Just Tripping!: Junagadh – The Nawabi Wonderland

The Great Gujarat Road Odyssey – Day 12

Right in the middle of the state among orchards and farmland, nature plonked a rock and a city grew around it. The rock is called Girnar and the city is called Junagadh, probably named after Greeks who built a fort here. Oh yes, besides everyone else, Greeks or Parthians locally known as Pahlavas, too ruled in India, assimilated and some probably even went down South to found the Pallava dynasty and gave us the magnificent rock cut temples of Mahabalipuram. Did the Greeks have this special skill of cutting up rocks? Seeing the caves here in this piece of rock does throw up delicious possibilities.

It is another dusty and hot day in Saurashtra. But Junagadh provides you with bit more motivation since you have grown up listening to your mother’s stories of Porbandar and Junagadh where she grew up and learned some Gujarati too. She recalls Junagadh had huge orchards, wooded bungalows of the begums, a ground where the Nawab would race his dogs and where she learned to ride bicycle and then there was Pari Talab and a dam. You have also heard stories of last Nawab acceding to Pakistan and then taking off in an airplane with his pet dogs leaving his wife and daughter behind. You don’t blame him.

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Thought 1

From the chilly Dholavira of few days ago, it is warm now and the sun shines bright. Another day and you are in another dusty city in Gujarat. There is something dusty and loud and noisy about Gujarat cities and towns. So, while dust swirls around in the air, the authorities too contribute to the social cause by digging up the roads and lanes in the towns. Had it not been for the digging and the cloud of dust you would have got to see those ornate gateways of the walled town of Dhoraji. Gujarat is Dust Fest.

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Let’s see how long the motivation lasts. The city has lots to see. One thing is for sure. You are not going to climb the 10,000 steps up the Girnar Hill. Yes, sure it offers wonderful views. That will have to wait for another time.

Junagadh is another walled city with gateways and walls and the Uperkot, the Upper Citadel, constructed across dynasties just beyond the city on the foothills of Girnar. Most of the fortified walls have disappeared leaving behind some gates. Junagadh is bigger than the towns in Rajkot district that you visited yesterday but in solidarity with other towns, it is crowded, noisy and charmingly dusty.

Chapter 1 – Makbara of Babi Nawabs

Just as soon as you start the tour of the city you hit paydirt; no pun intended. You see those familiar bulb like columns peering over the high wall. Turning around and finding a spot to park, you are on your way to investigate. The familiar Gujarat ASI board (these boards are the best thing done by Gujarat ASI so far) stands guard in front of this metal green gate. You emerge into a wonderland. These are few moments that make all these travel troubles worthwhile.

Babi Makbara in Junagadh, Gujarat

The Necroplis of Babi Nawabs of Junagadh

Unbelievable Jaali work in the Babi Maqbara complex

Same view about 150 years ago

This is the necropolis of Junagadh Babi Nawabs. And they never make it to ‘The Things to See in Junagadh’ lists; nobody, yes nobody, knows about them! And yes, Babi is that familiar name associated with the popular actress of 70s, Parveen Babi who was born in Junagadh. You are not sure if she was a descendent of the Nawabs. The Babi Nawabs were Pashtuns who ruled Junagadh for over two hundred years until independence. And this was here where most of them were buried. Some tombs have crumbled. There are dozens of simple graves that probably belong to distant relatives and children. And then there are some tombs with eye-popping elaborate ornamentation, floral carvings, stone jaalis and surmounted with those seemingly bejewelled bulbous domes.

Fegusson wasn't too fond of those embellished domes and thought they would look better on a bedstead

Junagadh: Babi Maqbara with some exquisite stone filigree work

The Maiji Sahiba Tomb in Junagadh

In all likelihood this is the dome of Maiji Sahiba Tomb that was visible from Khapra Kodia Caves, Junagadh

James Burgess describes the tomb of Maiji Sahiba, mother of Nawab Mahabat Khanji II (reign 1851-1882) in his Report. You are not sure if the tomb is in this complex or another complex close to the tombs of Bara Sayyids in another part of the city. He explains the architectural elements in detail: pillars, cusped and scalloped arches, architraves, pediments, floral designs but he is not fond of the bulbous corner structures on the roof which he thinks are not in good taste and serve no constructive purpose. These bulbous domes seem to be the favourite element of the architects here and in Hyderabad.

Fergusson does not pull any punches: All the carving is executed with precision and appropriateness, but it is all wooden, or in other words, every detail would be more appropriate for a sideboard or a bedstead, or any article of upholstery, than for a building in stone.

The rich architecture of the tombs here reminds you of the Paigah tombs in Hyderabad. Junagadh and Hyderabad were contemporary Muslim States. It is quite possible there was exchange of workmen and artisans between them.

Chapter 2 - Mahabat Makbara

Bahauddinbhai Makbara - He was the Vazir or Diwan to the Nawab

Climb one of the minarets for this view of the dome of Bahauddinbhai Makbara

Junagadh: Makbara of Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khanji II

Mahabat Makbara and Bahauddinbhai Makbara in Junagadh, Gujarat

Time to go see the most photographed tomb of Junagadh. Opposite the District & Sessions Court of Junagadh sit two most outlandish and amazing tombs you will ever see. Just when Babi Tombs had Fergusson going how wooden they look and you were sure that the Babi Nawabs could not outdo those tombs, here you are looking at the motherlode of the most crazy and fascinating decoration you would ever see on tombs. You are not sure how Fergusson reacted upon seeing these two tombs. This time the tombs have Gothic elements and seem to take on an unmistakably European avatar and just to be sure one of the tombs comes with four minarets with their own swraparound steps. But then it was not limited to Gujarat. Across the country, the princely states built palaces and other structures inspired by their visits to European cities.

The colourful interiors of Bahauddinbhai Makbara in Junagadh

The Mahabat Makbara has clearly outdone every tomb in the city. Now this tomb took about a decade to sculpt. And once done, a champagne bottle, of course from France, was popped open. The bubbles seem to have got suspended over the tomb since.

Mahabat Maqbara: The complex of four building - Two tombs, Jami Masjid and Madersa

A Koel loves the Mahabat Maqbara Complex

This is not all. There is a technicolor Juma Masjid to the left with similar spiralling wrapround steps around the minarets. And next to the Juma Masjid is the Madersa. All the buildings are contemporary. They need to spruce up the area a bit, get rid of the ugly signboards and electric poles and those spotlights need to be sunken in the ground to improve the aesthetics. But then knowing Gujarat ASI, that may be asking for too much.

Chapter 3 – The City

Junagadh: When the first train reached Junagadh in Jan 1888, to commemorate the occasion, the Lord Ray Gate was erected in front of the railway station in honour of Bombay Governor. Today the gate is called Sardar Gate

Sardar Gate, Railway Station, Junagdh, Gujarat

Old City has some beautiful and surprisingly still surviving buildings

You are making your way through the streets. You could see the clock tower from the minaret of the Mahabat Makbara. This is actually huge – again inspired by the Europeans. You seem to be standing in a plaza. The tower is flanked by a stretch of tall fortified walls on both sides forming an arc. The walls are for effect harking back to the times when Junagadh was actually a walled city. Most of the stretches of the wall have disappeared.

Narsinh Mehta Choro is the place where the great 15^th century saint, poet and reformer held his discourses. His bhajan Vaishnav Jan was Gandhiji’s favourite.

Narsinh Mehta Choro in Junagdh

The gateway to the site is covered with tiles and which is a total turn off. Knowing that nothing of architectural value will be inside, you drive through lanes to arrive at the gate which also doubles up as the garbage point of the neighbourhood.

Chapter 4 - Khapra Kodiya Caves

Only in Gujarat a cave site of a kind that you never seen before will have a garbage dump for company.

Khapra Kodiya Caves in Junagadh

You really can’t make out of what you are seeing. Usually, the Buddhist sites have a clear hillock with few caves scooped out in a series. Here it seems like a legoscape. And just when you enter the complex a kid from the neighbourhood pops up – a leopard comes here sometimes! What? And now you are really wimped out as you make way through the colonnaded structure expecting the leopard napping in one of the cisterns, baths and channels. This is totally not like Buddhist Caves. This seems like something exotic from Turkey that you might have seen somewhere.

Khapra Kodia: the caves are filled with water tanks, cisterns and channels

Yes, you have never seen so many water management features in a Buddhist cave before. Channels criss-cross, cisterns line up on the floor, subterranean stone cut tanks with steps. This is the waterworld of Buddhist Caves. You thought the monks would just pray and sleep. Apparently they loved taking their baths too in leisure. The water tanks are interconnected, there are holes in the walls from where water probably came through pipes. Was it rain water or was a stream here in the neighbourhood out of which they pulled up the water? You always thought the monks would go to the river to bathe.

The Buddhist Waterworld of Khapra Kodiya Caves

While caves are usually burrowed in through the open face of the hill with the top of the hill as a big roof, here perfect angular shafts have been cut vertically from the top to the water tanks. Was all this done to harvest rain water? It is all one big interconnected complex like a dormitory instead of the usual independent condos. Just lose yourselves here as you go up and down the rough hewn steps but got to be careful that you don’t fall down through one of these holes.

Khapra Kodiya Caves, Junagadh

Yes they prayed too. There are cells or chambers where they would pray. There is no clear chaitya here. Probably, as Burgess reports, the rocks around here and in Uperkot were quarried away in the early 19^th century. Nothing changes. Quarrying and demolition of hills and heritage still continues. It is a miracle that Ashok’s inscriptions survived here.

You climb to the top of the hill and for now these views will do since you are not climbing the Girnar. You see the familiar domes - is that Maiji Sahiba’s tomb described by James Burgess? You are disappointed that the leopard did not show up. These caves have been a revelation.

Chapter 5 - Uparkot, The Subterranean Wonder

Majevadi Gate in Junagdh, a beautiful sketch by the artist - Manoj Gohil

Junagadh: Majevadi Gate was one of the gates of the fortifications built by Subedar Israt Khan in 1633

You make your way to the city’s fort Uparkot or Upper Citadel driving past the Majevadi Gate through which you had entered the city last night. It is the North Gate of Junagad city. You are not sure if Junagadh is a walled city or if this gate was one of the gates to Uparkot. You can see bastions on one side of the gate. Reportedly, the gate has been renovated with new tile like cladding. They will never understand built heritage.

The triple gateway entry to Uparkot

Uparkot: The entry gate is protected with bastions each armed with a cannon

The nice Siddi folks who originally came from Africa. You keep meeting them from Gujarat to Janjira Murud, the island fort off Konkan and in Coastal Karnataka

Malik Ambar, the famous Siddi general who founded Aurangabad

On the way to Uparkot and out of the walled city, you begin to breathe easier. The entrance to the fort is through a street level formidable triple gateway that seems to soar into the sky. An ugly enclosure livens up the atmosphere, which probably is the ticket counter but the tickets are being sold by a man sitting outside on a table. Trees grow out of the façade of the gate which strategically is built at ninety degrees. From what you can see the fort just like their poor buddies in Maharashtra looks sick and miserable. Apparently, you can drive your vehicle inside through the gate up an ascending narrow track. The fort is apparently built at the foothills of Girnar on an outcrop that provides natural protection.

Uparkot: The fort is filled with these ugly structures

As with most forts, the history begins with the Mauryas and ends with the British and in the that time it goes through dynasties as the fort changes hands with each dynasty contributing in its own way by building and destroying.

The Water Works of Uparkot

The pulley system that would have pulled water

You are not sure when this waterworks complex was built but it does seem it was built during the Nawab era by the British - Is it called Rasul Khan Waterworks?

Uparkot: The water reservoir that supplies the city. The setting looks like the Pampa Sarovar in Anegundi across Hampi

So the plan is to just drive around and see if anything has survived inside. The first stop is interesting and you just cant make anything of it. The structure could have been from the Mughals to the British. Inside a pump is spewing out water and releasing it into a reservoir. The reservoir probably feeds the city from this high vantage point. The machinery is British and maybe the Nawabs had it built. The reservoir reminds you of Pampa Sarovar in Anegundi with the backdrop of hills.

Uparkot: Ready for assault - Neelam and Manek Cannons that were forged in Egypt and were brought here from Diu

Another huge cannon in the fort called the Kadanal Cannon

Kadanal Cannon in Uparkot, Junagadh

Few standard fort paraphernalia of cannons sit overlooking the city below. The longer one of the duo is called Neelam Tope. It was cast in Egypt in 1531 and brought to Diu by Turkish fleet led by Admiral Suleman bin Salim Khan Pasha that participated in siege of Diu Fort against the Portuguese in 1538. The maker of the cannon is Muhammad bin Hamzal. Later the cannon was brought here by a Fouzdar. The Turkish were defeated and Sultan Bahadurshah who invited the Turkish was already killed when the Turkish sailed in. The shorter one is called Manek and its antecedents are unknown.

The Jami Masjid of Uparkot. Was it a palace originally?

Uparkot: The courtyard of the mosque is covered with three octagonal openings that probably had a raised temporary roof

Of course, a fort which was held by Mahmud Begada for a long time would have the Jami Masjid. And that is why he earned the moniker Begada – victory over two gadhs – this and Pavagadh. And in the true medieval tradition most of the earlier structures were obliterated. Nothing else really exists in the fort except for some really lucky Buddhist Caves and two vavs. Burgess when touring the fort saw heaps of debris and he wondered about what lay beneath. There would have been some palaces and dozens of temples. Most of the stone was quarried to build the bastions. Whatever was left was quarried by Nawab’s men as seen by Burgess.

The exquisite mihrabs of the Jami Masjid

The mosque is built on a high platform. Unlike the Champaner ones, the mosque is quite plain from outside. Inside, the covered courtyard rests on a congregation of columns, obtained by demolishing a large number of temples here. The mihrabs built of white marble are exquisite and embellished with some exquisite modern graffiti. People in Rajasthan and Gujarat who visit forts are seriously afflicted with some brain attenuating sickness.

Girnar Mountain from Uparkot

Jami Masjid hs three octagonal openings in the roof, Uparkot, Junagadh

Climbing on the roof offers more fantastic views of Girnar Mountain. You can see a series of temples built as the unseen steps wind up the mountain. The roof of the mosque has three octagonal openings which were probably covered with wooden beams on columns that rise high, probably to keep the prayer hall ventilated and lit. Along with the natural views this is a good spot for people watching.

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Thought 2

There is some strange paradox going on in Gujarat. While we have Gujarat Tourism’s Ambassador Big B asking us to spend few days in Gujarat, the reality is quite different. Uparkot is the filthiest fort you have ever seen in the country. There is something so callous and shocking about its condition. Except for the ticket guy at the entrance and at the caves there is no presence of any government agency or ASI. The heritage monuments across the state are grimy and ignored left to fend for themselves. Uparkot is filled with vendors and shops selling eatables. All the single use plasticware is thrown down the walls. The frenzied crowds merrily litter, toss bottles down into the vavs and go scribbling on the walls. Being in a fort gives them the license to go buffoon like with no restriction being imposed. Seems like Swachh Bharat campaign missed Gujarat. While MP has little known tombs and temples and palaces with ASI people tending to the grass lawns, here in Gujarat, except for the few World Heritage Monuments, everything else is just being looked over and the government agencies seemingly waiting and hoping that they just vanish.

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Are those remains of some caves?

The balcony above and this gumti has ornate temple pillars

Later as you circumambulate the mosque you see more structures with ornate temple pillars. Remains of a cave complex can be seen next to one of the walls. Kanguras line the top of the walls and four pillars stand in the corners. Ornate temple pillars are used as pilasters to break the monotony of plain walls.

Buddhist Cave Complex in Uparkot

You are at the second set of equally bewildering Buddhist Caves.

And the surprises continue. There is no hill here. Instead of climbing, you are descending into this subterranean wonderland. The caves are cut three levels down into solid rock. Water features abound here too with tanks and cisterns packed closely together as if this was one big Turkish bath! The caves have entry tickets. This keeps most of retards going berserk elsewhere in the fort away from this wonder.

Unlike the Khapra Kodiya Caves, this cave complex has decorated pillars and capitals. Some chaitya window reliefs can be seen too

This time the caves have sculptural decoration. Pillars have spiral ridges, octagonal base and capitals are adorned with animal and human figures. Friezes have chaitya window with figures sitting in them. Gandhara, Andhra, Scythian and Graeco-Scythian styles all come together to create the most mind boggling Buddhist Caves.

This guy here has been littering the fort with single use plastic glasses since the Mauryan times - Adi Kadi Vav, Uparkot

Descending into the Centre of Earth - Adi Kadi Vav in Junagadh

Love the way people of Gujarat across the state take care of their heritage

Uperkot: Adi Kadi Vav - In Gujarati, there's very famous saying to justify it's popularity, "Adi kadi ne navghan kuvo, jene na joyo e jivto muo"! Courtesy Manan Desai

It is like walking into the Centre of the Earth. A geologist will experience multiple waves of pleasure walking down the steps. So what was the deal with the people living in Uparkot - once they climbed this rock, why would they want to come back to the ground? Except for the mosque and the ramparts here, everything else seems to be dug into the rock. As you descend into this narrow valley cut into soft rock you can see the layers of earth that formed over millions of years. Have you ever felt the walls closing in on you – well here you can experience it for real. You keep looking back to assure yourself that the path behind you has just not dissolved and that the earth has not swallowed you yet. This is the wonderland of Adi Kadi Vav.

View of Girnar from Adi Kadi Vav in Uperkot

Nice folks contributing by littering everywhere

Uparkot is a Food Court - hope someone in authority puts a stop to all this

The shaft has been dug over the well at the end. You are wondering where does the water come from. Probably there are channels in the rock feeding the well. It is difficult to date the Adi Kadi Vav. Who knows this could be India’s oldest vav.

Navghan Kuvo

The Amazing Navghan Kuvo of Uparkot

Look at the steps that go around the well shaft

The Navghan Kuvo is another mindbending monument here in Uparkot. To the possibly much older well, a forecourt has been added probably by the Chudasama king Ra’ Navghan (1025-44). For the first time you see transverse steps descending around the shaft with openings cut in the wall to let light in. It is getting dark and you don’t want to venture down. The whole setup is unique and you don’t remember seeing anything like this before. Here too you can see the geological layers. The niches in the walls that were probably used for lamps have been taken over by pigeons.

Uparkot: With Girnar in the background

Junagadh Museum

Uparkot while making you miserable for its filth did surprise you with some unique caves, vav and views of Girnar. You are back in the city and will drive by the Junagadh Museum that was probably the palace of the Nawabs.

The beautiful Full Moon outlined against Girnar

Looking back, you see the most surreal view. The pinkish full moon is outlined against the Girnar mountain. The moon looks super large and seems to be just there within reach. In the temples up there on Girnar devotees would be singing aartis as the bells chimes. This has been another wonderful day in Gujarat.

The Journey Continues.

Day's Stats

Route Taken – Today is just local travel through the roads and lanes of Junagadh city
Distance covered today – 20 kms
Total Distance covered so far - 2917 kms

References

Report on the Antiquities of Kathiawad and Kachh, 1874-75 by James Burgess – Page 176, Page 145 (Khapra Kodia Caves), Page 141 (Uparkot)

Gazetteer of the British Presidency, Vol I Part I, History of Gujarat

Gazetteer of the British Presidency, Vol VIII, Kathiawar – Page 487 among others

History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, 1876, James Fergusson -Page 606

The Cave Temples of India, James Fergusson and James Burgess – Page 187 (Description of Baba Pyare Caves probably, which were not visited)

British Library http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/dlSearch.do?query=any,contains,junagadh&vid=BLVU1&institution=BL&search_scope=LSCOP-WEBSITE&tab=website_tab

Babi Makbara http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/g/019pho0001000s7u00818000.html

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/d/019pho0001000s7u00816000.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawab_of_Junagarh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Mahabat_Khan_III

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/gujarat/junagadh/attractions/tombs-of-the-babi-kings/a/poi-sig/1610656/356254