Places of Interest

Places of Interest

Photos Back several Nagar Brahmin havelis

Other Places of Interest The Tana Riri memorial, the 17th century Vishnu and Shiva temples, and several Nagar Brahmin havelis, are the other major attractions of Vadnagar. On the outskirts of Vadnagar is the rundown seven-story Pancham Mehta ni Vav built in the 16th c. The Gaurikund, a square-shaped pond with a pavilion, continues to be visited by people performing funeral rites. The steps leading to the pond have inscriptions from the Hindu scriptures.

Hatkeshwar Temple

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Hatkeshwar Temple

Photos Hatkeshwar Temple

Hatkeshwar Temple This profusely carved 17th century temple just outside town enshrines Hatkeshwar Mahadev, the family deity of Nagar Brahmins, who were once a prominent community in Vadnagar. The temple's inner sanctum houses a Shiva linga said to have self-emerged (swayambhu). From the roof of the sanctum a massive shikhar soars high into the sky. Facing east, the temple is enclosed by a high wall topped by three circular domes interspersed with flat stretches in the Indo-Saracenic tradition. The exterior of the temple is exquisitely ornamented with figures of the nine planets, musicians, evocative dancing apsaras, regent deities, the chief gods of the Hindu pantheon, scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and varied animal and floral motifs. The premises also have an ancient Kashivishveshvara Shiva temple, a Swaminarayan temple and two Jain temples.

Buddhist Caves

Buddhist Caves

Photos Buddhist Caves

Buddhist Caves Northeast of the main gate of the fort is a cave where the air is extraordinarily cool. The cave, locally known as Jogida ni Gufa, was found and used by Buddhist monks thousands of years ago. It has Buddhist sculptures carved in stone that resemble the Bodhi Vriksha or Kalpavruksha and other Buddhist motifs. You also come across some beautiful Buddhist sculptures on the mountain on the way to the cave.