The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the state of Gujarat, India. This site is particularly significant due to its rich historical, cultural, and architectural heritage, spanning several centuries and civilizations. Having visited many architectural wonders in India in the past including the beautiful temple complex of Pattadakal, the cave temples of Badami, the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, the ruins of Vijayanagar empire in Hampi and many more. There was no way I would have left it out of my itinerary when I planned my two weeks trip to Gujarat.
So, on the fourth day of our trip, when we started from Indore to drive to the Statue of Unity, we took added a de-tour to the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park in between. Today, let me take you through armchair tour of the Champaner-Pavagadh archeological park today. Also, you can consider this article as your complete guide to explore the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park complex. Unfortunately, when I visited here, there was no one guide or person who could systematically tell what all I can explore and see in this region. But I am sure, with this guide in place, you will not be in the same situation.
In face, I was expecting the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park complex to be organised like how I had found the Khajuraho Temple Complex or the Aihole Ancient Temples Complex while exploring Badami region of Karnataka. But, it was all scattered, with no clear instructions. So, it becomes all the more important to know about the region before you go so that you are able to do justice to it’s beauty as well as the time you are dedicating to visiting here.
History of the Champaner-Pavagadh region
The area of Champaner-Pavagadh has a long history of settlement and religious importance. In fact, it has evidence of human activity dating back to the 8th century CE !! So, you can say just like the Indus Valley Civilisation site of Dholavira, the pre-historic site of Lothal and many other such places in Gujarat, this is also a very old site. In fact, Champaner was the capital of the Mahmud Begada, a Sultan of Gujarat, during the 15th century, and the city flourished under his rule. The Sultan established a major administrative and military center in the area. And Pavagadh Hill has been an important pilgrimage site with Hindu and Jain temples, dating back to earlier periods.
The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 due to its outstanding cultural and historical value, particularly the well-preserved ruins and the combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles.
A walk through the places of significance in the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park
The whole area of old Champaner kingdom is strongly fortified. The walls of this fort stand tall and strong even today. And are the first sight that you will witness as you approach the area. With the help of google maps, we arrived here. But, unfortunately, there was no one to tell where to park our vehicle and where to start exploring. So, once again, taking google’s help, we found a public parking ground around 500 meters from the fortified town. There is a parking fee of INR 100/- . And you can leave your vehicle here for the whole day.
Urban Archeological Complex of Champaner
You can say that the whole Champaner-Pavagadh archeological site is like an open air historical complex. It has several important parts. Which can be broadly categorized in two – (1) those belonging to the Urban Archeological Complex of Champaner (2) those located on the Pavagadh Hill. To explore all of these will require one complete day.
Below are the significant places in the Urban Archeological Complex of Champaner –
- Jama Masjid
- Lila Gumbaj ki Masjid
- The fort walls and gates
- Step Wells (Vav)
And in the Pavagadh Hills lies these places of significance
- Kalika Mata Temple
- Jain Temples
- Vishnu Temple
You can explore the above sites in an order, using this google map of Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park.
Apart from these, you will also find archeological remains of mosques, tanks, step-wells, water wells and havelis across the whole area as far and wide as you go.
Jama Masjid Champaner
The Jama Masjid in Champaner is perhaps the most prominent and intact structure of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park. It is located to the north left of the fort area of Champaner, in a campus of it’s own. There is an entry fee of INR 40/- per adult to this complex. This was the first structure that we explored. And I was blown away by the beauty in the intricacy and details of each of the pillars and walls of the Masjid. I could somehow relate it to the kind of intricate work, window and door patterns and impressive courtyards that I had seen in the Orchha Fort of Bundelkhand Empire on my trip to Madhya Pradesh.
The Masjid complex also has a pond behind. There are washrooms available on the far end of the complex.
The fort walls and gates
The fortification of Champaner includes massive city walls and several gates, remnants of the city’s former strategic importance. After visiting the Jama Masjid, I entered the fortified ancient empire through the main gate diagonally opposite the Jama Masjid. As I entered the fort, I realised it was a fort with massive fortification. There are several entry gates to the fort. And there is a proper road that goes inside, with the whole current town living inside it. The vast expanses of the Champaner Fort can be compared to that of the Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad, the Chittorgarh fort which I had visited long back on my trip to Udaipur or even the vast Chitradurga Fort in Karnataka!! However, sadly, very less of the actual Champaner Fort structures survive as of today.
PS: You can take you vehicle inside the fort from the main gate. And park it anywhere on the side road. To walk around and explore the ruins.
Lila Gumbaj ki Masjid
As we entered inside, we headed straight to the T-junction. Where I found another significant part of the fort structures. That house the Lila Gumbaj ki Masjid and parts of the palace where the royal family lived. The architectural elements here, including the intricacies on the pillars and walls, the arched entryways and domes – all were very similar to what we had witnessed in Jama Masjid.
Step Wells (Vav)
The step wells of Gujarat and Rajasthan are definitely sites to withhold. They present architectural as well as engineering marvels of the ancient times. As they provided excellent water storage as well as management facility in the otherwise arid regions. Apart from the very famous Rani ki Vav, the Adlaj Stepwell and several others in Gujarat, the step wells of Champaner may not be as famous. But they are as beautiful. You will find several of them as you explore the region.
Kalika Mata Temple
After exploring the ruins of Champaner fort, you can head to the most important place in the current Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park region – Kalika Mata Temple. This temple lies on top of the Pavagadh Hills that lie right besides the Champaner Fort. There is a winding road that passes through dense green regions as you drive upto the temple. The Kalika Mata Temple is a major Hindu pilgrimage site. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kali and attracts thousands of devotees every year.
Jain Temples of Pavagadh
There are several Jain temples scattered across the hills, reflecting the Jain community’s historical presence in the area. I could pinpoint one on the map above. But if you want to explore multiple of them, best is to ask a local for directions.
The natural beauty of Pavagadh Hills
Apart from the temples of religious significance and the archeological remains, the Pavagadh Hills also offer stunning views of the surrounding region, including forests, lakes, and the nearby city of Champaner. The hill is also home to diverse flora and fauna, adding to its ecological significance. So, don’t forget to keep sometime apart when you visit here just to soak in the natural beauty of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park region.
How to reach Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park
Vadodara is the nearest major city to Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park. It takes only a little over an hour to reach the Pavagadh Hills from Vadodara. There are several organised tours also conducted from Vadodara and Ahmedabad to Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park. If you are staying in one of these cities, you can also take one of these tours. A half a day trip will be more than enough to explore most of the places in the archeological park. If not taking a guided tour, you can book a taxi or take a bus from Ahmedabad or Vadodara to the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park.
We visited the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park en-route to Statue of Unity and Narmada Tent City from Indore. Although, it did require a little de-tour from our main route, but that was ok.
When is the best time to visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park
Like most of Gujarat, the best time to visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological park and the surrounding areas is post monsoons, from October to March. However some say the region reaches the epitome of it’s beauty during the monsoons. As the hills get a fresh blanket of green fauna. But, the drive through the hills might not be a good idea during heavy rains. So, do check the weather forecast and plan accordingly if visiting during the monsoons.
Other important tips to visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park
- There are no good hotels or restaurants nearby the main archeological site. You should either pack and carry your meal with you. Or, plan to finish exploring the region in half a day and be back by lunch time to Vadodara.
- A washroom facility is available in the Jama Masjid complex, apart from that, I didn’t find any.
- There is no guide to help you navigate through the region. Pin down the sites that I mentioned above in a google map. Or, follow this map of mine.
- Here’s a list of hotels in Vadodara and accommodation list of Ahmedabad that you can browse through to book your stay in one of these cities.
- Carry your sunglasses, hat, water bottle, sunscreen etc. with you for sun protection.
- Wear comfortable cotton cloths and comfortable walking shoes when visiting here.