Located near the Gahdiyali Pol, the Tank Shaal(Mint) was commissioned during the reign of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad I on the orders of his brother Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad. The building made for the mint consisted of huge chimney, melting furnaces, and water ponds used in the making the coins. The coins minted here are known as the Babashahi coins. The coins were…
Vadodara-Baroda
Located in the Dandia Bazaar area, the Bhaskar Vitthal Wada is known for its wooden pillars, huge entrances & ornate brackets. It was built by the then Deewan of Baroda State – Bhau Bhaskar Vitthal Khasgiwale, during the reign of Govind Rao Gaekwad (1739-1800). The Wada is, therefore named after him. Bhau Bhaskar Vitthal was the officer of the State,…
Any Indian will agree with the fact that the old India has always shown them tons of examples of religious tolerance and harmony. The story of the association of the Parsis with the Maratha Gaekwads is of the same kind. Pran jaye par Vachan na jaye: A person may be allowed to lose his life but the credibility of a promise…
Imagine walking on a road shaded by huge trees with rays of warm sunlight filtering through the thick green foliage and the air filled with earthy fragrances. The picture that comes to the mind will be that of the Indira Avenue. Now commonly known as the Jail Road, the older version of this road was less wide and planted with…
Also popularly known as Yahudi Kabristan, the Israel Kabristan (graveyard), this 140+ years old historical site lies at the mouth of what technically used to be the Nizampura village. The patch of land now known as the Israeli Kabristan was gifted to the Jewish community of Baroda in 1875, by the then Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. There is even a ‘Khat’…
No good railway facility is complete without a lodging amenity for the travellers and the staff alike. This is why the Damajirao Dharamshala, located just opposite the Vadodara Railway Station, was commissioned by Maharaja Ganpatrao Gaekwad. The current structure was commissioned by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III around the 1870s. Damajirao Dharamshala used to be a busy place back in its heyday….
During the reign of Gaekwads, Baroda State Anthem was sung as a respect to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III for their vision for the beloved Sayaji Nagri. The anthem is as below: Isha Thevo Srimant Shri Sayaji Maharaj Nrupati Sukhi, Bhagyashali ya Nrupati che Rajya Amhasi Sukhkar ho, Nrupati Sada Sukhi Aaso The above mentioned State Anthem was used to sung…
In year 1890’s, when construction of Baroda College (now The Maharaja Sayajirao University) & its campus was being done, as many as 40 bungalows were also built around it. One of these bungalow is Malti Baug which is situated near Gulab Baug. These buildings were majorly built to be occupied by the academicians. This bungalow in particular, was once used…
After the construction of Lukshmi Villas Palace, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III built many bungalows for state executives. One of the bungalow is Gulab Baug (Bagh), situated opposite of Sayaji Baug. This bungalow was made for Baroda State’s Main Civil Surgeon’s residence. After many years when the surgeons’s residence was shifted to the Dhanvantari Bungalow this was used as a residence…
While talking about Baroda, no one forgets the visionary king Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III but they often forget that his queen Maharani Chimnabai II was just as foresighted as he was. While the Maharaja was working on reforming every other system of the state, the Maharani was busy uplifting the women of the State. One of the major step she took in this direction…