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Junagadh
was the capital of the Junagadh State under the Muslim rulers of
Babi Nawabs. In Gujarati, `Junagadh' literally means an ancient
fort. The junagadh town is located at the foothills the sacred hill
of Girnar and occupies a special place in the history of Gujarat.
The history of junagadh is chequered by the rules of the Mauryans,
Kshatrapas, Guptas, Vilabhis, Chudasamas, Gujarat Sultans and Babi
Nawabs. Junagadh, at different times in history, was under the influence
of four major religions. Hindu, Bhuddhist, Jain and Muslim. Both
political powers and religious influences enriched the culture and
created edifices leaving their mark on the architecture of Junagadh.
There are two fortifications: The fort walls surrounding the town
and Uparkot in the west. Uparkot, an ancient citadel located on
the higher level of the town, was a stronghold of Mauryans and Gupta
Empire and is said tp have survived 16 sieges in the last 1000 years
due to its strategic location and difficult access. The entrance
of Uparkot has a fine specimen of Hindu Toran, leading to flat land
dotted with archological sites. The major sites are Buddhist caves,
Baba Pyara caves (2nd century), Adi-Kadi Vav, Navghan Kuvo and Jami
Masjid.
The Buddhist caves are fine examples of rock cut architecture with
ornamented pillars, carved entrances, water cisterns, chaitya hall,
monastic cells for meditation and chaitya windows. The Khapara-Kodia
caves located in the town are also worth visiting.Adi-kadi Vav and
Navghan Kuvo were built by the Chudasama Rajputs and are unique
water structures among the numerous step wells of Gujarat. Both
these served as sourcesf during teh sieges lasting for years and
were essential parts oft he basic need of the hill fort. The Adi-Kadi
Vav(15th century) has a long flight of 120 steps leading to water,
while the Navghan Kuvo (1260AD) is hewn from soft rock and is 52
meter deep, reached by a circular staircase winding around the shaft.
Jami Mosque was originally a palace of Ranakdevi, converted into
a mosque by Muhammad begada to commemorate his victory over Junagadh
in 1470 AD. Another interesting artefact from past is `Nilam' canon,
brought to Diu from Egypt to fight against the Prortuguese and it
was manufactured by the order of Suleyman, the Magnificent, King
of Turkey.
The Babi rulers of Junagadh, Nawab Mahobat Khat II (1851-82 AD)undertook
the beatification of Junagadh and patronized the construction of
several building and urban design projects like Aina Mahal, Circle
Chowk with clock tower and Dewan Chowk. Other important buildings
of the Nawabi period are Bahauddin College, Manoranjan Guest House,
Mahobat Madresa (Narsi Vidya Mandir).
Junagadh
was the capital of the Junagadh State under the Muslim rulers of
Babi Nawabs. In Gujarati, `Junagadh' literally means an ancient
fort. The junagadh town is located at the foothills the sacred hill
of Girnar and occupies a special place in the history of Gujarat.
