600 Years of Old Ahmedabad — and a Second Life for Cloth

Today started with a visit to Old Ahmedabad — a vibrant, colourful city full of friendly people and heritage. It welcomed us with many pillars: gates, faith and stories, each one representing a piece of the city’s past. The city is over 600 years old and still lived in by locals. One thing that surprised me was how few trees are planted — mainly because there is almost zero unpaved space. Old Ahmedabad showed me that tradition and heritage can stay alive, even as the whole world decides to become ‘modern’.

After that, we visited the India Recycling office to learn how they recycle clothes and other reusable materials. The team walked us through the complete process: how donated clothes are collected, sorted, cleaned and prepared for reuse. We learned about the importance of reducing textile waste and how recycling helps protect the environment.

The clothes were sold at nearly half the price of new items — accessible to people from low-income communities while encouraging sustainable shopping. Recycling isn’t only about reducing waste; it’s about supporting people and a more sustainable lifestyle.

Finally, we visited the Vishalla, where we saw large vessels and tools used for all kinds of purposes. What surprised me most were the water bags, carved into beautiful shapes — the ancient equivalent of today’s water bottles. Later we tried local Gujarati food, were amazed by the folk dances, and ended our day dancing along to the rhythm.