The Gaekwads of Baroda have always been a step ahead in various fields, and this was evident in their establishment of the first and only Aakashwani broadcasting station in Gujarat. The foundation stone for the Baroda Broadcasting Station was laid by Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad in May 1939; however, the station began operations only in January 1947 due to delays caused by World War II.
As the first princely state to establish this service, Baroda was also the first Indian princely state to be integrated with AIR (All India Radio) after independence, on December 16, 1948.
It is said that the first office was located in the Salatwada area, while the broadcasting station initially operated from Samlaya. It later moved to the Yash Kamal Building near The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), and after a few years, it is now situated at the Akashwani premises on Makarpura Road, equipped with all its instruments and machinery.
The Visionary:
On January 10, 1947, Maharaja Pratapsinh Gaekwad conducted the opening ceremony of the Baroda Akashwani Center. The first broadcast was the national song of the country, “Vande Mataram.” During the pre-independence era, there was a ban on singing the national anthem in public, but as a true patriot, the Maharaja boldly broadcast it on the radio without concern for the consequences. He invited renowned artists like Shri Krushna Master (Krushnarao Filambrikar) to perform “Vande Mataram” on this occasion.
Here is the quote he shared during the first broadcast:
“This is my radio station for the people of the state, and therefore it will start functioning with my country’s national song, Vande Mataram.”
Like his grandfather, Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad was a great visionary who worked for the betterment and bright future of his people. He insisted that programs reflecting the rich culture of Gujarat be organized and reach the masses in their mother tongue across the state. He also initiated programs related to knowledge, sports, art, agriculture, industry, health, and education for the people of his state.
The Artists:
Famous singers like Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Mirabai Badkar, Maula Baksh Khan, and Omkarnath Thakur performed live on Akashwani. Drama producers C.C. Mehta, Manbhatta, Dharmiklal Pandya, and Shri Markand Bhatt also contributed significantly. A magazine named ‘Nabhovani’ was published biweekly by Shri Muljibhai Shah as the main publisher. Ustad Faiyaz Khan began broadcasting as a staff artist for a fee of Rs 150.
Musical festivals were also broadcast on Akashwani, featuring performances by leading artists from India, alongside Western artist Edian Bolt.
A special program was held following the death of Mahatma Gandhi, which broadcast “Raghupati Raghav Rajaram,” the song sung by Gandhi during the Dandi March, with a special chorus led by distinguished musicians like Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Pandit Omkarnathji, Pandit D.V. Paluskar, and others.
The Maharaja’s contributions were so significant that the title song of Akashwani, composed during his time, is still used in some programs to this day!
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