There are religious sites to visit, natural escapades to visit or beautiful high landscapes to visit. But then you get all of it at just one location. That is Pavagadh for you. Pavagadh hill is a standalone hill located on the plains of Panchmahal district of Gujarat. At one point Pavagadh was a self sufficient fortified town at a high elevation. But at present all of that is in ruins. However, the place holds a lot of importance because of the Pavagadh Temple situated here.
Furthermore it is believed that Pavagadh Temple Gujarat is a Shakti Peeth which attracts a major chunk of visitors on a daily basis. If there can be some places that will leave you in awe of their formation or sustainability, relevance and history, Pavagadh Hill can be one of those. If you are ever visiting Gujarat then you should surely include Pavagadh Temple in your itinerary. Keep on reading this article as I will mention everything that you probably need to know about the Pavagadh hill and Pavagadh temple. This article will be helpful for you in planning a successful trip to this beautiful location in Gujarat.
Pavagadh Temple
Location: Pavagadh Bava Bazar, Pavagadh, Gujarat
Pavagadh Temple timings: 6 am to 7:30 pm on all days
Overview of Pavagadh Temple
Located on top of 762 metres above sea level the Pavagadh Temple is located within the Champaner Pavagadh Archeological Park. Which is one of the names in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a small temple dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kalikamata or the Great Black Mother. Hence the temple is called the Kalika Mata Temple. You can find three images of goddesses there. The main deity is Goddess Kalikamata, on the right there is Goddess Kali and on the left Goddess Bahuchara Mata.
Furthermore this temple is considered as one of the 51 Shakti peethas. It is believed that the Toe of Goddess Sati fell here. The main reason behind people travelling to Pavagadh hill is the Pavagadh Temple Shakti Peeth. Amongst devotees also the Pavagadh Temple holds a lot of importance and this temple is considered as one of the most important shrines in Gujarat. Each day thousands of devotees visit here and during special occasions the number rises up to hundred thousand as well. There is a special fair arranged in the Chaitra month during the full moon in April. Which attracts a major chunk of visitors. Also another important festival here is the Navaratri festival where the devotees visit here for the celebration of all Shatki Goddesses
How to reach Pavagadh Temple
By air
The Vadodara airport is the nearest airport to reach the Pavagadh Temple. Which is connected to most of the major cities.
By train
Champaner station located only 1 km away is the nearest railway station to reach Pavagadh Temple.
By road
Pavagadh Temple distance from Vadodara is about 45 km and you can take a car or travel in a bus to reach there.
However till Pavagadh it would be just the first step to reach the Pavagadh temple. From the summit of the Pavagadh Hill you will have to reach the Pavagadh Machi. If you are taking your personal vehicle you will find a parking spot at the base of the Pavagadh hill as many people don’t feel comfortable to drive on such high elevated roads. Furthermore to reach Machi there are buses available from Champaner bus stand that ply on this route frequently.
Pavagadh Ropeway
From Machi there are again two options to reach on top of the hill. You can take the Pavagadh Temple steps and climb up the mountain which generally takes an hour to reach the top. However a more comfortable option is the Pavagadh Ropeway which will take you to the top of the hill in 6 minutes. This ropeway service has continued since 1986 and is known as Maa Mahakalika Udan Khatola. Ticket price for the ropeway is Rs. 71 for people below 110 cm and for people above 110 cm it is Rs. 142 for both ways. The Pavagadh Ropeway is open from 6 am to 6 pm and you can get the tickets from there. Furthermore from there the temple is 500 metres away and this distance should be covered by foot.
Pavagadh Temple history
It is believed that the Pavagadh Mandir in Pavagadh is one of the oldest shrines of that area that dates back to 10th and 11th century. According to historians Kalikamata was initially worshipped by the tribes of Bhil and Koli. Later the Goddess was invoked by Viswamitra sage and was worshipped in the form of Chandi or Durga.
Furthermore there is a legend associated with the Pavagadh temple as well. It is said that once during Navaratri the temple organized a Garba where thousands of devotees danced to show their faith towards the Goddess. By seeing that even the Goddess was impressed and she herself danced with the devotees disguised as a local woman. Meanwhile Patai Jaising the king of that area saw a woman and got enchanted with her beauty. He held her hand and made some inappropriate remarks. Furthermore the goddess was angry with the turn of events and warned the king thrice to leave the hand of that woman and asked him to apologise to her. But the king was adamant. The Goddess was furious because of that and cursed him that his kingdom would fall. Later in times Muslim invader Mahmud Begada invaded his kingdom and also killed King Jaisinh.
Read More: TEMPLE CITIES IN INDIA | CITY OF TEMPLES IN INDIA
Tourists attractions in Pavagadh Hill
Other than The Pavagadh Temple there are some other sites of attractions for the tourists in the Pavagadh Hill as well.
Pavagadh Jain Temples
The Pavagadh hill is not only an important site of pilgrimage for Hindus but also a lot of Jain temples are seen here. There are three types of Jain temples here. One is the temples found near the Naqqarkhana Gate which are called the Navalakka Temples. Then there are the temples made to honour the Jain Tirthankaras Chandraprabhu and Suparshvanatha. Furthermore there are temples near the Dudhiya Talav on the south east of the Pavagadh Hill. It is believed that the construction of these temples goes back to 14th and 15th centuries. Architecturally these temples look beautiful made in white stones. You can also see elaborately carved images on the outer walls of the temples dedicated to Jain Pantheon.
Pavagadh Gates
You can find a total of 8 gates in Pavagadh. The first one is the Atak Gate which is a two storied structure which was used to surprise the enemies in ancient times. The second one is the Budhiya Gate, third is Sadan Sha Gate or Moti Gate, fourth is an unnamed gate with a big bastion cell, fifth is the Gulan Bulan Gate, and sixth is the Buland Darwaza.
Mint
This is located near Gate no 4 and it is the place where the copper coins were minted during the rule of Sultan Begada and his successors. This mint holds a lot of historical relevance as this was one of the 4 mints during that time in Gujarat. Later when Mughal emperor Humayun conquered Champaner in 1535 defeating the Sultan of Gujarat, he minted coins here to celebrate his victory.
Sat Kaman
This is one of the most picturesque points in the Pavagadh hill as well as one of the popular structures here. As the name suggests there were Sat or 7 arches of this old fort but at present only 6 arches are there. Furthermore this fort was used to keep an eye on the enemies. Built of yellow sandstone, this fort is quite easily accessible as it is located close to the main road.
Khapra Zaveri No Mahal
This is a palace belonging to the medieval era. At present most of the portions of this palace is in ruins but it still holds a lot of importance for the tourists. Built amidst scenic landscape this palace is completely made of sand stones. Furthermore you can see a view of the Vishwamitri River from here as well. With arches, domes, huge entrance gates, spacious courtyard, thick walls it is one of the most intriguing spots that you can explore here.
Sat Manzil
This is a seven storied structure which is located on the road before reaching Machi. This fort is also one of the important tourist attractions here. Furthermore the water cisterns of River Yamuna, Ganga and Saraswati can be seen over the plateaus here. The Khuneshwar waterfall is located here and you can see the pristine beauty of the waterfall in the monsoon season as soon as you walk out of the fort towards the forest.
Other than these spots you can also see the Teliya and Dudiya Talav, ruins of Raval Palace, Virasat Van, Vada Talav, Dhaba Dungri, Kabotaar Kahana etc here.
Wrapping Up!
The Pavagadh Temple is one of the most astonishing temples in Gujarat that you need to visit. Everything from the journey to the location to the legend associated with the temple makes it so alluring. Furthermore what makes it more important as a site of pilgrimage is the kind of devotion that the devotees have on the Goddess Kalikamata here. Along with that, the Pavagadh hill in itself is one of the beautiful locations that you need to visit in Gujarat. So now that you know all the information about the Pavagadh Temple, plan a trip to this beautiful temple. Do let me know if this article on the Pavagadh Temple was helpful for you? if there is anything else you would like to know about the location.
