Situated in an area called Warashiya is the tomb of Waris Shah the “senapati” of the 16th century ruler of Ahmedabad, Sultan Muhammad Shah III. The area derives it’s name from the name of this particular individual i.e. Warashiya = Waris + Shah. Waris Shah was a kind and generous individual whom the people considered a “pir” or a saint….
Vadodara-Baroda
Situated on banks of River Vishwamitri near Sports Academy is the Boat House belonging to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. This building was used to park the boats when not in use. As seen in the picture the structure displayed exposed brick work with ornately carved eaves and finials adorning it’s roofs. The design of boathouse was derived from the vernacular timber…
Some times it is surprising to know how much one single person can change the lives of thousands of people in just a short period of time. One such person was Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III who changed the face of Baroda forever and put the city on the map of the country. So in 1938, when the Maharaja completed 60…
Located in the Dandia Bazaar area of the city is the Shree Jummadada Vyayam Mandir, which literally translates to “Temple of Physical Education”. The institute was started by Jummadada in about 1853 as an Akhada, in the Warasia area. It was later expanded and went on to become Professor Manikrao’s Shree Jummadada Vyayam Mandir. Jummadada and the Akhada : Also…
Situated in the Dandia Bazar area of the city is the Premanand Sahitya Bhavan. It was established in November 1916 by a group of people inspired by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Earlier it was known as the Gujarati Sahitya Sabha in until January 1944, when it was renamed. Manibhai Nabhubhai Trivedi, Manishankar Bhatt, Harshad Dhruv, Upendracharya & Abbas Taiyabji were…
Popularly known as the “Narsinhji no Varghodo” the procession that heads out from the Narsinhji Temple every year is a tradition more than 280 years old. Every year the procession is taken out on the day of Kartik Poornima or Dev-Diwali. The ritual celebrates the wedding procession of Lord Narsinhji with the plant goddess, Tulsi. In the Narsinhji Temple, Lord…
As a part of a 200 year old tradition, a procession or ‘Vithhalnathji ni Palki’ or ‘Vitthalnathji Varghodo’ as it is known in the local terms, is taken out from Vitthalnathji Temple every year on the occasion of Devpodhi (Shayani) Ekadashi (agiyaras). Significance : The procession or the occasion signifies the start of a four month long holy period of…
The city of Vadodara that we see today is the legacy of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III – a realisation of his of vision of a educated, industrialised, cultural capital that was a source of pride for its residents and the nation. Importance of Year 2012 for Vadodara The year 2012 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad –…
Standing solitary on the eastern side of the Old Bridge over Vishwamitri river, is an ornate Chattri. The structure was commissioned by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, in the memory of his biological father, Kashirao Gaekwad. My Father : Although he was only allowed to meet his biological father Kashirao, only about once a month, little Sayajirao held immense love and…
Inside the expansive gardens of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace Compound there stands a tomb of Alam Sayed also known as the “Ghode ka Pir” (the saint of horses). Alam Syed, is said to have been a Sufi saint, who was an adviser to Sultan Muzaffar Shah II who ruled Gujarat in the 15th Century. It is said that saint’s horse was…