Sun Temple Modhera left me equally mesmerized with its architecture as well as the thought that went behind each of those divine motifs carved in stone. It turned out to be much more than a stopover on the way to Patan, and I am happy we decided to take this detour.
As unplanned as this trip was, it became evident that it was a mistake to not pre-book a hotel at Patan, given that it was wedding season in Gujarat. The only decent hotel in the city was all booked, with no rooms to spare. After a struggle that was never ending, we finally found one that seemed decent enough to spend a night. Though it was a mistake to not book earlier, Patan slowly warmed up to us and we had a great time nevertheless.
Patan is an ancient fortified city, that was founded in 745 AD by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda dynasty. He named the city “Anhilpur Patan” or “Anhilwad Patan” after his close friend and Prime Minister Anhil Gadariya. Located on the banks of Saraswati River, originating from the Aravalis, this ancient city has much to offer in terms of heritage, history and handicrafts. The agenda for the day was to check out Patola Sarees , watch a glorious sunset at Rani Ki Vav and have some authentic Gujarati food before heading to a village called Dasada the next day.
After a forgettable lunch at the hotel, we left for Patan Patola Heritage which seemed to be an appropriate place to start to get to know this small, old town. Patan Patola Heritage is a Patola workshop cum museum privately run by the much renowned Salvi family. We were lucky enough to meet both the National award winning Salvi brothers, who have been much appreciated throughout the country and abroad for their hard work and dedication to keep the art of weaving Patola sarees alive. Patola is a double ikat woven sari, usually made from silk. It takes almost five to six months effort to weave one Patola saree, given the intricate patterns that come alive. The exquisite designs and vibrant colors left us in awe of the weavers who put their heart and soul into these silk threads. These sarees are very expensive, starting from Rs 1.5 Lakh onward, once worn only by those belonging to royal and aristocratic families.
Next, we headed to the World Heritage Site of Rani Ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell). It was built as a memorial to an 11th-century king Bhimdev Solanki by his beloved wife, queen Udayamati. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the third millennium BC. Rani ki Vav was built in the complex Maru-Gurjara architectural style with an inverted temple with seven levels of stairs and holds more than 500 principal sculptures.
Words aren’t enough to describe the ancient world that came alive in front of my eyes as I roamed around these stone carvings laid out like a temple. This step-well was something so exquisite, something just so extraordinary that my words won’t do any justice. One has to see it to believe it. It’s a matter of extreme pride to know what our ancestors were master artists and architects, and how they pulled off this piece of beauty remains a story that’s probably lost with time.
The thought behind the conception of Rani Ki Vav is as beautiful as the monument itself. Queen Udayamati of Patan wished to get a monument built in the memory of her late husband. But she didn’t want another palace or temple, rather something that would be useful to the people of the city, as well as travelers who came to Patan. A step-well seemed to be apt, providing water and shelter to those in need. An elaborate step well was thus constructed, to remember the king as well as to provide water to those in need, which was the most noble thing to do in those times. With travelers coming from all over the country, Rani Ki Vav soon wasn’t just a part of Patan, but became a part of eventful stories narrated by travelers visiting Gujarat from far off lands.