Also popularly known as Baroda, is located on the banks of River Vishwamitri. The present name Vadodara is derived from the word ‘Vadpatra’ since it boats of having numerous banyan trees. One of the most popular cities of Gujarat, Vadodara houses a number of cultural and educational institutions as well industrial units. The industrial importance of this city arises from various IT, engineering, petrochemicals, pharma, chemical and plastic industries located here. The Maharaja Saiyaji Rao University of Baroda is among the most valuable educational institutions and is also the largest university of Gujarat.
Not only the present, but the history of Vadodara has also been glorious and noteworthy. In its 2000 years old history, the place has been ruled by Hindus, Pathans, Mughals and Marathas. This fact only reveals the importance of this place on the map of India.
In addition to being influential from industry, history, education and cultural point of view, the city of Baroda has also gained a lot of attention from angle of tourism.
Major Tourist Attractions in Vadodara
The city of Vadodara has an amazing assortment of museums, gardens and architecturally remarkable palaces. Here are the major tourist delights of Vadodara.
- Sun Temple – Also known as Surya Narayan Mandir, this temple is situated in the Surya Narayan Baug and is the oldest temple of the city. Greatly revered by people of Vaishnav and Hindu communities, the temple houses a Black Elephant made up of stone and is surrounded by a lush garden. It is known as Surya Mandir owing to its architecture which allows sunrays to enter into its premises irrespective of the time at which it rises.
- Laxmi Vilas Palace – Commissioned by Maharaja Saiyaji Rao in 1878, this palace took 12 years to get built up and was completed in 1890. Laxmi Vilas Palace is the official residence of the Royal Family of Baroda. The palace has profound interiors made with Venetian Glass, some of the most grand crystal chandeliers and a collection of superb porcelain and marble statues from Europe. Close to the palace is Naulakhi Baoli, a stepwell which can store as many as 9 million gallons of water.
- Sayaji Baug – Dedicated to the locals of Vadodara by Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III, Sayaji baug, maintained by Municipal Corporation of Vadodara is the largest and the best garden of western India. Also popularly known as Kamati Baug, it is built on the river Vishwamitri and covers an area of 113 acres. Boasting of being a house to about 100 species of flora, the garden also has the Sardar Patel Planetarium, Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery and Sayaji Baug Zoo in its premises.
- The Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery simulates Victoria and Albert Museum of London. The museum has a rare collection of sculptures, art pieces, ethnology and ethnography.
- Delivering educative information about our universe, the Sardar Patel Planetarium offers daily shows for general public and students.
- Consisting of 167 types of animals over 1000 in number, The Sayaji Baug Zoo is situated on both the banks of Vishwamitri River. Asiatic lions are the most favorite of public out of all its animals. There is a bird zoo as well as an aquarium in its premises.
- Another attraction of the garden is the toy train ride known as JOY TRAIN. Running on a track of 10 inches, the train offers a complete view of the garden on a ride of 3.5 km taking 20 minutes to complete.
- Floral clock is another captivating spot of the Sayaji Baugh. There is an hour, a minute and a seconds hand which move on a dial. The machinery that moves these hands in underground.
Other spots of interest for tourists in Vadodara are Sursagar Lake, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Aurbindo Ashram, Hazira Maqbara, Mandvi Gate, Darbar Hall, Nimeta Garden, Khandaro Market, Sayaji Sarovar, Makarpura Palace, Lehripura Gate, Nazar Baug Palace, Kirti Mandir, Darbar Hall, Tambekarwada and many more!
Festivals and Fairs
Navratri is the main festival of Vadodara and is celebrated here with a lot of elation. Many dandiya and garbha events are organized throughout the city and all young and old participate in them with a lot of zest. The entire city gets filled with colors and festivity.
Best time to visit
The months of October to March are perfectly suitable for travelling to Vadodara since the weather of this city during these months is very nice. Travelers can enjoy their excursions during this time to the fullest. From April to September, one should avoid travelling to Vadodara since the city gets quite hot and temperatures rise to as high as 40 degrees.
How to reach
By Air – Connected with regular flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, Vadodara airport is located at a distance of about 6km from the main city. Transfers to and from the city are quite convenient.
By Rail – Named as Vadodara Junction, one of the major railway stations of Vadodara is the busiest junction of Gujarat. There are trains to as well as from all the parts of India and Vadodara. Other important stations of the city include Vishwamitri, Itola, Bajwa, Varnama, Ranoli, Makarpura, Karajan, Nandesari and Pratapnagar.
By Road – NH 8 which connects Delhi to Gandhinagar, Surat, Ahmedabad and Mumbai also passes through this city. Regular services of state as well as private transport buses are available from all the major towns and cities of Gujarat and nearby states. The good quality of roads allow a comfortable journey even if someone prefers to drive down own vehicle.
