Champaner Gate (Darwaja), serves as the Northern gateway to the old city of Baroda and leads one in and out of the tightly knit fabric and the colorful markets of the old city area. It is one of the four entry gates to the walled city of Baroda, called Kila-e-Daulatabad and was built by Khalil Khan along with the now…
Gendi Gate (Darwaja), serves as the Southern gateway to the old city of Baroda. It is one of the four entry gates to the walled city of Baroda, called Kila-e-Daulatabad and was built by Khalil Khan along with the now extinct fort wall. Rhinos (called Gendas in Gujarati) were kept near this gate, thus the name Gendi Gate, says the…
Pani Gate (Darwaja), serves as the eastern gateway to the old city of Vadodara (Baroda). It is one of the entry gates to the walled city of Baroda, called the Kila-e-Daulatabad and was built by Khalil Khan along with the now extinct fort walls during the 16th century. The name Panigate (literally translates to Water gate) is said to have…
What is royalty without some extravagance !!! This sentence perfectly seems to reflect the lifestyle of Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad of Baroda. In an incident reflecting this extravagance, the Maharaja gifted his children a working scaled down model of the Flying Scotsman. Set up in 1941 on the grounds of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace, this train used to ferry the royal…
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, is the mausoleum/Hazira of Qutb-ud-din Muhammad Khan, which is one of the few reminders of the Pre-Gaekwadi era of Baroda. The mausoleum or the Hazira as it is locally known, contains the graves of Qutb-Ud-Din Muhammad Khan who was the tutor of Salim/Jehangir, the son & successor of Akbar. It also…
Found among the illustrious art collection of Baroda, the “Scene de Corrida” is an ink drawing by the renowned painter Pablo Picasso. While the exact circumstances of how this remarkable piece was acquired remain unclear, its presence in the collection is well-documented. A catalog titled Vente de la Collection de la Maharani de Baroda chronicles this artwork during a time of financial…
Floods have been associated with Baroda city for centuries. In fact, this was the reason why the ancient settlement of “Ankotaka” moved to the safety of the higher grounds of “Vatapatraka,” the small settlements that were the roots of present-day Baroda. Ghoda Pur: While there have been many floods in the city, such as the one in 1878 with 77…
Sir Manubhai Nandshankar Mehta (મનુભાઇ મેહતા) (Kt, C.S.I., M.A., LL.B.) was the Dewan of Baroda state from 9 May 1916 to 1927. From 1927 to 1934 he was the Prime Minister (Dewans) of Bikanir (Bikaner state). He born on 22 July 1868. He has taken his education at Elphinstone College, Bombay. He has served as Professor of Logic and Philosophy…
Shrimant Maharaja Sir Khanderao II Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, GCSI (1828–1870) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 12th December 1856 to 20th November 1870. He was the second son of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad II and succeeded to the throne, when his eldest brother and the king Maharaja Ganpatrao Gaekwad passed away in the year 1856. This king…
Just like it’s always said, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman,” this adage perfectly encapsulates the life of Maharani Chimnabai II. Born as Shrimant Gajrabai Devi to Shrimant Sardar Bajirao Amritrao Ghatge, Sarjerao, of Dewas, she became the second wife of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. After her marriage, she was renamed Maharani Chimnabai II. Her visionary spirit matched…