plans we realized that the timing aligned with an IPL game, something that was high up on our India bucket list. The more we looked into the city though, the more excited we got. The home of Mahatma Gandhi, its thriving textile industry, Gujarati food and a UNESCO world heritage protected city! We didn’t have long and daytime temperatures were peaking at 40+ degrees, but we were excited to explore.
Our first stop was a restaurant for a Gujarati thali, our first serious Indian meal in a while. We’ve had a lot of thali while in India, but this was seriously delicious. They lay an empty plate in front of you and then a constant stream of over ten men come past loading your plate up with different items including curries, pickles, breads, sweets and sauces. You have to be quite aggressive in your ability to say no once you're full, but if you like something, you can just eat plate after plate!
We also had the privilege of visiting the Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram. This is the ashram where Gandhi honed his teachings and spread the word about his revolutionary non violent approach to conflict resolution. Between the gallery, exhibitions and grounds we learnt so much, a highlight being quotes from other influential world leaders about his truly global, intergenerational impact. It was a very peaceful place, and it was very interesting to learn more about the life of this man and his impact on modern India.
The morning of the cricket game we spent some time wandering the old town, which was steeped in a rich and varied history. There were tiny passages and alleyways everywhere you looked, chai wallahs on every corner, cows, chickens and goats everywhere (dead and alive…), and architecture full of intricate carvings, decorative archways and very creative wiring. Walking through this part of town felt like we had stepped back in time, and sipping an Iranian chai and enjoying a Bun Muksa was a really special experience that felt like it could have been the same 50 years ago.
One more memorable stop before we reached the cricket game was the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Art Museum that we stumbled on very unexpectedly. Gujarat is known for its textiles and the first part of the exhibition, the Indigo Gallery, was a masterclass on the creative use of dye. Indigo, which is traditionally used to dye denim and other fabrics a deep, rich blue has a long history in India. The exhibition was beautiful, the color had been used in so many ways and it was set in the most amazing building in a lush, green garden. This was just the precursor, the main event was a (free) guided tour through an influential Gujarati family's private historic art collection. We were really taken back in time and learnt so much about the art history of India. It was all preserved so well and was heartening to see the effort and love that has gone into maintaining this collection.
And finally it was time for the main event! The IPL match between the Delhi Capitals and the Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modhi Stadium, the biggest stadium in the world. With a capacity of 132,000 people, the atmosphere was electric, even without the stadium being totally full. We knew that Indians loved their cricket, but to be there in the flesh was a totally different experience. Everyone was dressed up, chanting, dancing, cheering and just having the best time. We were nervous about the heat given we were at an afternoon match, but thankfully our seats were in the shade for most of the game so it wasn’t an issue. I definitely felt for the players though, I can’t imagine doing what they were out there in 40+ degrees. Highlights were seeing Mitchel Stark’s speed bowling, the anticipation that comes with seeing live catches, and of course, the Titans bringing home the win!!! It was a super close game in the end, won in the last over, which was exactly what we wanted for a live cricket experience. Before our trip to India I don’t think I had ever watched a full game of cricket, but now I am completely converted. It is such a fun game, especially in the T20 format. Shane and Gretchen watched the replay at home in NZ, and we even made it onto the TV!
Gujarat is also a dry state, which meant everyone at the game was sober. This was a refreshing change from sports matches at home, and created such a safe and friendly atmosphere, despite the crowd being predominantly male. The only part that was a little hectic was leaving the stadium. The streets were swarming, and outside of the match the energy felt a little darker. Thankfully we met the most wonderful couple, Hardick and Posiya, who helped us get in a car back to our accommodation. We met them again later and spent the evening with them. The most generous hosts, we were driven around the city and taken to a number of spots for dinner, dessert and our first experience of pan. Not the tobacco kind, just a mix of spices and dried fruit that people take after a meal. It was a very overwhelming flavor, not my favorite, but good to try!! As always, it was so special spending time with local people our age, and trading stories about our lives, work, families and relationships took us into the early hours of the morning.
The next day we went for a morning walk along the river and reflected on how much this city had surprised us, in the best way. The cricket game was easily one of our India highlights and it felt so cool to be immersed in local culture in that way. We definitely want to come back to Gujarat!