The historical city of Baroda is often referred as Vadodara- the place of Banyan tree. Prior to independence, it was the capital of princely Gaekwad State that gave rise to the great rulers like Maharaja Sayaji Rao III. He gave a distinct look to the city and today it is reputed as a pleasant city that offers some interesting museums and art galleries.Its also known for its university and its faculty of fine arts, An institution which has been responsible for the emergence of the vadodara School of contemporary indian painting and as a thriving industrail Centre.
Places of interest
Populary know as kamati baug, the garden is the hearthrob of the city. It Was built by sayajirao iii in 1879 a.d. a purpose built museum in sayaji Baug between 1887 and 1894, it was shortly joined by its sister " the Picture gallery " ( 1908 - 1914 ) the collection of indian miniatures, Sculpture, textiles, objects from japan, tibet and nepal, indian and Foreign coins, wide array of items of study of science and natural history Earns for this museum a place of its own. The upper floor of the museum Building contains a section on natural history, ethnology and geology while The upper floor of the gallery building contains european paintings. The Ethnology section features the costumes and utensils of gujarati tribes.
Reputed as one of the most expensive buildings built in the 19th century, the elaborately designed Laxmi Villas Palace presents a fine example of the excellence of Indo-Saracenic architectural styles. It has carved cedar ceilings, a silver throne and Italian mosaic. Outside are three pleasant courtyards filled with palms, European statuary, Italian marble and stained glass. The palace also offers a huge collection of armor and sculptures that narrate the tales of a glorious ancient past. Visit to the palace is strictly on the permission from the Office of gaekwad.
Located in the palace grounds, the museum offers royal art collection. It includes European works by Raphel, Titian and Murillo and examples of Greco-Roman, Chinese and Japanese art and collections of Raja Ravi Verma. A visit to the museum is sure to give you a deep insight into the various art forms that stand apart.
-Kirti Mandir
Built by maharaja sayajirao - iii in 1936 a.d. to perpetuate the glorious Memory of his beloved ancestors, it is an ' e' shaped builing with domes, Terraces, balconies and a central shikhara built in hindu style. Reputed as The family vault of gaikwads, the magnificent kirti mandir is decorated With murals by nandlal bose. The visit to this place is sure to leave you Spelbound.
The haveli is famous for its fresco paintings that display scenes from the great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The university has its origins in the Baroda College established in 1881 by Baroda State. The main building which houses the faculty of Arts was designed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm (1840–1915) in Indo-Saracenic architecture style, in a fusion of Indian and Byzantine arches and domes in brick and polychromed stone. The main dome on the convocation hall was modeled after the great dome of the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur.
Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda (1908–1968) (the last Maharaja of the erstwhile Baroda State) founded the university in 1949 on the wishes of his grandfather, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1863–1939), and settled the "Sir Sayajirao Diamond Jubilee and Memorial Trust" which exists to date, catering to the education and other needs of the people of the former Baroda State.[3] It has its origins in the Baroda College of Science established in 1881.
-Shopping For the connoisseurs of exquisite silver jewelry and paintings, Baroda provides a perfect opportunity to go on a shopping spree. The shopping areas of Raopura, Teen Darwaza and Mandvi offer a good range of the oxidized variety. You can also check out a variety of handcrafted items at Khadi Bhandar. And if you are looking for some masterpieces of painting, look for the various art exhibitions that are organized by M S University's Fine Arts College.
-How to reac A network of highways connects the city to various parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Indian Airlines has daily flights here from Mumbai and Delhi. Regular trains are also available from all the major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and others.
-Climate The pleasing city of Baroda is best visited during the cool dry months of October to March. During the summer it becomes very scorching with temperature ranging from 25°C to 44°C.