Polo Forest which is the main site seeing place in Vijaynagar circuit is located in Sabarkantha District at a distance of 150 kms from Gandhinagar. Tourists are required to travel towards the northern region of Gujarat via Idar & Himmatnagar to reach Vijaynagar.

The Polo forest Camp is ideally placed near the Vanaj Forest area, Dam site and Harnav River. It is located at a distance of 70 km from Himmatnagar which is the district headquarters for Sabarkantha. Numerous Nature Education seminars, Wild Life training camps and Flora/Fauna awareness programmes are held at Polo forest camps. The area is biologically rich with its dense forest area which provides excellent experience for nature and adventure lovers.

Some of the popular and ancient site seeing places near the polo forest is

• Lakhena Temple
• Shiv Temple at Sarneshwar
• Sadevant Savlings Deras
• Surya Mandir
• Jain derasar
• Polo Jain Nagri (Ancient history)

The small perennial river stream - Harnav flows through the forest providing excellent delight and enjoyment to the tourists visiting the area. The presence of rocks, ancient remains and   diversified flora/fauna has attracted students, nature lovers, tourists and research scholars to this place. The polo forest contains some of the rare varieties of migratory birds which usually come in winters. The other animals that can be found in the forest are Jackals, Hyenas, Sloth Bears and Leopards.

Ancient History of The Area

It is believed that the ancient city of Polo was built in the 10th century around river Harnav which finds a mythological reference in our Puranas. The Parihar kings of Idar are believed to be the rulers of this area. However in 15th century, the Rathods of Marwar conquered the area and named it ‘pol’ which means ‘gate’ in the Marwari language signifying the area as a gateway between the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This city was built between the Mamrehchi in the west and Kalaliyo in the east. This city did not receive sunlight during most part of the day and this is regarded as a prominent reason for desertion of the ancient city. A check dam is built on the Harnav River which has a small bridge that guides you to the nearby forest. On going further, we can witness the ruins of the ancient temple.

The remains of the two Jain temples and a Shiva temple built during the 15th century can be seen in the nearby location. The excellent carvings of Lord Hanuman, Lord Krishna, Ganesh and other Hindu Gods can be seen on the walls of the temple.

Best Time to Visit

November to January

How to Reach

Public Transport buses operate between Ahmadabad and Idar (Distance 160 km). Private vehicles can be hired from Idar to Vijaynagar forest.

Tips to The Travelers

Carry sufficient food articles, snacks and water when you travel to this place. The nearest eatery or restaurant is at Idar 45 km away. However, try to keep the environment neat by avoiding littering the place.