General Info & History of Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar, Gujarat's capital city, rises on the west bank of the Sabarmati River, about 30 kms. North East of Ahmedabad, the commercial and cultural heart of Gujarat. Gandhinagar presents the spacious, well-organized look of an architecturally integrated city. Gandhinagar, a well-planned city, stretches into 30 sectors into which the city has been divided. Apart from this there is a generous provision for wide-open green parks, extensive plantations and a large recreational area along the river giving the city a lush green garden-city atmosphere.

The Gandhinagar- Ahmedabad area, is known for the renowned Indian Institute of Management, National Institute of Design, Indian Space Research Organization, Physical Research Laboratory, Institute of Plasma Research and Entrepreneurial Development Institute, amongst others.

Tourism
Gandhinagar and near cities has many tourist places which are thronged by a multitude of international visitors and also from within India. A few famous monuments are Akshardham Temple, Mahatma Mandir, Adalaj Stepwell, Science City, Rani Ki Vav, Sabarmati Ashram, etc. Also, there are more attractive places in Gujarat State to visit, more details can be found here.
World famous Statue of Unity is also a must-visit that is around 4 to 5 hours drive from Gandhinagar.
 

Local Language
Although English is generally used for official and business purposes. Gujarati and Hindi language is spoken by most of the people in Gujarat. In common English is wide spoken and understood.
 

Currency
Rupee symbol: ₹ | Currency code: INR
Coin denominations: 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees. Note denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 2000 rupees.
1 USD = 83.00 INR (Approx.) Click www.xe.com for current currency exchanges rates
There are no restrictions on the importation of foreign currency by tourists, provided a declaration form is completed on arrival. The import and export of the rupee is, however, prohibited and may not be spent in duty free shops or on board aircrafts. Receipts for all currency must be kept, as it may be reconverted on departure.
It is advisable to carry money in the form of travellers’ cheques, preferably in US dollars, as it is widely recognised and accepted. Changing money through unauthorised persons is illegal as well as risky in respect of receiving counterfeit money.
 

Credit Cards
Most hotels, restaurants and some shops accept major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, RuPay.
 

Climate
During March, the temperature in Gandhinagar ranges between 36 to 19°C.
 

Time Zone
India has only one time zone which covers the entire country. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes (+5:30) ahead of GMT.
 

Telephone
The country code for India is +91. The city code for Gandhinagar is 079.
Landline: International access code (00 or +) followed by 91, then STD code followed by landline no. eg. +91 79 XXXXXXXX
Mobile: International access code (00 or +) followed by 91 and the 10-digit Mobile no. eg. +91 XXXXXXXXXX.