Dabhoi

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Dabhoi is a town and a municipality in

Vadodara district in the state of Gujarat,
India.
 Dabhoi
Town

Dabhoi

Location in
Gujarat, India

Coordinates: 22.1376000°N 73.4161719°E

Country  India

State Gujarat

District Vadodara

Elevation 99 m (325 ft)

Population (2011)

 • Total 51,240
Languages

 • Official Gujarati, Hindi

Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)

PIN 391110

Telephone code 91 - 2663

History

Plan and elevation of the corner tower of fortress of

Dabhoi
Dabhoi

Dhabhoi was historically known as

Darbhavati, Darbikagrama, Darbhavatipura
and Dabhohi.[1] It is first mentioned in the
6th century astronomical treatise Romaka
Siddhanta.[1] It was an important pilgrim
site for Hindus due to Kalika temple and
for Jains as well. It is also mentioned in
several Jain works such as
Hemachandra's Yogartrevritti and
Ramchandra's Vikramcharitra.[1]

The town and its surroundings were under

Chavda and later under Chaulukya rulers
who built few buildings and temples from
the 9th century.[1]

The fortification of it is ascribed to the

Chaulukya king of Gujarat, Jayasimha
Siddharaja (1093-1143 AD), who made this
his frontier fortress. The architectural style
and the exquisite stone carving and
iconography on the fort walls and gates
suggests that it was conceived and
constructed in the same period as Rudra
Mahalaya and Zinzuwada Fort. It is
mentioned as an important city in the Jain
inscriptions of Girnar (VS 1288).
In the 13th century, the town came under
Vaghela rule. The information on Dabhoi
can be found in prashastis and inscriptions
such as Someshwar prashasti which
mentions that the fort surrounding he
town was built (1231 CE) during the reign
of Vaghela ruler Viradhavala, father of
Visaladeva, who made it his frontier
fortress. He carried out the construction
as a celebration of the birth of his son. The
gates of it were said to constructed by his
ministers Vastupala and Tejapala.[1]

The Vaidyanatha-Mahadeva temple,

Parsavanath Jain temple, torana in white
marble, Vireshwara temple and
Kumbeshwara complex were also built in
the 13th century. Of all these, only gates,
Vaidyanatha Mahadeva temple and
Parshwanath Jain temples are in good
condition. The ruins other structures and a
kund suggest the grandeur of the town in
the 13th and 14th century.[1] It came under
the Gujarat Sultanate later.

It was a district headquarter during the

Mughal rule in Gujarat.[1]

The battle of Dabhoi was fought on 1 April

1731 between Trimbakrao Dabhade and
Bajirao Peshwa.

Later it was under the Baroda State.[1]

Fort
According to the 19th century source, the
fort complex covered the area of 800 x
1000 sq. yards. There are four gates in the
town, one in each cardinal direction,
having indirect entry, located in the middle
of each side of the fort wall. These gates
are: Hira gate or Hira Bhagol, Baroda or
Vadodara gate, Chandod or Nandod gate
and Champaner, Mori, Mahudi or Mahmudi
gate. Baroda or Vadodara, Chandod and
Champaner gates lead to the cities by
those names whereas the Hira gate was
entrance to the Kalika Temple.[1]
Hira Bhagol is named after the architect,
Hiradhar.

The most exquisitely carved gate, is in the

east, a.k.a. Hira Darwaza, or " Gate of
Diamonds," This Hira Gate according to
tradition cost more than ten thousand
pounds sterling in 1865 values. It is an
immense edifice, upwards of a hundred
yards long and sixty high, entirely covered
with most admirable bas-reliefs of
warriors on horseback and in chariots,
lions, and elephants.[2]

The Vadodara Gate in the west,

Champaner Gate in the north and Nandod
Gate in the south.

The fort of Dabhoi is one of the rare

surviving examples of Hindu military
architecture, based on the shastri
traditions described in various Vastu
scriptures.

Geography
Dabhoi is located at 22.18°N 73.43°E. It
has an average elevation of 99 metres
(324 feet).

Demographics
CNPF Arts and D N Science College, Dabhoi

As of 2001 India census,[3] Dabhoi had a

population of 54,930. Males constitute
52% of the population and females 48%.
Dabhoi has an average literacy rate of 68%,
higher than the national average of 59.5%:
male literacy is 75% and, female literacy is
61%. In Dabhoi, 10% of the population is
under 6 years of age.

Transport
Dabhoi is also a major gateway for
Narmada Dam, the life line for Gujarat
state. At one time the Dabhoi railway
station was the biggest narrow gauge
railway station in Asia with lines branching
to Goyagate(Pratapnagar), Miyagam
Karjan, Chandod, Bodeli, Samalaya Jn. The
narrow gauge section of
Pratapnagar(Vadodara)-Dabhoi-Bodeli-
Chhota Udaipur has been converted to
broad gauge. The remaining Narrow
Gauge lines existing today at Dabhoi are
Dabhoi-Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Moti
korel/Malsar, Dabhoi-Chandod, Dabhoi-
Samalaya Jn.-Timba Road. It has
undergone major changes recently. In the
latest Railway Budget plan has been made
of Gauge Conversion of Dabhoi-Miyagam
and Dabhoi-Samalaya Jn. stretch to
reduce the freight traffic at Vadodara Jn
but still no action is taken.

References
1. Saxena, Adhya Bharti (2000). "DABOHI
- AN URBAN SETTLEMENT OF
CENTRAL GUJARAT C.1000 - C. 1800
A.D.". Proceedings of the Indian
History Congress. 61: 358–364.
JSTOR 44148112 .
2. Rousselet, Lous (1877). L'Inde des
Rajahs. Librairie Hachette et cie, Paris.
 p. 122.
3. "Census of India 2001: Data from the
2001 Census, including cities, villages
and towns (Provisional)" . Census
Commission of India. Archived from
the original on 16 June 2004.
Retrieved 1 November 2008.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Dabhoi.

Gaekwads Archaeological Series: The

Ruins Of Dabhoi Or Darbhavati In Baroda
State
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