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Offbeat Places
Patan, Gujarat

Have you ever wondered how spending some quality time in an offbeat location would be-the road less travelled and not many people aware of it? Have you ever imagined how it would feel to share experience about a place that you have discovered and trusted upon to spend your vacation to attain some rejuvenation so that you can get back to your normal life with one level more enthusiasm and give your best at your workplace? Why don’t you think of giving it a try? If visiting an offbeat place manages to secure its place on your bucket list, then you can go for Patan.

About Patan - An Overview

Once upon a time, it was considered to be the capital city of Gujarat’s Chavda and Chalukya dynasties in the medieval period. Established under the supervision of the then Chavda king Vanraj Chavda, this city has had its old history with many Hindu as well as Muslim dynasties which had helped this city to become a thriving trading city along with a regional capital of northern Gujarat. Earlier, the locals call this region “Anhilpur-Patan”.

The modern city is now an integral part of the administrative seat of Patan District in the state of Gujarat. There are a large number of Hindu and Jain temples along with mosques, dargahs, and Rojas. This city was established on the bank of the Saraswati River which is now extinct. Thus, it still contains some of the remains of the ancient Saraswati River. There is an old market in Patan that is believed to be operational since the rule of Vaghelas.

Rani ki vav

This city used to be very popular during the period of the Chalukya dynasty or Solankis of Patan. There is a stepwell called the Rani ki vav (Queen’s step well) which was constructed during that time and is a richly sculptured monument. This step well was built by Udaymati in memory of her husband Bhima I (1022-1063).

Moreover, there is a small gate below the last step of the step well, having a 30 km tunnel that is now blocked using stones and mud. It is to be noted that this stepwell is the oldest and the deepest out of the 120 other step wells located in Gujarat. It holds the record of being on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the year 2014.

Sahastralinga tank

Another famous architectural monument that has garnered equal attention as that of Rani ki vav is the Sahastralinga tank. It is a medieval artificial water tank that was commissioned during Chalukya rule under the supervision of the then Chalukyan King Sidharaj Jai Singh in the late eleventh century. This tank was used to receive water with the help of a channel from the ancient Saraswati River. Tourists visiting this tank are highly advised to read the tourism boards available and also listen to the local versions to learn more about the stories associated with this place.

Patola Saree making unit

Patan is said to be the home of Patola artists. The beautiful hand-woven Patola Saree has attained popularity worldwide. Moreover, it takes a very long time to finish working on a Patola Saree due to the intricate work being done on it, and that too without using any machine. Thus, people visiting Patan need to visit this saree-making unit to know and learn more about the process of making a saree and also buy a couple of them.

The cuisine of Patan

Patan is the hub of authentic Gujarati food such as Thepla, Dhokla, Bhajiyo, Khandvi as well as Pani Puri, and many more. Apart from these mouth-watering dishes, there are other dishes also that serve as the staple diet of the state.

Modhera

Located on the bank of the Pushpavati river, Modhera is a village that falls under the jurisdiction of the Mehsana district of Gujarat. This village has gained popularity because it houses the Sun Temple of the Chaulukya era. During the Puranic age, the town was popularly called Dharmaranya. The locals believe that Rama had performed a yagna here to cleanse the sin of killing Brahmin Ravana. He had built Modherak by which the name of the city came to be known as Modhera.

The Sun temple was built under the supervision of Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty in 1026-1027. There is a stepwell in this village called Gyaneshwari that belongs to the 16-17th century. Interestingly, it has a shrine at the first pavilion instead of the usual one at the end. Besides, the presence of another famous temple Modheshwari Mata Temple is also glorifying the village.

Sun Temple, Modhera

It is a temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya located at the village of Modhera in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. It occupies the bank of the Pushpavati river and is now a protected monument that is being maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. There are three complexes in the temple. They are Gudhamandapa (the shrine hall), Sabhamandapa (the assembly hall), and Kunda (the reservoir).

The exterior of the halls had been carved intricately along with the pillars. The reservoir has steps to reach the bottom and numerous small shrines. The platform or plinth of the temple is inverted lotus-shaped. It was built in the Mãru-Gurjara style, popularly called the Chaulukya style.

Best time to visit Patan & Modhera

The weather of Patan can be primarily divided into three major seasons- summer, monsoon, and winter. During the summer season which remains for almost 4 months at a stretch, travelling becomes quite difficult. The climate changes on the arrival of the southwest monsoon by the mid of June. Therefore, tourists are highly advised to visit Patan during the winter season.