This story is from January 27, 2015

Maninagar: From Maneklal's to Modi's

The year was 1915 when Sheth Maneklal Manilal donated a huge piece of land in the 'Garden Suburb' in the southeast of existing walled city to the Ahmedabad Municipality for development and started a new era of planned development.
Maninagar: From Maneklal's to Modi's
The year was 1915 when Sheth Maneklal Manilal donated a huge piece of land in the 'Garden Suburb' in the southeast of existing walled city to the Ahmedabad Municipality for development and started a new era of planned development. The area, named Manipur after his father, today is known as Maninagar having unique identity as 'Dadar of Ahmedabad' due to its amalgamation of various communities that lent it a distinct flavour.
As the suburb is observing 100th year of its establishment, TOI traces its history from the efforts of Maneklal Sheth to last MLA Narendra Modi who reinvented it.
Isanpurto Maninagar
Historians point at the area in the medieval time as a small military establishment. The first landmark of the area was 'Hauz-i-Qutab' of 15th century commissioned by Sultan Qutabuddin, a circular lake today known as Kankaria Lake. For long, the entire area was associated with Isanpur, another nearby suburb where Maratha army was stationed. The relic of the era can be seen in form of a small stepwell at Uttamnagar that dates back to 17th century.
Maneklal's homage to his late father
A plaque now placed outside Municipal School near Manikarnikeshwar Mahadev temple cites the foundation of 'Garden Suburb Manipur' in 1915 AD or Samvat 1971 by Maneklal Manilal and Chhotalal Keshavlal in remembrance of late Sheth Manilal Ranchhoddas with the plans by AE Mirams, consulting surveyor of the Bombay Province and with the help from FG Pratt, commissioner of the North Zone and GE Chatfield, district collector.

Mayur Dave, a corporator from Khadia who bought Manilal Sheth ni Haveli in Verai Pada ni Pol, said that the family's contribution in the development of the city cannot be ignored. "Right from Manilal Mansion near Kalupur railway station to a number of areas in Maninagar named after family members, his legacy lingers on," he said.
Birth of Maninagar
In June 1926, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, while being the president of the Ahmedabad Municipality, had first headed joint town planning board for Maninagar and Ellisbridge. "This scheme comprised of 1916 acres of land and was one of the biggest endeavours undertaken by any local authority in the country to deal with acute problem of extreme congestion and overcrowding which faced Ahmedabad," says city based historian Rizwan Kadri. Only Pune had a town planning scheme for Bhamburda area at that time as per the document, he adds.
When Sheth offered to buy tickets to sustain Maninagar railway station
Maneklal Sheth and others had time and again demanded a railway station for the new suburb on Ahmedabad-Mumbai line. The railway authorities turned it down saying that it was not financially viable. As the legend goes, Sheth offered to buy 50 tickets everyday to make the operations sustainable. The practice continued for quite some time before the authorities declared the station a thriving one. A plaque preserved at the Municipal School announces the establishment of the station on January 1, 1927.
Freedom from the discrimination
The area also participated in the freedom struggle. Mukti Maidan near Manikarneshwar Mahadev is witness to such social reforms. As per locals, during 1930s the ground was used to hold meetings and for public speeches. It was during this time that the ground hosted dalits among the high-class Hindus as equals, breaking a taboo. It was due to the freedom from prejudices that it was christened Mukti (freedom) Maidan - the name that has struck to date.
Kankaria Lakefront and BRTS
It was under Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister, that Maninagar got revamped completely. Already a sough-after locality, it got facilities like BRTS and a total facelift to Kankaria Lake with a lakefront. Under Modi, the constituency had got Rs 435 crore funding for JNNURM projects in 2012. Today Kankaria has become host to an annual carnival during year-end and has already added an amusement park among its other attractions.
'Life was slow, close-knit communities were thriving'
Girdhar Rathod, 94, had come to the suburb at the age of six years. "One could see railway station and Kankaria in two directions from the open fields. There were in fact three smaller lakes including 'Dedki talav' (pond of frogs) that has today been converted into a garden in the Lakefront. We used to see Maneklal Sheth as a royalty who would pass from the streets in snow-white clothes on a bogey. We had to go up to Raipur to get our mails. Students had to study under street lamps as there were no lights for long. What has made the area tick is the sense of belonging in different communities. Even today, many youth groups don't have presidents due to sense of equal responsibility," he says.
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About the Author
Parth Shastri

Parth Shastri is senior correspondent at The Times of India, Ahmedabad. He reports on crime as well as issues related to traffic in the city, forensic investigation, archaeology and emergency medical services.

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