7: Halvad Palace
Halvad lies about 80km SE of the fault, and is situated on about 6m of alluvial material overlaying rock. Damage generally in Halvad is reported to have been moderate, although some surrounding villages were more seriously affected.
The oldest part of the dabargadh dates back to the early 16th century. Figure 18 shows one of the buildings thought to date from around this time, which must therefore have survived a number of earthquakes, despite its apparently rather unstable structure similar to the chatris in Bhuj (section 6.5).
Figure 18: Building in old part of dabargadh, Halvad. Column base detail shows evidence of rocking
An adjacent quadrangular two storeyed main building around a central courtyard was added approximately three centuries ago (figure 19). This newer part is adjacent to an artificial lake, which is probably contemporary, and is founded on about 12m of fill retained by a massive masonry wall. The structure of this new palace is masonry stone construction as an envelope to an internal highly ornate timber structure. In the centre of the courtyard is a seven storey octagonal tower (called the Victory tower) of stone masonry construction, some 20m high (figure 20).
a) External from lake, showing retaining wall
b)Internal at 1st floor level, showing courtyard and timber arcade
Figure 19: Dabargadh, Halvad - main building
Figure 20: Dabargadh, Halvad - Victory Tower
The main building had suffered significant deterioration before the earthquake and some parts had been demolished. The timber roof of one section had been replaced by a reinforced concrete roof; this section survived well. Elsewhere, there were some further collapses, and damage to ornamentation and turrets at high level (see for example figure 19b). Three corner rooms at the first floor terrace level have developed severe vertical cracks in the masonry and in the north eastern corner the wooden stairs have precariously delinked from its bearing on the walls at terrace level. There is clear evidence that the ground beneath the terrace around the north west corner of the terrace has settled significantly. There are ambitious plans to renovate the palace complex and convert it into a centre for cultural studies.
There is a stepped well in the town (figure 21), thought to date from the early 16th century, which is contemporary with the founding of the town, and predates construction of the artificial lake. In figure 21, the water level is about 6m below ground level. This is of a traditional construction found throughout Gujarat. The well was undamaged by the earthquake, and there were no reports of damage to any other stepped wells in Gujarat.
Figure 21 - Stepped well, Halvad, showing water level
