Jhulta Minara, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.


Jhulta Minara is located on Platform No. 1 of Kalupur Railway Station, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Also known as the Shaking Minarets, they are playful but with a whir of quivering mystery. There are two well-known pairs of Shaking Minarets in Ahmedabad, one located opposite the Sarangpur Darwaja and the other near the Kalupur Railway Station Area.


It is one of the most intriguing architectural wonders that the world has ever seen. They are still an unsolvable mystery. What makes the minarets unique is if one of the minarets is shaken then the other minaret shakes within a few seconds, while the connecting passage doesn't transmit any movements or vibrations. Many architects and historians have tried to understand the physics and logic behind the unrelated movements of the minarets. It is these movements that have led to its name, Jhulta Minara which translates to swinging minaret.

 

They are three storey tall with carved balconies where visitors were once allowed to climb all the way up. This set of minarets near the Railway Station is taller in height. However, these are not in a very good condition as it is believed that the British had dismantled them to understand the cause of vibrations. They could not resolve the engineering and it was not possible to put them back in their original condition. Demonstrations of the minarets shaking or vibrating are not carried out anymore.


Picture Credit: Parth Vaghela
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380002, India

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