Sarkhej is a suburban neighbourhood in the city of Ahmedabad. It is primarily known for the

Sarkhej Roza Sarkhej Roza is a mosque and tomb complex located in the village of Makarba, 7 km south-west of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, India. Although there are many ''rozas'' across Gujarat, the Sarkhej Roza is the most revered. Sarkhej was once a ...

, an architectural complex located 8 km south from the city centre. One of the most important roads of metropolitan Ahmedabad, Sarkhej–Gandhinagar Highway, originates from Sarkhej and ends at the twin city

Gandhinagar Gandhinagar (, ) is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the Industrial corridor between Delhi, the political capital of India, and Mum ...

History

Mainly erected under

Mahmud Begada Sultan Mahmud Begada or Mahmud Shah I (), was the most prominent Sultan of the Gujarat Sultanate. Raised to the throne at young age, he successfully captured Pavagadh and Junagadh forts in battles which gave him his name ''Begada''. He establish ...

's reign (1442–51), it has been built on the location where the holy man and religious Muslim leader Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh (or ''Shaikh Ahmad Khattri'') lived and died (in 1446). He was the spiritual guide of the sultan Ahmed Shah. He is said to have been one of the fourth ''Ahmed'' who founded the city of Ahmedabad. His '' Roza'' or ''

Maqbara The Arabic word ''Maqbara'' ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''Maqâbir'') is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic cultures (espe ...

'' is one of the biggest mausoleum of India, competing with the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

. The complex became a retreat place for sultans and later an imperial necropolis. Organized around a large artificial water reservoir are to be found gardens, a mosque and the holy man's tomb, together with the tombs of

and his wife Rajabai, as well as palaces, a

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

and pavilions. The buildings have an austere beauty, a mixture of Hindu and Islamic styles.

Location

Sarkhej is accessible through National Highways NH 8A and NH 8C and the Sardar Patel Ring Road. Sarkhej is an important godown area for Ahmedabad. Warehousing and Distribution for entire Gujarat is done from Sarkhej. Sarkhej has a meter gauge Railway Station (SEJ).

Public Transport

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation runs a circular bus service along the Sardar Patel Ring Road from Sarkhej on an hourly basis.

References

Neighbourhoods in Ahmedabad Archaeological sites in Gujarat {{Ahmedabad-geo-stub