Patan

Patan pronunciation (help·info) was a capital of Gujarat in medieval times. It is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and administered by municipality. The city contains many Hindu and Jain temples as well as few mosques, dargahs and rojas. The city has many historical places also.

History : Patan, an ancient fortified town, was founded in 745 AD by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda Kingdom. He named the city Anhilpur Patan or "Anhilwad Patan" after his close friend and Prime Minister Anhil shepherd. It is variously referred to in Sanskrit literature as Anahilpatak, Anahipattan, Anahilpur, Anahilvad Pattan, Pattan etc.

These Chalukya rajputs, with Paramaras of Malwa, the Chauhans of Sakambhari and Chandellas of Kalanjar and Mahoba, were serious contestants for supremacy in northern India. At the zenith of their imperial greatness the bounds of Gujarat were extended to cover Saurashtra and Kutch in the West, Lata in the South, Malwa in the East and Southern Rajasthan in the North. Historian Tertius Chandler estimates that Anhilwara was the tenth-largest city in the world in the year 1000, with a population of approximately 100,000.
When Muizzuddin Muhammad Ghori had attempted to conquer Gujarat, the forces of Mularaja-II, the then King of Patan, a mere boy-ruler, led by his heroic mother Naikidevi, inflicted such a crushing and conclusive defeat on him that the foreigner did not dare again during his life time to cast his greedy eye upon Patan. He never again entered India through Gujarat. The battle was fought at Kayadra, a village near Mount Abu. Muizzuddin’s army was completely routed in the conflict, but Somehow he escaped with his defeated army from Gujarat.

Muhammed's general (and later Sultan of Delhi) Qutb-ud-din Aybak sacked the city between 1200 and 1210, and it was destroyed by the Alladin Khilji in 1298.
The modern town of Patan later sprung up near the ruins of Anhilwara. During 1304 to 1411, First Patan Was the Gujarat State or Suba Headquarter of Delhi Sultanate and then Capital City of Gujarat Sultanate after the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate at the end of the fourteenth century. A new Fort was built by these Subas, a large portion of which along with a Few of the Gates is still intact. The old Fort of Hindu Kingdom is nearly vanquished and only a wall can be seen on the way from Kalka to Ranaki ni Vaav. In 1411, Sultan Ahmed Shah moved the capital to Ahmedabad.
Patan was part of the Maratha state of Baroda from the mid-eighteenth century until India's independence in 1947, when Baroda became part of Bombay state, which in 1960 was separated into Gujarat and Maharashtra.

 

The glory of Patan reached its zenith during the Solanki period the golden age of Gujarat. During these years, the city was a great place of learning and a prosperous trading center. The rulers were great patrons of fine arts and architecture and undertook construction of many civic and religious edifices in the city.

The Jain text, 'Kumarpala Rasa', describes Patan as a prosperous fortified town; 18 miles in circumference with 84 town squares, 52 bazaars, mints of gold and silver, well laid gardens with fountains and trees, grammar school of Sanskrit and Prakrit, numerous Hindu and Jain temples and Sahastralinga Talav.

After last Vaghela ruler, Karan Ghelo lost to Ulugh Khan in 1289 AD, the Muslims plundered the town, destroyed the temples and ruined the entire city. Today, one can barely find the traces of such a magnificent town. The most significant monuments in Patan are Rani ki Vav, Sahastralinga Talav and Khan Sarovar.

Rani ki Vav is an excellent example of subterranean architecture of Gujarat. This Vav was constructed by Udaymati, the queen of Bhimdev (1022-63 AD). The exisquisitely carved side walls, pillars, beams, series of steps and platforms lead to the elaborately carved water well. Every surface is adorned with finelly chiselled sculptures of maidens and Hindu deities, religious motifs and geometrical patterns. Rani ki Vav represents the finest of the Indian sculptures and architecture.

Sahastralinga Talav is among the many artificial tanks built in different parts of Gujarat, under the patronage of Siddhraj Jaisinh (1093-1143 AD). The architecture of this tank integrated the great sense of water management and sanctity of water in Hindu religion. The tank used to receive water from a canal of the Saraswati river and had spread of about five km with masonary embankments. There were thousand Shiva Shrines on the edge of the tank. Some remains of the same are even visible today. Looking at the rums, one can imagine the grandeur of this great water tank. The famous legend of Siddhraj Jaisinh's desire for Jasma Odan, a beautiful woman of the tank diggers' community, revolves around this tank. She refused to marry him and committed sati to protect her honour. It is believed that her curse made this tank waterless and the king without a heir to the kingdom of Gujarat.

Khan Sarovar, located outside South Gate, is a water tank from Solanki period with stone steps and masonary. Mirza Aziz Kokah (1589 AD) renovated this tank using the stones from ruined structures.

There are at least 100 Jain temples in Patan; the most important to visit is the Mahavir Swami Derasar in Dhandherwad with exquisitely carved wooden dome. The important Hindu temples are Kalika Mata, Sindhwai Mata, Harihareshwar Mahadev and Brahma Kund.

For visitors interested in Jainism and Indology, a visit to the Hemachandracharya Gyan Mandir is a must. It contains thousands of rare ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Hemachandracharya was a great scholar and grammarian- the first one to formulate the grammar of the Gujarati language. Patan is the only center of unique weaving craft of 'Patola' since the time of King Kumarpal (ruled 1143-73 AD). Even today, this age old traditional weaving craft is practised by a few families.

The urban structure of the town is made of several neighbourhoods called 'Pols'. 'Pols' are densely populated and are like a maze with winding narrow lanes. Some of them contain old beautiful houses with carved wooden facades in traditional Gujarati architectural style.

Excursions :
Siddhapur (Bohravad, Rudra Mahalaya) 28 km, Vadnagar (Hatkeshwar Mahadev, Kirti Torana) 70 km

Travel Information :
Air : Nearest Airport is Ahmedabad (125 km)
Rail : Railway Station on Ahmedabad-Patan line
Road : Ahmedabad (125 km), Siddhapur (28 km)
Local transport : Non-Metered Autorickshaws
Accomodation : Local Guest Houses and Dharamshalas Food :Local Restaurants and Local eating Joints.

Patan durbar square:- As in kathmandu, the ancient royal palace of patan faces on to a royal square and this concentrated mass of temples in undoubtedly the most visually stunning display of newari architecture to be seen in Nepal. The rectangular square has its longer axis running approximately north south and the palace from the eastern side of the square. A continuous row of temples in widely divers styles faces the palace on the western site.

Patan museum :- Patan museum is one of the best museum. This is a part of the palace around keshav Narayan chock has been superbly renovated and house one of the subcontinent's finest museums. entrance fee are require RS 250 for foreign nationals tourist, Rs 50 for SAARC countries visitors. The main feature of the museum is an outstanding collection of cast bronze and gilt-copper work. Mostly of Hindu and Buddhist deities . There are some fascinating photo of patan at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Rato Machhendranath temple:- South of durbar square on the western side of the road, is the rato machhendranath temple. Rato machhendranath, the God of rain and plenty, comes in variety of incarnations. To Buddhists he is the tantric edition of avalokiteshvara, while to Hindu he is another version of God Shiva. standing in a large courtyard, the three storey temple dates from 1673, although an earlier temple may have existed on the site since 1408. Occurring on a 12 years cycle the procession continues out of patan to the village of Bungmati, 5 km to the south. Dragging the heavy chariot along this Bumpy

Zoo:- Nepal's only one zoo is in the southwestern part of patan. Just north of Jwalakhel. it includes a reasonably extensive collection of Nepali wildlife, Including Rhinos, tiger, leopards, monkeys and birds. while it is a another depressing animal prison.

GODAVARI: Situated at the foothills of Pulchowki, this place has splendid natural beauty. The road from Patan city runs to Godavari to the southeast, passing through the small, old towns of Harisiddhi, Thaiba, and Badegaon. A holy place in Nepal, it is also a good picnic spot amid dense forests. It is the site of the only Royal Botanical Garden in Nepal. A fish hatchery and a marble quarry also are located here.

PULCHOWKI: Located around ten kilometers southeast of Patan, this mountain, 2759 meters high, is a good spot for hiking. Rhododendrons of different varieties and colors from pure white to dark red are found here. A Buddhist shrine is situated on the top of the hill which can be reached via a motorable road.