Named after the first Vice-Chancellor of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Shrimati Hansa Mehta, the library opened in 1949 and presently houses nearly half a million books, periodicals, DVDs, videos and the University Archives. Shrimati Hansa Mehta Library is the university library of MSU and was established on May 1, 1950. At the time of the establishment of the MSU,…
Baroda State has had a long history with cannons, and while roaming in the city, one may come across small cannons placed at the different locations. And the most famous of the cannons/guns associated with the State are probably the ones cast out of solid gold and silver. The Guns of Gold and Silver : The State once had a…
Inaugurated on 10th November 2010, the Dabhoi Heritage Park revisits the journey of railways. It looks back on the history of the Gaekwar Baroda State Railways (GBSR) through letters, photographs and time tables of a by-gone era when narrow gauge steam trains were the toast of the land. Dabhoi & the Railways: Dabhoi under the Gaekwars of Baroda grew into the…
Situated in the heart of the city, Polo Ground is a huge open ground used by the people of the city during festivals. There used to be a big lake called Bhesana or Bhesaniya Talao (Lake) where the ground is now situated. Between 1910-1912 this lake was filled up with soil to make way for the Polo Ground, under the…
Established in the year 1952, Maharani Shantadevi Hospital is yet another example of neglect of authorities towards heritage. Located on the Indira Avenue (Jail Road), it was demolished by the authorities to raise a commercial complex. Earlier the building used to function as an office for the Gaekwads, with the hospital only being established in the year 1952. It is…
Dabhoi was established in the early 6th century AD. Its foundation and fortification is ascribed to the great King of Gujarat, Siddhraj Jaisinh (1093-1143 AD), who made this his frontier fortress. The architectural style and the exquisite stone carving and iconography on the fort walls and gates suggest that it was conceived and constructed in the same period as Rudra…
The Shiv Mahal Palace is one of the many palaces built by the Gaekwads in Baroda. Located near the Chakli Circle in the Race-course area, the palace was built around 1936, for Shivajirao the third son of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Shivajirao was one of the famous names associated with the cricket from the Baroda State. After Shivajirao passed away in…
What is today the Gaurav housing society behind the Bhaddar/Bhadra Kacheri, in earlier times would have been”Aggad” or the wrestling/battle arena. Historians say that the Bhadra locality has been home to this battle arena for almost 700 years. This battle arena is dated back to the 15th century to Sultan Muhammad Begada ruled the Baroda region and was patron of…
Situated in one of the corners of the old city, Bhaddar also known as Bhadra Kacheri is located in the area near Pani Gate, Vadodara. Now just a ghost of a building, this was the first known residence of the Gaekwads. Some trace the existence of this building, to the end of the 17th century, while others trace it further back…
Situated right across the Record Tower Building the Old Kothi is an administrative buiding commissioned by Maharaja Saiyajirao Gaekwad III. Aimed at public facilities, it was constructed as an office building in year 1876 and was designed by Major Charles Mant. It housed the secretariat, record office, military and police offices along with a library. The Building : The building…