UNESCO-listed heritage lanes, carved havelis and hidden squares. The pols of Ahmedabad’s walled city are the reason it became India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017. A pol is a gated residential cluster — a network of narrow lanes, traditionally home to families of one community or trade, entered through a single gateway. Inside, you’ll find wooden houses with intricately carved facades, brackets and balconies, tall bird-feeders called chabutros in the little squares, temples tucked between homes, and secret passages that once let residents slip from one pol to the next. Many havelis are still lived in, so the pols feel like a living neighbourhood rather than a museum. The easiest way to explore is on foot. The Municipal Corporation’s morning Heritage Walk starts around 8 AM from the Swaminarayan Temple in Kalupur and winds through the pols to Jama Masjid in about two and a half hours; you can also book a guided Amdavad Darshan tour with us. Tips: go early in the morning when the lanes are quiet and the light is soft, wear comfortable shoes, and be respectful when photographing homes and residents.
Old City Pols (Heritage · 📍 Walled City) is featured on Aapnu Amdavad — the digital home of Ahmedabad, where Amdavadis discover explore and everything happening across the city. Use the form to request info — it only takes a moment.
