Travel Guide Champaner

47 km northeast of Vadodara. The Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological park comprises a fortified hilltop city, Pavagadh, and a ruined ancient capital at its base, Champaner. This exceptional site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.Pavagadh's fortifications date back to the 8th century, and the city became the Chauhan capital in the early 14th century. It fell into the hands of the Sultan of Gujarat Mahmud Begada in 1484, after a twenty-month siege. Confident of their defeat, the Râjputs rushed to their deaths, committing jauhâr, a sacrificial custom. This mass suicide, glorified by songs commemorating these "acts of bravery", was practiced by entire communities of ruling castes of Râjputs when the outcome of the battle was deemed certain. The sultan then had a new capital built at the foot of the mountain. This in turn fell in 1535, taken by the Mughal emperor Humayun, who decided to return the capital to Ahmedabad. Champaner fell into oblivion, although Hindu and Jain pilgrims continued to visit the hilltop temples.Champaner citadel : a rectangle almost 1 kilometer long, housing a village and protected by a fortified enclosure. A second 6-kilometre-long enclosure surrounds the rest of the town. The most striking monuments are all mosques. Saher ki Masjid, just beyond the entrance, was probably the mosque reserved for the sovereign and his court. The most majestic, Jami Masjid, is located just outside the citadel, at the eastern gate. The magnificently decorated entrance door opens onto a beautiful garden framed by an ambulatory gallery. Beautifully carved pillars inside the prayer room. 600 meters to the west lies the Kevda Masjid. You can climb to the top of the minarets (steep, very narrow stairs) to admire the surrounding countryside and count the mosques that dot it. If you have the time, you can also visit the Nagina Masjid (500 meters to the north) for its geometric figures and the Lila Gumbaz ki Masjid (800 meters to the east) for its elongated domes.Pavagadh: the climb to the summit takes between two and three hours, depending on your pace. A shuttle bus, which departs opposite the Champaner citadel entrance, will take you halfway up, at a cost of Rs. 10. From there, a funicular (Rs. 100) will take you to the summit, where you'll have another 700 metres to cover to reach the Kalikamata temple. Built in the 11th century and dedicated to the goddess Kali, the Destroyer, this is the most sacred temple on the hill. Pilgrims flock to it at Navratri time. The oldest temple is Lakulisha, built in the 11th century. You'll also see a number of Jain temples. The view from the hill is absolutely breathtaking and well worth the climb.