INDUSTRIAL
CAPITAL OF GUJARAT
Vadodara
is a graceful city of palaces, parks, temples and
museums and considered by many as the de-facto cultural
capital of Gujarat. Once the capital of the Gaekwads,
the former rulers of Vadodara, it is also known
as Baroda and rises from the banks of River Vishwamitri.
Vadodara is also the industrial capital of Gujarat.
TRACES
OF HISTORY
Archaeological findings indicate that human habitations
existed in the city since prehistoric times. Vadodara
passed through the hands of the Guptas, Chalukyas,
Rashtrakutas, Solankis, the Sultans of Delhi and
the Mughals before passing on to the Marathas. It
owes its present day grandeur to Maharaja Sayajirao,
a great patron of art, architecture and music.
Vadodara, originally 'Vadapadraka' means a village
amidst the banyan trees. Historical findings take
us back to the 9th century where we find reference
to a town called Ankottaka, which can be identified
as present day Akota. Located on the right bank
of the river this place was prone to floods and
therefore in the later period Vadapadraka displaced
Ankottaka as the administrative headquarters.
PRIME
ATTRACTIONS
Lakshmi
Vilas Palace: Designed
in Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, the palace
built by Maharaja Sayajirao in 1890 is till date
the residence of the royal family. Its ornate Darbar
Hall has an Italian mosaic floor and walls with
mosaic decorations. The palace houses a remarkable
collection of old armoury and sculptures in bronze,
marble & terracotta.
Vadodara Museum And Picture Gallery: Founded
by the Gaekwads in 1894 AD, the museum has an impressive
collection on art and archaeology, natural history,
geology and ethnology. The adjoining art gallery
has a great collection of old European masters:
Veronese, Giordano, Zurbaran, some Flemish and Dutch
School of paintings, Turner and Constable, a collection
of Mughal miniatures and valuable palm-leaf manuscripts
of Buddhist and Jain origin.
Kirti Mandir: Meaning 'Hall of Fame', it's
a memorial for the Gaekwad rulers. Designed in the
Hindu style, it is a magnificent stone building
with domes, terraces, balconies and a central 'shikhara'.
It is decorated with murals by the famous Indian
artist, Nandlal Bose.
Nazarbagh Palace: Built in the old classical
style, the palace was used on ceremonial occasions
by the Gaekwads. It now houses the royal family
heirlooms.
Makarpura Palace: A beautiful palace designed
in the Italianate style, the Makarpura is now used
as a training school of the Indian Air Force.
Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum: This museum
houses the royal collection of art treasures of
old masters like Raphael, Titian and Murillo as
well as modern western and Indian painting; Greco-Roman
exhibits, Chinese and Japanese art; and a large
collection of contemporary Indian art.
Pratap Vilas Palace at Lalbag: Built as the
residence of the royal family, the Pratap Vilas
is an extravagant and flambuoyant building built
in the Indo-Saracenic style. The palace houses a
remarkable collection of old armoury and sculptures
in bronze, marble and terracotta.
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad University: The
erstwhile ruler of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad
built Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad University, also
known as MSU, over a hundred years ago. The University
is one of the bigger universities in Western India
and the only one in Vadodara. The notable faculties
here are the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty
of Performing Arts.
Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary: Located
in the Bharuch district, the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife
Sanctuary stretches over an area of 608sq. kms.
It boasts of abundant plant and animal life. Here
you can see leopards, sloth bears, sambar, wild
dogs, hyena, barking deer and a variety of birds.
EXCURSIONS
Tambekarwada: Famous for its wall paintings,
this place is situated 35 kms from Vadodara.
Anand: Anand is one of the most successful
examples of a cooperative venture in the country.
The Anand Milk Co-Operative has transformed the
life of farmers in this region. It is well worth
a visit.
Dakor: It is situated about 94 kms from both
Vadodara and Ahmedabad . Dakor is
a temple town sacred because of its connections
with Lord Krishna. His image, said to be the original
from Dwarka, was
brought here by a devotee and installed in the temple
of Ranchodrai.
Champaner: It is situated 47 kms from Vadodara.
The town of Champaner was subjugated by Sultan Mehmud
Begara in 1484 and made it his new capital. Champaner
lies at the foot of Pavagarh fort. The ruins of
its mosques and palaces reflected in the lake are
some of the most picturesque sights in India.
Pavagarh Fort: The hill of Pavagarh rises
from Champaner in three stages. The plateau at an
altitude of 1471 feet is known as the Machi Haveli.
Pavagarh is 49 kms from Vadodara, and is also known
as the birthplace of Gujarat's famous musician,
Baiju, who preceded Tansen.
TRAVEL
INFORMATION
How To Get There
Air: Various domestic airlines connecting
Ahmedabad , Delhi , Mumbai , Daman, Pune.
Rail: Vadodara is on the Western Railways,
Mumbai, Delhi and Mumbai, Ahmedabad line.
Road: State transport buses and private luxury
coaches connects various centres of Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan . Vadodara is
112 Kms. from Ahmedabad and 420 Kms. from Mumbai.
WHERE
TO STAY
Vadodara's hotels are designed with business visitors
in mind. There are several mid-range and up market
places, and just a handful of inexpensive lodges.
Most of the hotels are grouped in the Sayaji Gunj
area just south of the railway station.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Tourist Information Desk: At the Railway
Station.
Banks & Money Changers: Bank Of Baroda,
International Services Branch, Sayaji Gunj; Bank
Of South India, RC Dutt Road.
Post Office: GPO, Off Raopura Road.
