Jamalpur Gate

Jamal means beauty as named in Arabic where the name was loaned from. It is very interesting to know that of course it was developed by Malik Jamaluddin noble in the court of Sultan Mahmud Begada but eventually it was a site of peace, it was a site of peaceful dense forest and its beauty favored the Shaikh Jamaluddin to establish this as suburb to name after him and his patronage.

It’s an evident example of history and clarity of ruler’s mindset that they believed in “Vasudhev Kutumbkam” (Whole world is my family) why so as let’s go back to about 460 or may be 480 years that this site was an abode to many saints, it was a thick forest beside the river Sabarmati in the East and the city limit ended at the Jamalpur Darwaja in the North.

Saints normally seek places of solitude beside rivers away from the noise of cities. Thus a travelling sadhu Shree Hanumandasji by name happened to visit Ahmedabad and found this jungle area suitable for his stay. Being a devotee of Rambhakt Maruti, he laid his deity’s idol, which is worshiped till this day. During his stay some miraculous happening attracted people from the neighboring areas, which has become the root cause to developed this place into a modest temple.

Haybatkhan the noble of Sultan Ahmedasha’s court and his uncle who built a mosque near this Darwaja. An interesting fact is that this consider to be the first mosque of Ahmedabad then Ahmedashah’s royal mosque opposites the Arak Fort.

Rathyatra which is celebrated here is has unique importance to the local significant and its evenly important for local and state authority and Hindu Muslim community as well. Saint Sarangdasji happened to be a devotee of Lord Jagannath. He had an urge to pay a visit to the Jagannath Mandir at PURI (Orissa) and some local associates of his joined him in the pilgrimage. One night while he was sleeping at the Dharmshala of the Puri temple, he had visionary instruction from Lord Jagannath to go back to Ahmedabad and install there the idols of the Holy Trinity Lord Jagannath with his elder brother Lord Baldevji and sister Goddess Subhadraji. Thus, the Maruti temple became Shree Jagannathji Mandir.

Jamalpur Darwaja was the addition of second fort wall, made of terracotta bricks, lime mortar and external lime plaster. This too was adopted as “Ashlar masonry” used in construction during those days. A gateway of three stone arches twenty-two feet broad and twenty-seven high and a roofed platform 32 X 27, pierced for one gun.

Rathyatra is a Hindu festival. In Ahmedabad Rath Yatra has been organized by Jagannath Temple, Ahmedabad since 1878. This annual festival celebrates Jagannath, Balrama and Subhdra.

It is celebrated as a Lokotsav (public festival) of the state of Gujarat. The Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is the third largest Rath Yatra festival after those in Puri and Kolkata that are celebrated on the same day.

Mangal Aarti is performed on the day at 4 am and usually Rath Yatra is carried out at 7 am. Pahind Vidhi ritual is performed by Chief Minister of Gujarat in which symbolic cleaning of the path of Rath Yatra is carried out, after which the chariot procession begins. In Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath's chariot is carried out first, followed by Subhadra and Balram's chariot. Akharas, elephants, decorated trucks and troupes also take part in 14 kilometer long Rath Yatra.

Must visit places near Jamalpur Darwaja are as follows:
- The temple is famous for its annual chariot festival, the Rath Yatra, which is the third most important and largest after the Rath Yatra at Puri. The temple remains open for devotees from 4:30 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily. The Old Charriot’s is still available for visitor to see them.
- Haibat Khan mosque in 1425. It lies north-east of the Jamalpur gate in the southern part of the city. Similar in design to Ahmad Shah's mosque (c.1414), this mosque utilized Hindu architectural and decorative features which included the use of pillars from an earlier temple that had been salvages.
- Jamalpur Flower Market. This market started operation in 1989 and after that this market become hub for wholesale flowers as well as retailers. Jamalpur flower market of Ahmedabad Opens at 5:00 AM which serves as the wholesale flower market in early morning and by 10:00 AM the rush is less and it becomes a Retail Flower Market.