The historic township of Anhilwada Patan was
the 8th-14th century capital of Gujarat,before
Ahmed Shah founded Ahmedabad, and is a highly
atmospheric citadel with many havelis and .
The highlight of Patan is it's breathtaking
stepwell, as Rani-ki-Vav built in the 11th century,
and featuring of the most beautiful carvings
imaginable of Lord Vishnu on a serpent, the
avatars of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Durga &
lovely apsaras. It is also one of the last strongholds
of the double ikkat Patola silk weaving in the
world..
Sculpture,
Rani ki Vav
Rani
ki Vav
Facing the water are chambers, where the royal
families came to rest in summer, the water from
the well skimming some of the heat from the
breezes, the whole acting as a natural airconditioning
There is talk now of excavating the surrounding
areas, because there must have been palaces
and other royal residences in the vicinity,
which used the stepwell as a water source of
aircooling system. Sahasra Linga talao, a large
lake surrounded by beautiful temples, but these
shrines are no longer in good condition, and
this form of architecture can be better appreciated
at the Musar tank in Viramgam, where another
string of temples was erected by the same family.
Hindu temples like the 12th century Maheshwara
mandir, Kali mandir and Panchmukhi Hanumana
mandir and the Jain temples like Doshiwar mandir
and those in Kapur Mehtano pol follow the Solanki
architectural tradition. The location of Patan
on the banks of river Saraswati, one of the
3 holy rivers of India alongside the Ganga and
the Yamuna, and its tributary the Chandrabhaga,
has contributed considerably to its religious
importance, and this explains the number of
temples in this region, besides the fact that
it was a major centre for learning and business
in medieval times.
GETTING THERE
127
kms from Ahmedabad, trains from Ahmedabad to Patan
