Founded by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda Dynasty, in the 8th century, Champaner is a historical city in Gujarat. It was renamed Muhammadabad after it was captured along with the fortress hill of Pavagadh by the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada, and became the Sultan’s capital in the 15th century. Later, it came into the hands of Mughal ruler Humayun. Champaner is today the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in 2004. Among the major attractions here is the magnificent Jama Masjid , which ranks amongst the finest architectural structures in Gujarat. The Mahakalika Temple which graces Pavagadh is an ancient, much-venerated shrine for pilgrims. The city soared to fame from being a small pilgrimage site to the capital of Gujarat and fell as suddenly as it rose, but it is remarkably well-preserved. You can see Hindu and Jain temples a thousand years old, mosques from the time of the Gujarat Sultanate, and the whole workings of a well-planned capital city still in evidence, from granaries and fortifications to stepwells and cemeteries.