Indian Antiquary Vol 06

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 11

JANUARY, 1877.]
THE HILL FORTRESS OF PÂWÂGADH.
nobles, Châmpaner fell to the share of Changez the history of each of them. The kiladari of that Khân, who for a short time exercised almost place is subordinate to the farjdari of Godhrah, kingly power. As soon, however, as that ac- and it has fifty savárs attached to it." complished noble was assassinated by Jhujhar And in another place I find in the same Khân Habshi, Champâner was seized on by author the following notice :-" (Mount) Pawa Shah Mirzít. Previous to this, Châmpaner had, is situated in the sarkúr of Châmpaner, and is during the inglorious reign of Ahmad Shah II., three kos in height. It has both springs of fallen to the share of Sayad Mubarak, who gave water and tanks, and there is a stream behind it to Alam Khân, but it remained in their hands one of the kunds there, and there are trees there only a short time.
both of known and unknown kinds, amongst When the emperor Akbar conquered Gujarat which are some myrobalan trees. And the the Mirzâs were expelled, and Chêmpâner be- fortress is very strong, (and there is a palace for came an imperial possession, Pawagadh now a residence constructed by the old zamindars,) received an imperial garrison, and remain- with twelve gates, and the road is most diffied in the hands of the house of Timur until cult of access. And near the eighth gate is A.D. 1727, when Krishna ji, foster-son of a yawning abyss, over which they place beams Kantaji Kadam Bånde, made a sudden like a bridge, and thus they ascend to the fortattack upon Châmpaner, and captured the fort- ress, and when occasion arises they remove ress, the garrison being surprised, and from that them; this place is known as the Patid pul. time Kantäji's agents remained permanently And the shrine of Bhawani is on the summit in Gujarat to collect his share of the tribute. of the rock, and above this temple is the shrine Afterwards it fell into the hands of Sindhia, of Sadan Shah, whom they consider a famous by whom it was handed over to the British
saint." Government on August 1st, 1853. It had in There is also this notice of the temple of the mean time been taken, in 1803, from Sindhia Kalká :-“Kalk & Bhaw â ni's terople is on by a small British force commanded by Colonel the summit of Mount Pâwâ, and on the top of that Woodington, but was, however, restored to him temple is a shrine which is that of Sadan Shah, in 1804.
one of the people of God (i.e. Muhammadan), Under the Moghal viceroys Champaner form- and the Brahmans consider that place one of the ed a separate charge or government (sarkár). chief places of Worship, and they tell wonderful The author of the Mirat-i-Ahmadi thus notices stories about it. Large numbers of men come it :
to worship there from places both far and near, "The fifth sarkár is that of Champaner, and they also pay their respects to the shrine of which consists of thirteen maháls, and a fortress Sadan Shah." This shrine of Sadan Shah is named Påwågadh on the summit of a lofty moun- built on the spire uf the temple, the top of which tain very rugged, which is nearly four kos in has been removed to make room for the shrine; elevation, and in area the fortress is nearly it was probably done as a concession to Muhamhalf a kos, and it has several gates, and in one madan fanaticism, and to ensure the protectio: place there is an abyss sixty cubits deep, over of the rest of the temple. This temple of Kali which they construct a bridge of planks, and does not appear more than two hundred years when occasion arises they remove thein; they old, and her old shrine is probably the roughly call this the Pátiá pulplank bridge'). And carved stone smeared with vermilion outside it (the hill) is a pleasant place with green trees, the precincts. The temple is e idently modern, and it has both tanks and springs of water. in that it occupies the site of the old citadel, as Sultan Mahmud Begadhâ during his own reign well as from its style of architecture. conquered it by force from Rawal Pâtâi, the In the upper fort there are the remains of several zamindár thereof, and building a city which he Jaina temples carved with much spirit, though named Muhammad â båd at the foot of that of no extraordinary excellence. There are the hill, he established his capital there, and most of remains of a mosque near the Mâchhi Haweli, the Gujarat Sultans made that town their ca- about midway up the hill, forinerly the residence pital, as has been related in the above pages in of Sindhia's Thânâdâr. In ascending the
! This bridge is still to be seen, and is still called the Pati& pul.