Sat Kaman, Champaner, Gujarat.


"Sat Kaman" is one of the most famous tourist attraction of Champaner, A historical city in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara.


It literally means “Seven Arches”. The Rajput fort in Pavagadh has gates on all sides. One of it is the Budhiya Darwaja in the western side. Close to it is the Sadan Shah Gate. Sat Kaman or the 7 arches is situated on the end of this Sadan Shah Gate (right next to Budhiya Darwaja). It was built for a strategic defence need. The guards could view the entire plains below from this spot. However, today it has become a prominent tourist attraction.


The arches were built with yellow sandstone. The material used is local sandstone, but the patterns and colours that happened within each stone was fabulous. One of the outstanding things about this structure is: the arches are kept intact by the interlocking mechanism; no cement was used to bind them!


The way the arches were built is very interesting. The individual stones are trapezium shaped, so when laid upon each other they form the arch. They do not have any mortar between them. Their position is locked with a little pestle-mortar joint (a little projection on one stone and a little depth in the other that sits on top of it). The most important stone in the entire arch is the topmost one called the keystone, which is a wedge-shaped stone.

There are some little windows on the parapet wall as well. The architecture here is also unusual. The windows are arch shaped as well. They are like the main arches, but smaller in size but with wider stones! Also, the windows begin bigger and end smaller!

Picture Credit: Parth Vaghela
Location: Champaner, Gujarat 389360, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eidgah, Bharuch, Gujarat

Image
Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at the outskirts) reserved for Eid Salah, Islamic prayer offered in the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It is usually a public place that isn't used for prayers at other times of the year. On the day of Eid, the first thing Muslims do in the morning is gather usually at a large open ground and offer special prayers, in accordance with the Sunnah (traditions of Muhammad). Although the term Eidgah is of Hindustani origin, due to lack of any specific Arabic word this term may be used for similar open spaces around the world where Muslims perform Eid prayers. Eidgah of bharuch was built up on the heights of limestones and bricks in 1326. An article of Mohammed Taghlakh era ‘Hijri San 726’ is written on a marble plate in Arabic language at Eidgah. Picture Credit: Parth Vaghela  
Read more

Ranakdevi Palace, Junagadh, Gujarat.

Image
Ranakadevi was a daughter of potter of Majevadi village near Junagadh, the Chudasama capital. she was born to the king of Kutch but she was abandoned in forest as the astrologer had predicted that whomever marry her will lose his kingdom and die young. The abandoned child was found a potter named Hadmat or Jam Rawal who raised her as his own daughter. Khengara (The King and His Husband) used to stay himself at the fort of Uparkot in Junagadh but kept his queen Ranakadevi in h is palace in the hill fort of Girnar, a mountain near Junagadh. Ranakdevi ka Mahal (Ranakdevi's Palace) which was converted into a mosque "Jammi-Masjid" by Mahmud Begada after he defeated the last Hindu ruler of Junagadh, Raja Mandlik III in 1473. It is better to call it the Palace of Rani Ranak devi as this structure and its 140 pillars are of her palace. It's courtyard has a roof with three octagonal openings. Today, nothing much interesting of that palace is left e
Read more

The Tomb of Khwaja Safar Sulemani, Surat, Gujarat.

Image
The Tomb of Khawaja Safar Sulemani is near Marzan Shami Road, Variyavi bazar, Surat, Gujarat. This tomb and the architecture is approximately 500 years old. It is arcuated and is famous for beautifully carved stone latticework windows (jalis) on the side and rear arches. Safar Sulemani was Governor of Surat and Sufi Saint during British Raj. He is also known as Khudavanda Khan. Safar Sulemani born in Non-Muslim Family of Italy. In Early age he visited Turkistan to meet Sultan for business. At that time, he attracted by Islam and became Muslim. Afterwards he married to sultan's daughter and came to India from Turkistan for business. He had mastery in marine War and Naval Wal Techniques. The British loots the people with the help of sea way. So, Sultan of Gujarat demanded to Delhi Sultanate for security. So, they sent Safar Sulemani for the Governance of Surat. At that He had gifted Surat a Fort which is in Chowk Bazar. The fort was equipped with cannons which was b
Read more