Four Indian sites have made it to the latest list of  the 100 most endangered sites by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), a New York-based private organisation, which has been conducting a World Monuments Watch programme since 1996. Started with a gift from the American Express, it supports conservation work, (one of) the four ... sites are ... Champaner in Panchmahals district along the eastern border of Gujarat (at the instance of) a Baroda-based NGO, Heritage Trust ... Working for the conservation of Champaner since 1985, the Heritage Trust is now seeking cooperation of the ASI and the local government to plan a strategy for getting Champaner declared a heritage site and on to UNESCO's World Heritage List ...

Champaner has been lying in a state of utter neglect, though it is a living village. The medieval city spread over 6 sq. km lies partly buried and in ruins, dominated by the Pavagadh hill. The 69 standing monuments, 38 of them protected by the ASI, are a rich pointer to the wealth underneath.

The Kalika temple on the hill attracts a lakh Hindus and Jains every month. The Juma and Nagina Masjids, too, have a steady flow of the faithful. The Jain temples are more than six centuries old, and a number of ponds, cisterns and residential units of the period exist.

The Panchmahals district gazetteer mentions, "On the north-east was constructed the vada talav (great lake), fed by a canal from the eastern hills. On the bank of the vada talav stand the ruins of a Sultan's summer resort. Ruins of beautiful workmanship are scattered over the whole area, and five of the mosques are still in a fair state of preservation.

The Juma Masjid is known for its grandeur, and the Nagina dazzles for its pure white sandstone. From atop the Juma Masjid are visible the minarets of another mosque.

These remains apart, excavation of a haveli in the 1970s revealed sophisticated architectural and engineering planning of those times ..

It was the late R.N. Mehta of the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, who led the excavations at Champaner in the 1970s. detailing the townscape, and plotting its main features and the designs of important structures, a team from the university established that Champaner had existed even in the prehistoric times ...

The area was perhaps under the control of Gurjara Pratiharas and Rastrakutas during their struggle for supremacy. Later, the Parmaras of Dhar and Chalukyas of Patan might have made a claim on it. The only monument of this period, 10h-11th centuries, is a temple on top of Pavagadh.

The earliest authentic account of Champaner is of AD 1300 when it was captured by the Chauhan Rajputs who fled from Mewar and the invading Alauddin Khilji ..

The Chauhans (were) later occupied by the Sultans of Gujarat, Mughals, Marathas and then the British.

Sonawane observes that Champaner was a fortified area (and) a fairly developed city. "The water problem might have been solved by building check-dams on the streams coming from the hill". There were seven storage tanks and the embankments still exist ...

The Chauhans ruled over the city up to 1484, when Manmud Shah-I captured it. Better known as Mahmud Begda, the powerful Sultan established much of medieval Champaner and made it the second capital of Gujarat.

At that time, Champaner had strategic importance; the high plateau of Pavagadh served as a good observation post. It was located on the route to Malwa from Dahod in Gujarat.

.. The Sultan laid the foundation of the Juma Masjid as a token of his determination of capture the fort, which fell after a 20-month long siege ... He made it his capital, and styled it as Mahmudabad-Champaner. "Many imposing buildings, mosques in particular, were constructed and gardens laid out, well-fitted with fountains and waterfalls. Merchants and craftsmen thronged the streets. Champaner sword-blades became noted for their sharpness and Champaner silks for their bright colours ... "

The glory of Champaner was short-lived. In 1535, it was pillaged by Humayun and within a year the capital was transferred back to Ahmedabad ... Champaner- Pavagadh was ... declared a National Project along with Fatehpur Sikri and Hampi. But (it has) remained neglected.  (Source: The Week, 9 January, 2000)