Visit Idar Gadh: History, Structure & Architecture, Places to Visit Nearby, Getting There (2024)
Idar Gadh, of which the term gadh means a fort, is a popular tourist and trekking location in Gujarat. Idar Gadh is overseeing the Aravali and Sahyadri range and offers a great view of the valley. Idar Gadh is about forty kilometers away from Vijaynagar in Gujarat.
The path to Idar Gadh is well maintained, so the trek is not difficult to complete. You will need to climb several stairs to reach the main fort.
Idar Gadh History
The Maharaja Daulat Singhji built this palace fort in the twentieth century. There are some places of religious tourist interest along the way, like the Zarana Mahadev Temple, which is in a cave. The temple in the cave is a Shivling, which has a perpetual supply of water, and therefore, the name of the temple is Zarna Mahadev. Zarana in Hindi means a waterfall. The other mystery about this fort is the origin of the water supply to the Zarna Mahadev.
The Idar Gadh Structure & Architecture
When you reach the Idar Gadh or Idar Fort, you finally see a structure of pink granite, and that makes it remarkably beautiful. 
The Idar fort has a firm place in Gujarat’s culture and history. The trek was difficult to complete at a point in time, and that gave the destination a mention in a popular folk song. The Idar Gadh is a two-story structure, with a ground floor. The entire Idar fort structure has several arches and doorways, and you get an idea that it must be very windy during its time.
The fort has the typical conical arches at its entrances. However, you won’t be able to know much about the Gadh, as it is in ruins, and there’s not much information that one can glean from the surroundings. When you reach the top of the fort, you get a beautiful and memorable view of the Aravalli valley. You don’t just get a view of the valley but the residences that are a bit ahead.
All this makes Idar Gadh a perfect destination for amateur photographers as well. It overlooks the valley, and the palace, though in ruins, has a charm of its own.
The aspect that first strikes you about the Idar fort is the defacing of the walls of the fort. Idar gadh is not in ruins, but one visit to it, and you will agree that the authorities need to do something about maintaining it. 
Because of the location and the experience of climbing the stairs to reach, the best time to visit the Idar gadh would be the monsoons. That’s when the entire valley would live up with greenery and look more beautiful than ever.
You will be able to spend around half an hour at the fort structure, but you need to ensure that you have packed well for a high noon outing with temperatures that are generally high.
The visit to the Idar Gadh is a calming experience. The pink granite is a rarity, and the way the color stands out against the lush green environment is a visual delight for anyone who visits.
The unknown origins, light trekking experience, and the general beauty of the fort and its surroundings make Idar Gadh a must-visit for anyone interested in the history and culture of India and having an interest in Indian fort tourism.
How to Reach Idar Gadh?
Reaching Idar Gadh, also sometimes termed as the Idar Mahal, is easy, as it is near Ahmedabad. Idar connects well with Ahmedabad and is more than a hundred kilometers away from it. Idar connects to Ahmedabad by road as well as rail. You will first need to board a train to Mehsana or Unhja and then proceed by private travels to Idar. If you plan to travel by bus to Idar, you will need to deboard at Kalol or Prantij and then proceed by private car. 
Idar Gadh is around thirty kilometers from Ahmedabad, so that makes it a whole day’s outing for those traveling from Ahmedabad. If you plan to have an overnight stay, the hotels at Idar offer accommodation for all budgets. If you are booking online, make sure that you read the rules and regulations.
There aren’t many vendors around the Idar Gadh, so make sure that you pack some drinking water and snacks for the time that you plan to spend at the Idar Gadh.
Places to Visit Near Idar Gadh:
There are some locations of tourist interest in Idar and near Idar Gadh. So, it will be a good idea for you to plan at least a weekend in Idar and Ahmedabad.
On the way to Idar, you can visit the Ruthi Rani Mahal, a palace that is quite aloof. Again, there’s no exact information about why it has such a name, but the destination makes someone feel aloof and seems perfect for someone who doesn’t want to contact anyone, as it is high on the mountain top. Legend stays that the Queen of the King, Rao Narayan, had this palace built to stay away from the King in the fifteenth century. 
The other destinations to visit here are the Daulat Mahal and the Mudhraneshwar Mahadeo Temple. Along the way, you will also see a structure named Ranmal’s Choki. You will also see the Mahakali Mata Temple, that’s carved out of a single stone. A little distance away is the Dargah of Hazrat Navgaza Peer. Just near the Dargah, you see a well that has water all around the year, similar to the water supply to the Shiv ling.
Along the way, you see a Jain temple that has intricate and exquisite carvings on the dome, the pillars, and the archways.
And a distance away is the Polo Jungles, which are another popular tourist location you can wrap up your visit to Idar Gadh with.
If you plan to stay for a while in Idar and Gujarat, you will be looking for accommodation near Idar and in Gujarat. If you plan to book your hotel rooms online make sure that you check the services and amenities that they provide. Some hotels might not allow singles to share the room, and yet others might not allow pets. Though Idar is a tourist location, you might face problems getting the kind of cuisine you are looking for, so check if the hotel you are deciding on has the necessary cuisine.
