The Baroda Diaries - Day 5

 An early morning wake up and head off after breakfast to Champaner and Pavagadh which is about 50 kms away on the Baroda - Indore route. Champaner is a city, the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate during the 14th-15th century, which for some reason quickly was abandoned and became a lost town. Its a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site and that interested me a lot (don't ask me why). The Pavagadh hill has the famous Kalika Mata temple at the top of an imposing hill which can be reached by cable car or by walk (2000 steps). Its a very popular destination among devotees and the place is packed with them walking up.

M is not a good traveller by his own confession and to get him out of bed and moving early on an off day was not easy. But he committed and said he did not want to let me down and came as promised. We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed off with the taciturn yet professional Vishal, a young taxi owner who owns two new cars and is planning to buy another. He spoke little but took us straight to Champaner which is the town at the foothills.

Champaner has a fort, its walls lining the highway, and we turned in to go to the first site, Sahar ka masjid was our first stop where we bought some literature and tickets worth hundred bucks which will serve as entry tickets in other places like Jama masjid. The masjid is within the fort and the Pavagadh town. Its maintained as all UNESCO Heritage sites are maintained, with well manicured lawns and so on. Interestingly the style is a mix of Islamic, Hindu, and perhaps Jain, with intricate carvings, pillars, motifs etc which are very syncretic. Hardly had the feel of a regular mosque.

From there we went to the Mandvi structure close by which was the place where tariffs and customs and octroi was collected. Then to the magnificent Jama Masjid which is truly beautiful and very well preserved. There is an octagonal pond behind the Masjid. The masjid etc are all walking distance and in that sense its a bit like Hampi, only closer. Then we went to the Kevda mosque where I detoured in some village routes and ended up in a lonely place, well maintained though.

Then to the Kamani mosque, a ride up to the ropeway point on the Pavagadh hill where we decided not to go the full distance thanks to the crowds. On the way down we saw the stepwells - the helical one was impressive. And then we headed back. At the hotel by 2.