Located on the banks of the river Sabarmati, Ahmedabad was once known as the Manchester of India; it is now a city of entrepreneurship, leading India’s health industry. Ahmedabad enjoys a thriving cultural tradition as the center of Gujarati's different ethnic and religious communities. Popular celebrations and observances include Uttarayan, an annual kite-flying day on January 14th, the annual Rath Yatra procession on the Ashadh-sud-bij date of the Hindu calendar, and the procession of Tajia during the Muslim holy month of Muharram. A rising center of education, information technology and scientific industries, Ahmedabad remains the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat and much of western India.
