Pavagadh Kalikamata and Champaner day trip from Vadodara

Champaner and Pavagadh's tryst with history began in the 7th - 8th century A.D. when it was founded by Vanaraja Chavda a prominent king of the Chavda (Chawda) dynasty that ruled present-day Gujarat from 690 to 942 A.D. Their capital was Patan, a town in Gujarat.

 

The Chawdas were succeed.ed by The Chalukya dynasty (also known as Solanki dynasty), who were subsequently succeeded by the Delhi Sultanate who were muslim rulers. 

 

Around the 15th century the Delhi Sultanate was overthrown by another muslim dynasty called as The Gujarat Sultanate. Mahmud Begada was a prominent ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate who had taken control of Champaner. 

 

Mahmud's last name Begada, means the 'Conqueror of two forts', attributed to his conquest of the forts of Girnar & Champaner. And that explains why the historical sites of Champaner and Pavagadh bear both Hindu as well Muslim architectural influences.

Suggested read- Gujarat Sultanate: muslim invasions Part 3

Basic information

How to get there :

From Vadodara Central bus station (platform #17) take the ST bus to Pavagadh. Buses leave every 30 mins. Ticket costs 50rs. Alternately you can take an ST bus to Halol and from there hop onto a shared auto to Pavagadh. 

Orientation :

Champaner's archaeological sites are at the foothills of Pavagadh and nearer to the bus stand. Whereas, the temple of Kali Mata is located atop Pavagadh hill. 

Kalika mata mandir, Pavagadh 

This mandir dates from the 10th - 11th century and is a Shakti Peetha sthal. This is the place where goddess Sati's toe is said to have fallen.

 

Kalikamata mandir, Pavagadh - a shakti peetha temple 

A new age and changing times 

With the coming of BJP rule in India one of the party's commitment was in restoring Hindu temples from their earlier destruction at the hands of tyrannical muslim rulers.

 

In the 15th century when Muhammad Begada attacked Pavagadh. The Kalimata mandir's main spire was broken and the temple was also vandalized.

Thereafter, redevelopment work began in 2022 and the temple has now been rebuilt after a span of 500 years. This is a remarkable gift by the BJP govt to the people of this region and Gujarat. The mausoleum of Sadan Shah Pir, a Sufi saint, is moved to a different location.

 

Renovated Kalika mata temple at Pavagad was inaugurated by PM Shri Narendra Modi and CM of Gujarat Bhupendra Bhai Patel on 18/ June '22

 

The dome has also been taken down and the temple shikara that existed at the time that the temple was constructed has been once again set up with the temple 'Dhwaja' flying over it. 

Red is the predominant color of all Shakti stalas- red kumkum tika, kalimata flags, red headbands and even red clothing. The image of Kali Mata with Mahakali to the right and Bahuchara mata to the left looks resplendent. 

Red vermilion kumkum. Red is the predominant color of shakti sthalas 

How to reach the temple - 

From Pavagadh, walk a bit ahead to where the temple arch is. There are many Toofan jeeps here that drive pilgrims uphill till Manchi, so join in with the rest. They charge 30 rs per pax.

 

Then walk for ½ km until the pathway steps. There are approx 3000 steps for those who wish to climb all the way up. It will take about 1 to 1½ hour.

 

Alternately, there is a ropeway service that hauls pilgrims to the temple on top of the hill. The cost is 169 rs per person (both ways) and will save you a lot of time. Kids and Students concession tickets are also available.

Tip- the mandir is open throughout the day. When I visited on 21/June 22, there was a pretty lengthy wait of upto 2hr at the ropeway queue. On our return however it was relatively empty.😳

Champaner collection of monuments 

Walking through the well-preserved monuments of Champaner is a nice way to spend a couple of hours soaking in the history of the place.

Champaner timings: Open on all days of the week from 8 AM to 6 PM

Ticket- 35 to 40 rs/ adult for all Champaner sites

Tip- Champaner archeological sites are within 4-5 kms radius at different locations. Autos are available. Do keep water and snacks handy.

Champaner was once the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate after Ahmedabad, but was later abandoned in 1536. Beyond the citadel doors of this walled city are monuments and mosques from that period. The scale at which the city was built will leave you spellbound such as- 

• Large reservoirs to store monsoon rains for the rest of the year. These were built using earthen beams to contain the natural flow of streams coming downhill.

Jami masjid

The most prominent monument within the walled city is the Jami masjid. This grand mosque was built in 1513 and is located near the east gate.

The Jami masjid of Champaner 

Basically the word Jami means 'public', however, the mosque is presently not in use. Note the jharokhas and beautiful stonework starting from the entrance itself. The multiple pillars inside the mosque have a distinctive Indo-Islamic influence. Even the motifs and ornamentations on the walls are as one would expect in a Hindu or Jain temple.

The base of the Jami masjid minar, Champaner. Note the motifs which are very similar to Jain temples

Shaher ki masjid

Shaher ki masjid means 'mosque of the city'. This 3 domed mosque within the archeological site is located right opposite the Pavagadh bus stand and is much smaller in size. It was a private mosque built for the royal family and nobles of the Gujarat Sultanate (15th - 16th century) 

Three cells and Customs house

3 cells monument at Champaner 

There are many other monuments which I had to skip due to lack of time. Thanks for reading!

 

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