Rana Sartanji built Darbargadh, the fortified palace, with a huge carved stone entrance gate flanked by high turrets and massive wooden doors. It is a typical example of such royal enclosures situated within the town of Gujarat. The nearby edifices on the left of the entrance are also good examples of large mansions with courtyards and intricately carved wooden elements.
The massive fort wall has several bastions, 4 main gates and 3 ‘baris’ (small gates). The four main gates are Kathiawadi Darwaja in east, Porbandar Gate in west, and Halar Gate in north and Junagadh Gate in south. The smaller gates are- Darbari Bari, Bhimji Bari and Sati Bari. Darbargadh of Dhoraji is located at the highest point in the town and is approached by Darbari Bari; a beautiful gate adorned with a jharokha, resting on brackets of 4 elephants statues in different poses. A finely carved entrance gate leads to the Darbargadh in the middle of a courtyard. Darbargadh is a three storeyed structure on a high plinth. The fa?ade is ornamented with sculptures of musicians, complex geometric patterns, images of sitting lions in different postures on long eaves, profusely carved pillars, horizontal friezes, decorative ‘kanguras‘ and windows framing skyline. It is designed like a jewel box- in the same architectural style of Navlakha Palace at Gondal.