JOIN USThere are a few places in the architectural history of India that have gone from a place of moderate importance to become the capital of one of the most influential sultanates, flourished for decades only to be attacked, ransacked and left deserted and lost to wilderness in just one century.
Champaner is one such place, where rise and fall of civilisation has taken place at a pace as rapid as that of a stock market. Champaner has everything of the old world charm — mosques, an old palace, a fort, a step-well and ancient streets. With the inclusion of the hill fort and temple of Pavagadh, it is now called the Champaner and Pavagadh Archeological Park.
A rich history
An hour’s journey from my base Vadodara brought me to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Champaner was founded by the Rajput King Vanraj Chavda of the Chavda Kingdom in the 8th century. The neighbouring city Pavagadh worked as a buffer zone between Mandu and Gujarat, and a key strategic point on trade routes emanating from Gujarat to the whole of India. The increasing glory of the town, however, lured invaders to Champaner. Many Gujarat sultans attempted to capture Pavagadh, but only Mahmud Begda succeeded in doing so in 1484, after laying siege to the city for nearly two years. He renamed the city Mohammadabad and shifted his capital from Ahmedabad to here. In 1535, the city was captured by Mughal ruler Humayun, and since the Mughals had control over both Gujarat and Malwa then, the city no longer enjoyed the status of a strategic buffer area, and the capital was moved back to Ahmedabad. This marked the start of the decline of Champaner and the rise of Ahmedabad.
Being a capital and a strategic centre, the city has huge fortifications, especially on the upper portions, which grow downward from there ending up on the lanes. We entered from the stoned road with huge ramparts on both sides. Some mesmerising examples of Mughal architecture were awaiting us. One such elegant piece is the Jami Masjid. The intricate carvings in the pillars and walls can amaze you. The mosque seems warped in time, with the dome at the entrance gate missing, and rusted iron pillars. One interesting thing about the mosque is the eclectic mix of Persian and Hindu styles of design on the walls and the frescos. An evident piece is the kalash, a Hindu religious symbol, on the mehrabs.
Our next halt was the Shehar Ki Masjid, contrary to its name, which indicates it being a civilian place, in actuality, it was the mosque reserved especially for the royal family. A little plain in design, the mosque is constructed on a raised plinth and the central arched entrance is flanked by two minarets.
We moved uphill to cover the monuments on the Pavagadh trail. The first structure on this trail is the Pavagadh Fort, located on the summit of this abrupt hill. Prior to the Mohammedan era, the fort was occupied by Rajput rulers. The wide fortified walls now stand in ruins. In these complexes, one can find streets, civil baths, layouts of a town and even rows of shops, all having survived despite the vagaries of time. The whole area is now an excavation site and the ASI never misses finding some rare jewels here. There are also graveyards, mausoleums and even richly-decorated temples in these ruins.
Mixed influences
As one moves further up, following the path (pilgrim’s route) leading to the Kalikamata Temple, one comes across many structures that were forerunners of the architectural styles later adopted. The elements indicate a fine import of Hindu design in the Muslim architectural ideology. Inside the Pavagadh Fort are some early Hindu and Jain temples standing as witness to the rich past this place has witnessed. Some monuments, which served as military bases and storage houses, are still intact. Standing on one end and looking at the ruins and the layout of the fort, one can retrace the architectural prowess of that era.
One thing that makes Champaner stand out among all its contemporaries is the adroit townsmanship, which one can still find in the ruins. There were multiple stepwells, like the helical stepwell and the vazu tanks in the mosques, which served the dual purpose of water harvesting and religious ablutions. The big mosques like the Jami Masjid also had elaborate water harvesting structures in their compounds. With my feet immersed in the bada talao, I looked at the Pavagadh hill, and the mystery draped in the evening mist. I overlooked a small town spreading across the floor of the valley and trailing up the bare hills, old, deserted but still retaining that charm.
Yet another attraction is the house of pigeons. Fondly called the Kabootar Khana or literally, pigeon roost, this was the summer pavilion of the kings of Champaner in Gujarat. It overlooks a beautiful lake. Cool breeze blows through the pillars on summer mid-morns. The path, which once bridged the nearby lake with the pavilion, has now gone under the state highway. The burnt, yellowed grass smells of dry heat. The gray clouds do not promise rain. Frozen in time, farmers plough the fields beyond for wheat, maize and pulses as egrets preen the lumbering bullocks. Across the road, delicate fronds fan the ancient bird-free roost.