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The
Royal House of Danta was ruled by the Parmar Rajputs. They arrived
in Gujarat in the 12th century AD, from Nagarthatta in Sindh and
established their first capital at Chandravati, which was later
shifted to Tarsang in the Arasur hills. Tarsang finds mention in
Mughal history as the rebel Jahangir was given shelter at Tarsang.
About 350 years ago, the capital was finally moved to Danta. Danta
is located close to the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, having social
ties with the Royal Families on both the sides. The royal edifices
of Danta reflect the blending of architecture of both the regions.
Danta town is situated at the foothills of Aravalli hill range.
The landscape of forest and hills, with huge boulders, makes
a perfect setting for this town. The entire region is populated
by the Bhil tribe and has forests with diverse flora and fauna.
The two palaces are located at the lower end of the hill,
but higher than the town. The entire old Royal Palace campus
was fortified in the past, housing several buildings within
it. The huge impressive gate leads one into the Royal Campus.
The old Palace is clustered around a series of courtyards,
interconnected by a series of gates. The first court is surrounded
by a low height structure, originally acting as an administrative
block. In the same court, the other interesting structure
is the family shrine of Goddess Ambaji built in the Rajput
style of architecture, inspired by the Royal Architecture
of Rajasthan. This four storeyed structure has the shrine
in one comer, but instead of a temple-like structure, it resembles
the small Darbargadhs of Rajasthan. The opaque and plain structure
at the lower level becomes more decorative at the top by the
sensitive use of several architectural elements like horizontal
friezes, carved brackets, delicately carved stone jalis, jharokhas,
decorated parapets and domes.
The second gate leads to another courtyard of the Residential
Wing. The profusely carved floral pattern on the red stone
entrance is in the style of the royal palaces and havelis
of Bikaner. The inner courtyard is surrounded by arcades and
the stair tower is capped by a dome- a typical feature of
Danta palaces.
Another palace, Bhavani Villa, the present residence of the
Royal Family is located on a higher elevation than the old
palace. The palace is built at several levels on a hill edge
with a skyline of domes, offering a fantastic view of the
Aravalli hills. A part of the palace is being converted into
a heritage hotel and will be operational soon. The ex-ruler
of Danta is a great wildlife enthusiast and also runs a stud
farm of Marwadi horses.
Ambaji :
(22 km from Danta)
Ambaji is one of the major Shakti-piths of India, situated
in the Arsasur hills. The Ambaji Temple contains no idol,
but an inscribed Yantra in the niche. Ambaji is essentially
a temple town- with a temple dedicated to Goddess Ambaji at
the center. The Ambaji Temple and the front court 'Chachar
no Chowk' are aligned in the same axis of the cave at Gabbar
hill the original abode of Goddess Ambaji. The present temple
was constructed a few years ago, maintaining the original
architectural style. Millions of pilgrims visit the temple
every year- especially during Navratri to seek the blessing
of Goddess Ambaji.
Kumbhariya : (30
km from Danta)
The Kumbhariya group of Jain temples dates back to the Solanki
period (11th-13th century). The five temples are dedicated
to : Mahavira, Shantinath, Parshwanath, Neminath and Sambhavnath.
The temples have a main shrine in the center of a rectangular
courtyard, formed by the series of shrines with shikharas,
dedicated to Jain tirthankaras. On each side there is a porch
with a balcony, reached by a flight of steps. The quality
of workmanship on the marble is excellent and reminds one
of the Dilwada Jain temples at Mt Abu.
Taranga : (27 km from Danta)
The Ajitnath Temple (1166 AD) is one of the finest and best
preserved examples of Jain temple architecture from the Solanki
period. It has a shikhara, mandapa, pillars and brackets made
out of marble with excellent carving.
Travel Information :
Air : Nearest airport is Ahmedabad (184 km) Rail : Nearest station is Palanpur (38 m) on Ahmedabad-Delhi
line
Road : Ahmedabad (184 km) Local transport : Non-Metered Autorickshaws Food : Local eating Joints
