Champaner

This city, located at 47 K in the north-east of Vadodara, was conquered in 1484 by Sultan Mahmud, and he renamed Begara Muhammadabad.

Named World Heritage Site by UNESCO, counts 114 monuments of historical and archaeological interest, among them stand the mosque of Jama Masjid, for its impressive interior courtyard, its porches, beautiful arches and slender minarets.

Worth a visit also Shahr Masjid, with its row of columns, domes and delicate mihrab (niche facing Mecca) and Nagina Masjid with a charming porch.

Beside the village is built on three levels of the Pavagadh Hill, a hill topped by the ruins of a fortress. According to Hindu legend, the hill would be a fragment of the Himalayas that the Monkey God Hanuman took away with him to Lanka in one of the episodes recounted in the Epic Ramayana – hence the name Pavagadh, which means “quarter of a hill.”