Patan (Gujarat)

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Patan
પાટણ
Patan (Gujarat) (India)
Red pog.svg
State : IndiaIndia India
State : Gujarat
District : Patan
Sub-district : Patan
Location : 23 ° 51 ′  N , 72 ° 7 ′  E Coordinates: 23 ° 51 ′  N , 72 ° 7 ′  E
Height : 75 m
Residents : 125,497 (2011)
Rani Ki Vav
Rani Ki Vav

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Patan ( Gujarati પાટણ , old name Anhilvara or Anhilpur ) is a historically significant and recently rapidly growing Indian city ​​with around 130,000 inhabitants in the north of the state of Gujarat .

location

Patan is about 128 km (driving distance) northwest of the city of Ahmedabad at an altitude of about 80 to 85 m above sea level. d. M. The border with the state of Rajasthan is about 40 km to the north. Patan has a terminus on the Patan - Mehsana - Ahmedabad route.

population

Official population statistics have only been kept and published since 1991.

year 1991 2001 2011
Residents 96.112 112.219 125,497

The Gujarati and Hindi- speaking population consists of approximately 80% Hindus , 15% Muslims and 5% Jains , Christians, Sikhs , Parsees and others. As is common with Indian censuses, the male population is about 10% higher than the female population.

economy

Agriculture and especially the dairy industry traditionally play an important role in the entire district of Patan; the Dudhsagar Dairy is the largest milk producer in India. The extremely fine and precious Patoli saris are woven in Patan.

history

Patan was supposedly founded as Anhilvara or Anhilpur in 746 by Vanraj Chavda , a ruler of the Chavda dynasty. Mulraja, the adopted son of the last of his descendants, became the founder of the Solanki dynasty, ruling from Patan, in the 10th century , which flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries - despite the first attacks by Islamic armies, some of which could be repulsed experienced. Around the year 1000, the population of Patan is estimated at around 100,000, making it one of the largest cities in the world at that time. Shortly after 1200, however, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak , the founder of the slave dynasty and the Sultanate of Delhi , conquered the Solanki Empire, whose capital was completely destroyed in 1298 by Ala ud-Din Khalji . This was newly built - surrounded by walls - in the immediate vicinity and was the seat of the governor ( subahdar ) of the Sultanate of Delhi from 1304–1411 until the capital was moved to Ahmedabad .

Attractions

  • The main attraction of Patan is the Rani Ki Vav (fountain of the Queen ') called stepwells from the second half of the 11th century, which was completely silted up over centuries and was excavated again until the 1980s. The multi-storey complex is one of the most beautiful and largest of its kind and is richly decorated with images of gods, especially of Vishnu and his avatars ( Varaha , Krishna , Rama and Kalki ) as well as of Durga as the 'slayer of the buffalo demon' ( mahisasurmardini ); In addition, there are numerous abstract-vegetable decorative reliefs. Since 2014 the building as is UNESCO - World Heritage Site recognized.
Sahastralinga tank
  • The Sahastralinga tank dates from the first half of the 12th century and also served as a water reservoir, but it was connected to the Saraswati River, which flows past about 2 km north of the city, via a canal. A large number of Shiva shrines stood on its banks, some of which can still be seen.
  • Remains of the former city wall from the 14th / 15th centuries Century can still be seen near the Rani ki vav .
  • In addition, there are several Hindu and Jain temples distributed throughout the city , but they are not of great architectural importance. One of the Jain temples has a kind of care station for small animals of all kinds.

Web links

Commons : Patan  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Patan - Census 2011
  2. ↑ Patan - Map with altitude information
  3. ^ Khambhat - City Population 1991-2011
  4. ↑ Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).