Patan Facts & Figures
Population : 133,744 (2011)
Languages : Gujarati, Hindi, and English
Best time to visit : October to March
STD Code : 02766
THE CITY OF PATOLA SAREES: Patan, the former capital of Gujarat, is a place famous for Patola sarees, one of the finest hand-made textiles in the world. One can see this exquisite fabric being woven here.
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| An artistic Patola saree. Cite: https://www.aishwaryadesignstudio.com/content/images/thumbs/0055428_classy-dark-blue-designer-patola-saree.jpeg |
LOCATION: Patan is situated around 130 km from Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city extends from the latitude 23°52' in the north to longitude 72°1' in the east. The place is well connected by roads and rail to the other cities in the region.
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| Patan's location in Gujarat. |
CLIMATE: As the Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern border of Gujarat, the state has an extreme climate. But the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Cambay in the west and the forest-covered hills in the east, soften the rigors of the climatic extremes. Maximum temperature during summer hovers around 35°C (95 degrees Fahrenheit) while the minimum temperature during winter dips down to around 10°C (1o degrees Fahrenheit).
THE PAST: The historic town of Patan, founded in AD 796, is situated on the banks of the river Saraswati, about 51 km from Mahesena and 130 km from Ahmedabad. Originally known as Anhil-Vad-Pattan, the town flourished during the Solanki dynasty in 8th-11th century and has some interesting monuments. The city was the capital of the formidable Solankis, but lost all its charm when Mahmud of Ghazni attacked it in AD 1024. Ravaged by time and plundered for religion and riches, very little of the city's earlier glory remains now. Today, Patan is celebrated the world over for its exquisite Patola silk sarees.
| Durbar Square located in Patan. |
SITES TO VISIT: Of all the monuments at Patan, the Queen's Step well or Rani Ki Vav is the most stunning and speaks volumes about the sculpting skills of the artisans of the Solanki era. Constructed by queen Udayamati (AD 1022-63) and built in the Khajuraho style, the vav is 90 feet wide but there are no erotic images here. Instead, the walls are lined with images of Sheshshai Vishnu, Shiva and other gods and goddesses. As the vav remained buried for a long time, its numerous sandstone images adorning the walls have survived the ravages of time.
Also situated here is the Sahastralinga Talav or tank of a thousand Shiva shrines. Its construction was carried out by the great Jayasimha Siddharaja (AD 1093-1143). Spread over an area of five km, it is believed that the tank does not hold water anymore due to the curse Jasma Odan, a gypsy woman.
The temples of the Jains in Patan are said to number over a hundred, among which the one dedicated to Panchasara Parasvanath is the largest. It has a famous white marble image of Vanaraja and in the vicinity of the temple is the Hemchandracharya Jain Gyan Mandir that contains valuable Jain manuscripts, some of which were written in ink made of gold. Prior permission of the custodian is required for accessing these manuscripts stored in safes.
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Rani Ki Vav located in Patan. |
