Kabutarkhana Pavilion at Champaner

One of the 16th Century pre-Mughal Islamic ruins of Champaner, Kabutarkhana is a small brick structure with lime plaster built by the side of Vada Talav. It served as a sarai once. This structure belongs to the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fondly called the Kabootarkhana or pigeon roost, this was the summer pavilion of kings of Champaner, in Gujarat. It overlooks a picturesque lake, where water birds skim, glide and dive for prey. Cool breeze blow through the pillars on summer mid-morns. The path which once bridged the nearby lake with the pavilion has now gone under the state highway. The burnt, yellowed grasses smell of dry heat.

It is one of 36 sites across six sq. km, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The others include vestiges, fortifications, palaces, residences, a cenotaph, step wells, agricultural structures, even water facilities from the 8-14th Centuries.

How to reach:-
Nearest Railway station: Vadodara Railway Station, via Vadodara - Halol Hwy, 49 km
Nearest Airport: Vadodara Airport, via Vadodara - Halol Hwy, 50 km