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The Kankaria Lake is the largest lake in Ahmedabad. It is on the southern part of the city in the Maninagar area. The lake was originally built by Sultan Qutbuddin in the 15th century. It was then called the ‘Hauz-e-Qutb’ or ‘QutbHauz’. It was then used as a place for bathing of the kings. The strange fact is that in those times when it was built, it had a water purification system which has got damaged with time. There is a pathway around this circular lake which leads to a garden called the ‘NaginaWadi’ which means a beautiful garden in Urdu. This is in the middle of the lake and looks like an island. This lake is a symbol of the rich culture and history of Ahmedabad. The shape of this whole place is of an exclusive 34-sided polygon. There is a fleet of steps that leads down to the water level.
History of Kankaria Lake
The actual origin for the name Kankaria is unknown, yet various stories roam about. One of them says that the name Kankaria was chosen due to the huge piles of limestone that was dug out during its excavation for formation of the artificial lake.
Another story says that Sultan Qutb-ud-Din had posed a question to Shah Alam, who was a saint, to select a location for the garden and the tank, who then scattered pebbles and built the lake, thereby owing the name Kankaria lake.
Another popular story suggests that Hazrat-i-Shah Alam, who was also a saint, got injured by a pebble when he was passing through the excavated site and he acknowledged the pebble that injured him, thus giving the excavation site the corresponding name.
Merutunga, a chronicler of the 14th century, said that Karna, the ruler of Chalukya origin, after defeating the Bhil chief Asha, ordered for a temple to be built. This temple was dedicated to Kochharba, a goddess, wherein Karnavati city, which is nearby, was also established by him along with many more temples like Jayantidevi and Karnamukteshwara temples.
Karna also established a tank in the city of Karnavati, next to the Karneshvara temple and this tank was named as the Karnasagara tank, which is presently known as the Kankaria Lake. However, the validity of the origin of this story is questionable.
Architecture of Kankaria Lake
The construction of the lake was done by some of the finest Mughal architects of the time as evident from the different cuttings and designs in the stones that have been employed to construct the polygonal shaped reservoir that resides right in the middle of this lake.
Kankaria lake consists of an island that encompasses Nagina Wadi, which is a garden, right in the middle of it. This place in itself is a beautiful tourist spot here. Nagina means jewel here. The garden further consists of a summer palace which goes by the name of Ghattamandal.
A bridge connects with the bank that was originally 48 arches long. Many have mentioned this kind of architecture as a magnificent piece of the Mughal era, and just like a centre piece in jewellery, it is also known as the centre jewel of the lake.
Gujarat Tourism On the western coast of India, the state of Gujarat is the "Jewel of the West" in India. In Gujarat, one of India's most industrialized and prosperous states, you find the modern milieu and the age-old traditions happily married. The state derives its name from 'Gujjaratta' - meaning the land of the Gujjars, a tribe who migrated to India long back in 5th century AD. But some archeological findings from areas like Lothal, Dholavira, Rangpur, date back to the period of the Indus Valley Civilization. Since then, the state has seen the rise and fall of a number of mighty empires like the Mauryas, the Khiljis and other Muslim rulers, the Marathas till the British. The people of Gujarat reflect the vibrant culture of the state. They love to wear colorful dresses and the women prefer wearing a lot of ornaments. Most of the people speak in Gujarati. Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi and English are also spoken in Gujarat.
