Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park

Located at the foothill of the Pavagadh, Champaner is 50 km from Baroda in the State of Gujarat. The complete hill is one amongst the oldest stone formations in India and resembles a reddish-yellow shade. Pavagadh hill measures to a height 800 m and was once standing as a fortress of the Hindus under the regime of the Solanki Kings and later under the Khichi Chauhans. The fort was later taken over by Sultan Mehmud Begarah in 1484 and renamed as Muhammadabad. There are many temples dating back to the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th centuries, all built in the Nagara style. The ruins are stretched over an area of 6 sq km at the foothills of Pavagadh.

There are many ramparts on this hill, few begin from the hill top and end in the plains. These ramparts/fortifications are made of enormous sandstones, with intermediary citadels with striking balconies. Most of them stand in ruins and amid the ruins there are five mosques that are in excellent state. The most significant of them is the Jama Masjid that is positioned east of the regal area. The structures here speak highly of the Indo-Muslim architecture.

This place speaks of the ancient Hindu, Jain styles of construction and temples and extraordinary water preserving systems collectively with its holy, military and farming formations. Champaner-Pavagadh archeological park has established a position in the list of world heritage sites declared by UNESCO in 2004. This place the capital of the 15th century rulers was dug out by Professor R. N. Mehta in the late 1960s.

Champaner-Pavagadh archeological park

Every monument that stands among the ruins commands a closer look. There are more than a 100 monuments both small and large that date back to the early medieval period of Indian history. There are a few standing structures amongst the ruins of this place. Inside the inner bastion area stands a small village way back from the 19th century. There is also the famous Kalikamata temple situated on this hill. The mosques here resemble Hindu architecture. This place is spoken of as the entry to the Panchmahals, an area that is owned by the local backward tribes. The place is open from sunrise to sunset and an entry fee of Rs.5/- is charged for people aged above 15 years.

The summers are pretty warm and rainfall is experienced between June and August. Winter is between November and March. The best time to visit this pace is between October and June. Staying at Baroda would be the best option as it would offer a choice of accommodation.