Amdavad Ni Gufa: The Underground Art Gallery Of Ahmedabad

Ambadavad Ni Gufa is a clear example of what happens when two artists come together to build an out-of-ordinary project. The history of Amdavad Ni Gufa dates back to 1992 when the construction of the cave started.

As the name suggests Amdavad Ni Gufa is a cave-like underground art gallery specifically built to showcase paintings, however, today Amdavad Ni Gufa Ahmedabad hosts many special film screenings. The subterranean structure of the cave feels like a cave made with interconnected domes; from inside it is a maze of interconnected tree trunks like pillars. It is a building that needs to be seen and experienced rather than described in words. 

The walls of the Gufa are so uneven that when M.F. Husain came with a Canvas to put on the wall, it fell off, he tried to put the Canvas with the help of velcro but it was of no use, and after being tired and upset he did something unusual. He did not do any painting in Amdavad Ni Gufa for a long time. 

History Of Amdavad Ni Gufa

B.V. Doshi and M.F. Husain were both students of the JJ School Of Arts and were friends. After graduating B.V. Doshi went to Europe where he worked closely with the legendary architect Le Corbusier who designed the city of Chandigarh. 

On the other hand, M.F. Husain dropped out of the JJ School Of Arts he started his art career by painting movie posters and billboards. He also mastered the art of landscape painting. 

One day, while having a conversation with B.V. Doshi, M.F. Husain expressed his wish to build an art gallery in Ahmedabad. However, a cave-like structure was not what he was expecting initially. B.V Doshi and M.F. Husain took up a challenge, they will do something that they had never done before. B.V. Doshi chose to go underground and thus the idea of Amdavad Ni Gufa was formed. The construction of the cave was started in the year 1992 and was completed by 1995.

For years M.F. Husain didn’t paint even a stroke in Amadvad Ni Gufa. Later, just 10 years before his demise B.V. Doshi gave him a big model of the cave and M.F. Husain painted that model This same painting was replicated on the ceiling and walls of Amdavad Ni Gufa, making it the largest M.F. Husain painting.

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The Architecture Of Amdavad Ni Gufa

The architecture of Amdavad Ni Gufa is not made of bricks but of ferrocement, as it is like soap bubbles and can be easily moulded and can create another form, unlike bricks. The space is an inherent appeal to the earthy qualities of a man. On one hand, the structure was developed with the help of the computer, however, it was built by the local Adivasi of nearby villages. 

The sunlight comes in these intercepting circular caves through the circular openings in the dome. These defuse lights add to the mystic ambiance of Amdavad Ni Gufa and keep on changing the axis during the day.

The walls and the ceiling of Amdavad Ni Gufa Ahmedabad are so uneven bearing the largest painting of M.F. Husain. The pillars in the cave are like tree trunks uneven but solid. You cannot see a single straight line in the cave, you would only see the curved lines which are perfectly blended. 

The architecture of Amdavad Ni Gufa was completed in two phases, in the first phase the construction of the cave was completed, and in the second phase, the construction of the restaurant and the garden on the land in the vicinity of Amdavad Ni Gufa were done.

Amdavad Ni Gufa Timings

Ahmedabad Ni Gufa Ticket Price

Restaurants Near Amdavad Ni Gufa

There are various colleges and universities in the area, due to which you could spot many restaurants and cafes nearby. However, the following are some of the other handpicked restaurants near Amdavad Ni Gufa

1. Shiv Frankie
2. Brew Coffee
3. The Mad House
4. Nescafe
5. Legends Of Punjab By Pepperazzi
6. Kadhai Indian Fusion
7. Cafe Upper Crust
8. Risteretto Behiend The Rods
9. Mad Over Grills
10. Lollo Rosso
11. Girish Cold drink

Hotels Near Amdavad Ni Gufa 

Following are some of the handpicked hotels near Amdavad Ni Gufa vicinity

1. Regenta Central Antarim Hotel
2. Hotel Shertown
3. The House Of MG
4. Hotel Cosmopolitan
5. Hotel Blue Dimond
6. Hotel Atithi
7. Hotel Krishna
8. Mangalbag Gallery And Residency
9. ITC Narmada

Places To Visit Near Ahmedabad Ni Gufa

Following are some of the places to visit near Ahmedabad Ni Gufa

1. Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

Other art and artifacts include coins from different ages, miniature paintings, beadwork collections,  woodwork collections, and folios depicting various episodes of Ramayan. Even this building’s architecture is done by B.V. Doshi making it one of the best places to visit near Ahmedabad Ni Gufa.

2. Law Garden

Law Garden Night Market Ahmedabad usually operates throughout the week including holidays. Its operating times are between 7:00 AM to Midnight. It is mostly active in the hours of evening 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

3. Sardar Patel Stadium

4. ISKCON Temple Ahmedabad

The huge halls are brightened with grand-looking chandeliers. The interiors of the temple are pretty immense. The Ahmedabad ISKCON temple also boasts a massive campus, which is full of a huge number of flowering trees and plants.