Zinzuwada

Fort
The fortification of Zinzuwada dates back to the 11th century AD. Zinzuwada was a frontier fort of the Solanki rulers and the inscriptions on the fort walls by Uda Mantri, a minister of Siddhraj Jaisinh, is proof of its antiquity. The fort is built with huge stone slabs and fortification is broad enough for two equestrians to pass at a time. Zinzuwada is one of the finest examples of Hindu fortifications in India, without Islamic influence. In Gujarat, another similar fort is situated at Dabhoi.

Gateways
The town has four gateways in four directions: Madapol Gate, Rakshspol Gate, Harijan Gate and Dhama Gate. Madapol Gate is one of the finest examples of entrance gateways in the Maru Gurjar architectural style. The gateway is decorated with corbel like, multi-layered, carved brackets resting on pillars. Images of Ganesh, Bhairava and other protecting deities are placed in niches at a lower level on both sides. At the upper level, one can see beautifully carved jharokhas projecting above the niches. The town-planning layout, location of gates and sculptural decorations are as per the ancient Hindu architectural treatises..

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Around Zinzuwada
The old scared kund and the Jhileshwar Mahavdev, dating back to the Solanki period is one of the interesting places outside the town.

Limbdi: (107 km from Zinzuwada)
Limbdi was the capital of the former princely State of Limbdi, ruled by the Jhala Rajputs. In the past, it was a prosperous cotton-trading center between Saurashtra and Gujarat. The arcade bazaar is a conscious attempt in urban design and architectural awareness of rulers of the smaller princely states of Saurashtra. The Bazaar Street finally leads to a beautiful palace, which is now converted to Vivekanand Memorial. The Green Chowk, Gandhi Smriti Mandir, Tower Bungalow, Jagdish Ashram, Flunath Mahadev and Jain Bhandar - housing ancient manuscripts are also worth visiting.

Dhrangadhra: (74 km from Zinzuwada)
Dhrangadhra was the capital of the former Dhrangadhra State, under the rule of the Jhala Rajputs. For centuries, it has been known as a famous center for its excellence in stone carving. The Sompuras (the traditional architects) of this town are still engaged in the same trade and are solely responsible for keeping alive the ancient architectural tradition of constructing Hindu and Jain temples in the India and abroad. The finest workmanship of stone carving can be seen in all the public and royal buildings. Royal palaces of Suraj Mahal, Man Mahal, bazaars, crescent and towers in the town are fine examples of this.

Viramgam: (57 km from Zinzuwada)
This ancient town with fortification has five entrance gates. Munsar Tank, the finest example of civic architecture, is located on the western edge of the town. This is one of the largest manmade tanks in Gujarat, dating from 11th century. The tank epitomizes the fusion of hydraulic engineering and architectural aesthetic values of Minaldevi, who patronized the construction of this tank. The architectural style is similar to the Sahastralinga Talav of Patan. The shape of the tank is not a perfect rectangle, but like a Conch or Gomukh.

Originally, there were 520 shrines on the bank of Munsar Tank, out of which 360 are still intact. Most of them are Shiva Shrines, along with a few Vaishnav Shrines. These Shrines are typical of the early Chalukya architectural style. Each Shiva Shrine has 3 inches housing images of Mahakaal, Bhairava and Natesh. Two large twin temples, located in the middle of the south side, are also of great tourist interest.

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