The Bhimnath Mahadev temple is located in Akota (earlier Ankottaka). It was the spot where the first human settlement came up along the Vishwamitri River, which is almost 2,200 years ago. According to the well-known archaeologist V H Sonawane, the period of the city’s founding can be traced from the pavement stones used at this temple which bear the mason…
It is said that this Temple is treasury of 200+ Secco Paintings. This Secco Paintings contains rare paintings of Lord Vishnu’s Dashavtar, Ramayana and MahaBharat etc. The Temple stands erected on 16 big Pillars.
Located just on the ghats of Vishwamitri River, the Kamnath Mahadev Temple was built in the early 19th century. It is said that the area was developed during the reign of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad I by his brother Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad. In the olden days, the temple was visited by thousands of devotees. They would first take a dip in the…
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 –…
Since 1982 (or for 42 Years), the city of Vadodara (Baroda) annually observes Rath-Yatra, also known as the Festival of Chariots, or the Ceremonial Chariot Procession. The ISKCON Temple (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) of Vadodara organises this procession every year. According to legend, the Mahant of the temple and a small group of devotees participated in the inaugural Rath…
In the middle of the hustle and bustle of a market place is situated, the home of a god, Lord Krishna. The ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Temple is a temple dedicated to Radha Krishna, the sibling trio of Lord Jagganath, Lord Balbhadra their sister Subhadra and Gaura Nitai, situated near the Hari Nagar Market along the Gotri Road,…
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…
Situated near the Khanderao Market the Govindrao Madyavarti School was commissioned by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 in the memory of Maharaja Govindrao Gaekwad. This school also functioned as the ‘Gayan Shala’/Music College for some period of time. The old building was later demolished to give way to a new building in 1937, also commissioned by Sayajirao III. The school has…