Champaner

The entrance to the Jama Masjid

For five years, while at college, I lived just 30 miles from Champaner and hadn't even heard of it! It is now rightfully, a world heritage site.

The town was founded in the 8th century, but the ruins we went to see were built in the late 15th and early 16th century by the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada. The ruins, which were mostly mosques, are beautiful early examples of Indo-Islamic architecture.

The monuments are spread out over the city of Champaner and it took some work to find them. Two of the mosques, Nagina and Kavada required a mile or so walk through the fields and scrub forests. To get to the Kamani Masjid, we drove along a narrow dirt road hemmed in with thorny shrubs that had us worried about getting a flat.

The town of Champaner from Pavagadh

The ramparts of Pavadadh Fort

The Sahar-ki-masjid (city mosque)

A Mihrab in the city mosque -- a Mihrab is a symbolic gateway to Mecca & is always built in the wall facing Mecca

The very impressive Jama Masjid from the South side

...the North side

The courtyard & Jama Masjid

The interior of the mosque

Detail of the columns

A Mihrab at the Jama Masjid

A Jharokha (window)

One of the shorter minarets

Mihrab -- see the same motif repeated

Carvings at the base of the main minarets

Windows in the courtyard walls

Tami exiting from what would have been the ladies area

Details of the Jharokha

The Kamani mosque is mainly in ruins, but you can see the detailed carvings

I climbed the ruins of a minaret to get this shot -- the Pavagadh hill is in the background

The walk to the Kevda & Nagina Masjids were well worth it -- this is the Kevda Masjid

The same motif at the center of the Mihrab

Carving detail in the main minarets

The Nagina mosque is made of a white stone

One of the Mihrabs in the mosque

 

This masouleum near the Nagina mosque was exquisitely carved; the central dome is no more

Details

Details of one of the pillars

The helical step well