- Location : Western India, Gujarat
- Founded in : 11th century AD
- Best time to visit : October to March
- Local Transport : Non metered auto rickshaws and jeeps
- Places to see : Gateways, Fort.
The tale of Zinzuwada or the mainstay of Solankis goes back to the 11th century AD. The inscriptions on the walls of the fort were made by Uda Mantri. This is the main minister of Siddhraj Jaisinh. This is proof of its antique capacity. The fort is made of stone slabs and the fortification is wide enough for two men on the horseback to pass through. This is one of the finest pieces of Indian architecture. Hindu forts in India are without any Islamic influence. A fort similar to this is located in Dabhoi.
Zinzuwada – Down the Ages
Zinzuwada, the fortified town is found on the southern side of Kutch. There are lots of legends related to the town. It is connected with the Solanki ruler Siddhraj Jaisinh. Minaldevi was his mother. This Minaldevi took birth by a saint’s blessings. This place, which is around 80 km north of Surendranagar, is down the ages, come to be a successful flourishing town.
Zinzuwada – A Rendezvous
The town of forts, Zinzuwada, is located in the Surendranagar district and the town is apart of several legends that are related to this place. The finest Hindu forts are found here and the town with four gateways, that are actually famous for the carvings and the intricate sculptures.
Travel kitty
Any person coming to this place would be struck by the sheer ambience and the surrounding that this place is related to, the travel kitty. A person coming to Zinzuwada would be struck by its sheer modesty and simplicity. The travel kitty is filled with enthralling pieces of architecture and amazing symbols of the past.
Places to Visit in Zinzuwada
The city with four gateways has a unique feature of having four gates. This is a beautiful piece of Indian architecture. The decorations, and the brackets, and the images of the deities here are all a feast for the travelers eye. The planned town, the architectural elegance, the gates, and the sculptures all are evidence of a mesmerizing past and a beautiful present. One can find the following here:
Gates
Gates: There are four gates in all directions in the town. The gates are Madapol Gate, Rakshaspol Gate, Dhama Gate and the Harijan Gate. The Madapol Gate is an exquisite gate with beautiful entrances built in the architectural style which was known as the Maru Gurjar. The entire gateway has multiple layers and is carved and fixed with brackets, which are corbelled. These brackets rest on pillars. There are images of various Indian Gods like the images of Ganesh, Bhairava, and many others. At the top, there are the magnificent jharokhas. This projects above the corners.
Fort
Zinzuwada Fort: This is a fort belonging to the 11th century AD. This was a fort built by the Solanki rulers. The minister of Siddhraj Uda Mantri inscribed on the walls and had slabs fitted here. The Zinzuwada Fort is one of the finest specimens of Indian architecture. The Dabhoi fort is also built on the lines of the Zinzuwada fort.
The other monuments, which are present here, are the Jhileshwar Mahadev and the “Kund”. All these pertain to the period of the Solankis.
Other Towns
Limbdi: This is located 107 km from Zinzuwada, was the Limbdi State Capital. This was ruled by Jhala Rajputs. This was a successful trading centre for cotton. This is situated between Gujarat and Saurashtra. The bazaar with an arcade is a complete living example of modern style and the architecture is a good way of understanding the way Indian architecture has advanced. It also showcases how aware the rulers of Saurashtra were about the architectural splendor of India.
This place has a place, which is a tourist’s haven. This is today the Vivekananda Memorial. The other things to see here are the Tower Bungalow Gandhi Smriti mandir Green Chowk, Fulnath Mahadev Jain Bhandar Jagdish Ashram, and are some of the monuments worth visiting. Jain Bhandar has some of the ancient manuscripts, which are very ancient.
Dhrangadhra: This lies a little away from the city of Zinzuwada. This was the Dhrangadhra State Capital. The Jhala Rajputs ruled here. This is a popular place of stone carving. The architects of the Sompuras. They are all involved in the same kind of business and are responsible for encouraging the art of tradition and architecture in India. The construction of Jain and Hindu temples here are very famous.
The public buildings and the royal buildings here are all examples of fine workmanship and beautiful art. The palaces like the Royal palace and the Suraj Mahal, and the Man Mahal and the bazaars are all examples of fine architecture.
Viramgam: This is situated 57km away from the city of Zinzuwada. This ancient fort town has five entry gates. The Munsar Tank is one of the grandest pieces of architectural beauty and is situated on the westernmost part of Zinzuwada. This huge man-made tank is the largest in Gujarat. It was formed in the 11th century. This has the combination of engineering of the machines, and the architectural elegance of the tank is seen to be believed. Minal Devi patronized the tank. The style that is employed here is the same as that of the Sahasralinga Talav of Patan.
The rectangular tank is shaped different from a rectangle instead is similar to a Gomukh. Here were initially 520 shrines. Today we are left with 360. The Shiva temples are along the few Shrines belonging to Vaishnava. The shrines are of the Chalukya style. There are three corners, which have the images of the family deities. There are two temples in the centre of the town. They are built in the same manner. They also arouse the tourist interest.
In this way it is seen that Zinzuwada, the city of past is a beautiful piece of art and a feast to the traveller’s eye.
AS we leave the city we feel, “Forts market a city sometime.”
