Last Updated on December 16, 2021 by admin
Having lived in Gujarat all my life, I had never visited Vadnagar. Vadnagar only came to the limelight as Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hometown. Although Ahmedabad to Vadnagar distance is only 100 km, not many are aware of what Vadnagar holds for visitors. In my recent trip to Vadnagar, I came to know all about Vadnagar and I happened to visit many heritage sites of Vadnagar.
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Vadnagar History – Finding the lost city at Vadnagar Gujarat
The history of Vadnagar is known to have existed 2500 years ago and has been mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts. An extremely prosperous town, it attracted many rulers and invaders. Vadnagar was known as Chamatkarpur (translated to Magic). The name of Chamatkarpur was given as the ruling king got healed of leprosy by taking bath in the magical waters of the town.
Chamatkarpur later became Anartapur, the capital of Anarta Pradesh, a prosperous state during the Mahabharata period. During the first century, the town excelled in arts, literature, culture, and music.
In 632 AD, the Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator, Xuanzang visited the then Anandapur. In his books, he mentioned the city as a rich establishment with lots of temples and a growing Buddhist impact.
Vadnagar got its much-deserved glory during the Solanki Dynasty. The Solankis not only revived the culture of the city but also built up many archaeological sites that are still evident today. They built a citadel with six gates that guarded and surrounded the city. They also built many religious places of worship, step-wells and palaces.
Unfortunately, Vadnagar was attacked by Delhi Sultanate and remained under the control of Muslim rulers for a long time till Marathas attacked Vadnagar in 1726 AD. these invasions almost completely destroyed the city.
Vadnagar got its name much later due to the existence of many Banyan trees. Vad translates to Banyan and Nagar to town. Another city in Gujarat that received a name from Banyan tree is Vadodara.
Check out: Things to do in Vadodara
Vadnagar Heritage
Vadnagar has seen many rulers throughout the invasions for many centuries. It was only a matter of time that Vadnagar in the Mehsana district received the attention of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to reveal the many interesting archaeological excavations. These excavations have stunned not only the ASI staff but the locals.
Vadnagar excavations prove that Vadnagar’s existence since Harappan times. It is home to a Buddhist monastery that was built between the 2nd and 7th centuries. The monastery is known for its stupas and also has an open central courtyard. Nine cells constructed around the monastery were raised in such a manner that they created a pattern resembling the swastika, a holy Hindu symbol.
Vadnagar is also known for its Hindu and Jain temples and beautiful torans. In order to honour the ancient city of Vadnagar for its history and architecture, the world’s largest ‘Heritage Museum’ after Athens is being built.
Heritage places to visit in Vadnagar, Gujarat, an ancient city
Vadnagar deserves a one day trip from Ahmedabad to explore everything that it has to offer. The most significant places to see in Vadnagar are listed below.
Kirti Toran, Vadnagar Gujarat
Toran in the local langue means a decorative hanging. Torans are used to decorate the main entrance of the home in Gujarat as a welcome sign. The tradition of Torans is age-old in the Indian household. Although Torans are now put up on festivals in homes, temples still have decorative torans made from fresh flowers, asopalav leaves or embroidered.
Having dined at Toran Restaurants all over Gujarat, it was only after coming to Vadnagar that I came to know the origins of Toran. Toran in Vadnagar is much grander and larger than life. Kirti Toran Vadnagar is a sacred gateway made from yellow and red sandstone consisting of two upright pillars carrying three transverse lintels that are minutely carved with symbolic sculpture.
Situated on the western flanks of Sharmishtha Lake, Kirti Toran symbolises Vadnagar. The two intricately carved columns were made in the 12th century and support an arch are 40 feet in height.
These torans or entrance gates are believed to be a regular feature of Solanki architecture. They are carved with battle scenes and hunting scenes. The name Kirti means victory and it is believed that these columns were erected to celebrate post-war victory.
Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Vadnagar
Vadnagar is also known as the temple city in Mehsana district. One of the most prominent temples in Vadnagar is Vadnagar Hatkeshwar Temple. Hatkeshwar temple is one of the top tourist attractions in Vadnagar.
Hatkeshwar Mahadev is the family deity of Nagar Brahmins who were once a prominent community in Vadnagar, Gujarat. Build in the 17th century, the temple is believed to house the Swayambhu (self-manifestation of Shiva Lingam) in its inner sanctum. Other than the main Shiva temple, the temple complex houses a Swaminarayan temple and two Jain temples.
Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Vadnagar has exquisite carvings that depict nine planets, dancing apsaras, flower motifs, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. The sculptures come to life as the worshipers place flowers and red tilak on them, making the entire atmosphere extremely pious.
Mehta ni Vav
Gujarat has a history of vavs (step-wells) in the state that provided drinking water and a cool relief in blistering months of summer in ancient times.
Mehta ni Vav is also known as Pancham Mehta ni Vav is one of the popular places to visit in Vadnagar, Gujarat. Although it is not well maintained, this 16th century, seven-storey ancient stepwell is located near Yagnyavalkya place.
Other Vav in Gujarat are: Sevasi Vav, Vadodara | Adalaj ni vav, Gandhinagar | Rani ki vav, Patan.
Sharmishtha Lake Vadnagar
Although the lake looks like an urban lake now with a lakefront, a jogging track around it and some activities, Sharmishtha lake is an ancient lake built during the Solanki period. It was constructed by channelising water from the Kapila River.
The archaeological records show that the habitants in the then Anandapur used water from this lake by making a kund called Nagdharo.
Chauta Adinath Jain Temple, Vadnagar
Believed to be constructed over 1100 years ago during the Chalukya – Solanki dynasty, Chauta Adinath Derasar, Vadnagar draws many Jain pilgrims. It is believed that the chief deity of this Jain Derasar – lord Rishbhdev holds superpowers to fulfil the wishes of devotees. Beautiful designs, clean and peaceful atmosphere attracts everyone to visit here.
Vadnagar Railway Station
Vadnagar Railway Station is one of the important stations in the Mehsana district. The station is popular because Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi helped his father sell tea at this station.
Vadnagar Railway Station is aesthetically designed using stone carvings. It is an extremely clean station with a tourist information centre. There is a lot of renovation underway and I happened to catch a glimpse of the same.
Tana Riri Garden
Tana Riri Garden is constructed in honour of two excellent singers of Vadnagar, Gujarat – Tana and Riri. these two sisters were Nagar sisters and daughters of Narshinh Mehta’s granddaughter – Shrimati Sharmishta.
According to a legend, during the Mughal regime of Akbar, the great singer Tansen was singing a Raag Deepak. This lead him to feel an incurable heat in his body and no one around was able to help him from this extreme pain. Tana and Riri cured Tansen by singing Raag Malhar and saving his life.
Akbar was impressed by the talent of these girls and summoned them to his court. These two girls refused to come and committed suicide by drowning themselves in a well in Vadnagar. In their honour, a tomb was created in Vadnagar called Tana Riri Samadhi.
An annual classical music festival is organized by the Government of Gujarat called Tana Riri Festival in Vadnagar. In 2016, a new Guinness World Record at Tana Riri Festival in Vadnagar was completed as 640 Harmonium artists played the Indian National anthem together.
Places to visit near Vadnagar
Vadnagar tourism is on the rise thanks to all these beautiful places. Visitors can plan and combine a trip to Vadnagar nearby places to utilize their day. Vadnagar to Patan is 65 km and a road trip can easily be combined. Vadnagar to Modhera Sun Temple is 60 km and even that is a great place to visit.
Best time to visit Vadnagar, Gujarat
Vadnagar, Gujarat gets super hot during summers and it becomes difficult to move around as a tourist. The best and comfortable time to visit Vadnagar is in winter in the months of October to March.
How to Reach Vadnagar
By Air
The closest airport to Vadnagar is Ahmedabad that is 100 km away. One can book a private taxi or get a ticket for GSRTC bus.
By Train
Vadnagar has a train station but currently, only a few trains stop here. The best and nearest train station with ample transportation option is Ahmedabad.
By Road
Vadnagar has good public transport services. Most cities of Gujarat are connected to Vadnagar through state highways.
Sustainable tips for best places to visit in Vadnagar, Gujarat
- Respect the ancient sculptures by not sitting on them.
- Dress conservatively in temples.
- Do not harm the sculptures by carving, writing or spitting on it.
- Dispose of garbage in the dustbins located at specific points.
- Respect the places which prohibit photography.
Disclosure: I was invited by Gujarat Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India to explore Vadnagar. However, all opinions in this post are unbiased and of my own. Special thanks to the team for taking take of everything during this trip.
Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. It means it adds no extra cost to you if you book through the link but I get a referral bonus which helps me earn a little to keep this website up and running.
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5 comments
This is the first time I came to know about Vadnagar. I did not expect it to have such a rich heritage. Thank you for sharing.
It is truly a gem!
A very informative post, Ketki. Kirti Toran is stunning as are the carvings at Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple. Loved the Ganapati carving.
I had not heard of Vadnagar before, so thank you so much for sharing your tips and knowledge. The heritage sounds amazingly rich too.
I didn’t know about this place before, but there is a lot of great architecture here to take photos of and learn about. It looks like an interesting trip!