A concentration of largely unexcavated living cultural, historical and archaeological heritage assets is housed in an impressive landscape of prehistoric (rock) sites, a hill fortress of the capital. early Hindu capital and ruins of the 16th-century capital of the state of Gujarat. The site also includes, among other monuments, fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential areas, agricultural works and water systems, from the 8th to 14th centuries. Kalikamata Temple on the top of Pavagadh Hill is considered an important temple, attracting a large number of pilgrims all year round. This site is the only complete and unchanged pre-Mughal Muslim city.

Accreditation year: 2004
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)(vi)
Property : 1,328.89 ha
Buffer zone: 2,911.74 ha
State of Gujarat, Panchmahal . district

Table of Contents

Outstanding global value

The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, located in the Panchmahal district of the state of Gujarat in northwestern India, is home to a concentration of living cultural, historical and archaeological heritage properties set in an impressive landscape. Focusing on Pavagadh Hills, a volcanic formation 800 meters above the surrounding plains, the property includes the remains of settlements dating from prehistoric to medieval times, later built represented by a hill fortress of the early Hindu capital (14th century) and the remains of an Islamic state capital established in the 15th century. The property is extensive, encompassing 12 distinct areas. , containing the remains of fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential areas and water retaining structures, as well as the inhabited village of Champaner.

The area was conquered in the 13th century by the Khichi Chauhan Rajputs, who built their first settlement atop Pavagadh Hill and the city walls along the plateau below the hill. The earliest built ruins from this period include temples, and among the important remains is a water retaining system. The Turkish rulers of Gujarat conquered the hill fortress in 1484. With King Mehmud Begda’s decision to choose it as his capital, the most important period of the site’s history began. . Champaner’s settlement at the foot of the hill was rebuilt and remained the capital of Gujarat until 1536, when it was abandoned.

With the exception of the structural remains of the main buildings and fortresses, most parts of the capital remain buried and unexcavated, although the planning and integration of features are visible. essentials of a city – royal estates, amenities, religious buildings and spaces. and explain. Champaner-Pavagadh’s 14th-century temples and water retaining structures, along with the later capital city’s religious, military and agricultural structures, represent both Hindu and Islamic. Champaner’s importance as the capital and residence of a king is best illustrated in the Great Mosque (Jama Masjid), which has become a model for mosque architecture. later in India. At Champaner, land, people and built heritage are all components of a complex and dynamic process.

Criterion (iii): Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park with ancient architecture, temples and special water retaining structures along with religious, military and agricultural structures, dating from the Citadel Capital Street of the region, built in the 16th century by Mehmud Begda, represents cultures that have disappeared.

Criterion (iv): Structures exhibiting a perfect blend of Hindu-Islamic architecture, mainly in the Great Mosque (Jama Masjid), have become the model for home architecture later Islam in India. This particular style comes from the important period of the kingdoms in the region.

Criterion (v): Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is an outstanding example of a very short-lived capital that makes the best use of its setting, topography and natural features. It is quite vulnerable to abandonment, invaded forests and modern life.

Criterion (vi): Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a place of constant worship and pilgrimage for Hindu devotees.

Integrity

Within the confines of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park lie all the known elements necessary to embody the Outstanding Universal Value of the heritage, including a complex of pre-royal royal buildings and complexes. history and the beginning and end of the Middle Ages. The archaeological deposits are largely unexcavated. The 1328.89 hectare property is the right size to ensure full representation of its features and processes that convey its meaning. The property caters to a small number of visitors at the heavily protected monuments, but attracts a large number of visitors at the hilltop Brahmin religious temple, Kalika Mata temple. The landscaping and buildings are well maintained and complete although considerable structural conservation work is required. The preserved architecture blends seamlessly with the surrounding cityscape, below and overlooking the picturesque rim of nearby hills. There is no discernible threat to cultural sites, nor is the property adversely affected by development and/or neglect. There is a buffer zone with a total area of 2911.74 ha.

Authenticity

The property is completely authentic in terms of location and context, form and design as well as materials and materials. Structural and chemical preservation of protected monuments and sites has been accomplished, while other monuments and archaeological remains have largely been left as they were found to open up the possibility for others understand the original attributes and values of a given heritage population, and especially for future generations to develop alternative explanations in line with current science. In a limited number of cases where the stability of the monument is threatened, minimal restoration has been carried out, clearly demarcating the boundaries and recording the extent of the restoration. There are no changes in design, workmanship or placement.

Protection and management requirements

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, has multiple owners including Archaeological Survey of India, Gujarat State Forest Service, State Archaeological Department and State Revenue Department, Jai Kalika Temple Trust, Foundation Jain Temple Trusts, Fakir Cult Fund and private sector, protected under the Antiquities and Archaeological Monuments Act (AMASR) (1958) and the Rule (1959), as amended (1992), and the Amendment and Confirmation Act (2010), the Gujarat Antiquities and Archaeological Monuments Act (1965), and the Champaner-Pavagadh World Heritage Area Administration Act (2006), as well as various Forest Acts and Gujarat Panchayats Act (1961). Thirty-nine monuments and sites are individually protected.

A decentralized framework of archaeologists and conservationists at the federal and state levels is available to provide information on conservation, conservation, and asset management. The Archaeological Survey of India works with the Champaner-Pavagadh World Heritage Area Authority to manage the property. The latter has been built under the chairmanship of the Secretary General of Government of Gujarat, and all stakeholders are members, including the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India. An Integrated Management Plan, as recommended by the World Heritage Committee to underpin conservation decisions and interventions, was developed and adopted.