Located just outside the railway station, amidst the bustling heart of the city, Hirak Baug is often mistaken by many as a mere traffic circle.
This small landscaped garden was commissioned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III’s reign. At its center stands a statue of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III seated on a throne, sculpted by Louis Berthoud in Paris at a cost of Rs. 80,000. The statue was unveiled by the Maharaja of Bikaner on March 13, 1936.
Beneath the statue, a plaque features an inscription in Sanskrit using the Devanagari script:
Original Inscription:
श्रीसयाजी महाराज: समदर्शी प्रजाप्रिय:।
सिंहासने विभात्येष लोकानां
हितचिन्तया।। सं. १९९२ वर्षे हीरक
महोत्सवे प्रतिमेय कारिता।
Shree Sayajirao Maharaj is impartial and beloved by his subjects. He graces the throne with the constant thought of the welfare of the people. This statue was commissioned in the year 1992 (Vikram Samvat) on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee.
Today, the garden and its statue are often overlooked by passersby, caught up in their rush or engrossed in their smartphones.
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