Kankaria Lake is the second-largest lake in Ahmedabad, built in 1451 by Sultan Qutbuddin Ahmad Shah II in a beautiful 34-sided polygon. The central island, Nagina Wadi, holds the original pavilion garden where the sultans summered. The lake fell into disuse for centuries, was choked with weeds for most of the 20th century, and was reborn in 2008 after a major restoration of the bunds and the surrounding park.
Today the 3-kilometre lakefront is the city's main evening promenade — a continuous loop of jogging paths, a children's amusement park, a small zoo, a balloon ride, paddle boats, and dozens of food stalls. The annual Kankaria Carnival in late December turns the whole place into a week-long fairground. Free entry until 4pm; ticketed evenings.