The site was declared a world heritage site
in 2004. Champaner Pavagadh Archeological Park is known for
housing a number of archaeological and historic sites that are
yet to be excavated along with living cultural heritage
structures. The sites include a hill fortress of an early Hindu
capital from the 16th century in the state of Gujarat complete
with palaces, temples, residential precincts, agricultural
structures and water installations. These structures belong to
the period ranging from 8th to 14th centuries. Thousands of
pilgrims flock throughout the year to the Kalikamata Temple atop
the Pavagadh Hill to pay their homage to the Goddess. The site
is quite important to study the pre-Mughal Islamic history, as
it is the only complete city from that time that hasn't been
altered later.
One can see ancient Hindu palace and temple architectural
styles, the special water retaining installations of that time
that were used to fight off the scarcity of water and the
religious, military and agricultural structures that befit the
16th century capital of the region built by Mehmud Begda. These
structures help to fill the gaps in Indian history and present a
harmonious blend of Hindu-Muslim architecture. The Great Mosque
or the Jami Masjid is believed to have served as the model for
the mosques built later in India and is representative of
regional sultanates that existed before Mughals came into power.
The capital was not used for long. It is place of worship for
Hindus and presents pregnant historical mysteries to the
archeologists.
