- Location: Western India, South Gujarat
- Founded in: 1781 AD by Maharaval Virsinhji
- Best time to visit: October to March
- Local Transport: Non Metered auto rickshaws and jeeps
- Places to see: Sir Pratap High School Digvir Niwas Palace,
- Souvenirs: Nostalgia, local wares
Vansda – The Tale of the city
Vansda originates from the word “vans” which means bamboo. It is referred to as bamboo by the Gujaratis. History has it that the story of Vansda goes back around 700 years ago. The Vansada rulers are supposed to be the successors of the Rajput clan. This princely State Capital of the Vansada State was found by Maharaval Virsinhji in the year 1781. Set in enthralling backgrounds, this city at the foothills of the Sahyadris had three temples built by Maharaval. The Vireshwar Mahadev, Vireshwar Mata and the Virabhadra Hanuman temples were built to render the place pure before constructing a town. In 1885 AD, Maharaval was the king. The king was a very able administrator and introduced tax reforms, banking and provided a lot of support to the village when there was a famine in 1890 AD.
The Vansda State grew rich under his rule. It was his vision that gave the city many architectural structures, projects on the design of urban planning and the Town Hall, Clock Tower, Library, The Anglo Vernacular School and the Ratankunwarba Hospital. This changed the façade of the city completely and the city steadily progressed. After this, the Vansda kings have constantly contributed to the growth of art and architecture in the state. Palaces have been constructed by these rulers.
Vansada – Down the Ages
Down the ages, Vansada or Vansda has become a municipality in the Navsari district of the Indian State of Gujarat. Today it is connected with most of the cities well by road, rail and air. It is a magnificent town with a lot of social activities. Some famous film personalities like the music director Jaikishan was born here.
Vansda – A Rendezvous
The state of Gujarat is bountiful and really filled with the blessings of Nature at its best. The State was earlier a princely state in the south of Gujarat. The town is surrounded by dense forests and copses of bamboo. Thus the place is known as Vansda as ‘vans’ means bamboo in Gujarati. The city gets its nomenclature from the beautiful bamboo trees that grow here. Vansda National Park is a result of this natural growth of bamboo trees in this city.
Vansda – Travel kitty
When a person visits Vansda, or the bamboo city, he is struck by the simplicity of the city and the ambience is contagious. The city is old, and yet still dignified in stature. Vansda is a true example of mighty, royal demure cities in India. The travel kitty is the local wares that one can collect from here and also the emotions in plenty here.
Places to Visit in Vansda
It is the sheer ecstasy that he goes through and this is what he craves for. Any place in Gujarat makes one feel royal. It is the ambience of the place and the related history. This makes a person want more. This is the same for Vansada. The sheer warmth in the place likes in the joie de vivre found here. A person coming here can see the following here:
Gates
Entry Gates: The town of Vansda, the simple beauty has two entry gates. One is near the Vireshwari temple and the other is near the Town Hall.
Vireshwari Temple Gate: This is a tall structure which is done with a fine decorative plaster that has designs of fish on either sides. There is a roof made of wood, brackets of brackets and two well-supported balconies, which are beautifully carved on either side.
Town Hall Gate: This is a structure with three stories. It has a carved door made of weed. It has a inclined roof with receding volumes. The gates were initially built for security. Today they stand as basic landmarks.
Palaces
Digvir Niwas Palace: This is a marvelous piece of architecture. It was built in the beginning of the 20th century. It is a modest building made of Ashlar stone masonry. The entry to the palace is very beautiful and has a gate. This gate is made of plaster and is beautifully decorated. There are “chhatris” on either directions of the entry gate. This gives the gate a wonderful look. The appearance is very royal.
Mansions
Sushil Sadan: This is the rest house for the kings. This building has a big porch in the front and terraces too. It has a central tower that is covered with tiled roofs.
Clock Tower: This is a very important building of Vansda. The structure consists of brickwork. There is a tall structure that has four storeys. It has pilasters that end in a “chhatris”. There are four pilasters. The middle portion of the tower is dome shaped.
Schools & Education Centres
Sir Pratap High School: This is a building, which has been built with a lot of symmetry in design. It has a patio, and a tower that has a clock and a slanting tiled roof.
Resorts and Towns:
Unai: This has many hot water springs. It also has the Unai Mata Temple. It is visited by devotees who come here.
Saputara: This is around 66 kms from Vansda. This is a popular hill station. It is more than 800m tall. The Gira falls are located here, and they add to the scenic beauty. It is a major source of attraction here.
Sanctuaries
Purna Sanctuary: This is a dense forest area, which is a little away from Vansda.
Vansda National Park: This is a beautiful spot for nature enthusiasts. This park was initially the private entry of the Maharaja of Vansda. However, after independence this whole park was open to the public. Spread over an area of 24 square km., the park has the best kind of species like leopards, rusty spotted cats, pangolins, giant squirrels, pythons, deer and the four horned antelopes. People take special permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden before entering this park.
Thus, Vansda, the National Park city located in the Valsad district of Gujarat State is a perfect place for a wildlife enthusiast. A person coming here would be more than happy as he gets more than what he expected.
As he leaves the city, a tourist thinks,” Royal forests, royal tastes, royal Vansda.”
