Tambekar Wada

There are different kinds of places, some of these can leave a person spellbound, and Tambekar Wada is one of these. Located at Tambkear no Khancho, in the Raopura area, the Wada is one of the famous places of Baroda. It is a three-storeyed typical Maratha mansion, probably built during the mid or late 19th century.

Like a typical Marathi Wada, it displays some delicate woodwork on the exterior. But what is so captivating or what makes it different from the others, lies hidden in the interior. The long halls on the first and second floor are a treasure trove of paintings, with no surface left bare. Even the wooden surfaces like doors, windows including their frames have been painted upon. With themes from Bhagvat Puran, Mahabharata, Ramayana or simply from daily life, the paintings offer a peek in the olden days.

The Building :

Formerly the residence of Diwan of Baroda State named Bhau Tambekar, it acted as a school in its later years. Later the school was shifted to a newly constructed adjoining building and the Wada quickly fell into disrepair.

Planned around a courtyard with a tall tree in center, the building is divided into two main parts. The front 1/3rd portion housing the paintings would have been the portion to entertain the guests and is a triple storeyed structure with a pavilion on top. While the remaining 2/3rd portion would have been the residence of the Diwan and his family. This rear 2/3rd portion is a double-storeyed structure without much embellishment.

The front wing: The bottom-most portion of the wing must have been the guardhouse connected to the residence through the courtyard. The upper floors in the front portion of the building are directly accessible from the outside via a staircase. This further strengthens the idea of it being a wing to entertain guests. One of the halls on the upper floor containing the paintings is divided into two portions with wooden screens. This hidden portion may have been for the ladies of the house, who were supposed to follow the “purdah” system.

The residence wing: This wing has broad verandas surrounding the courtyard followed by the rooms. Back in its heyday these verandas and the courtyard must have been the life of the mansion. With children running around and the ladies sitting in the verandas looking after them with their hands constantly working the daily chores of the house. The upper floor of this wing shows narrow balconies looking down on the courtyard.

Paintings: With different themes, the paintings have been done in panels, formed by the structural wooden members like posts, beams, sills, and lintels. The paintings display different schools of art and have been done in tempera on dry lime plaster on the wall surfaces. The wooden surfaces display a different technique employing opaque water-based pigments varnished with lacquer. The schools such as the “Company style” and “Rajasthani Qalam” are seen.

While the upper portions of the walls portray narrative episodes, the middle spaces bear individual figures. The door- frames have ornate floral patterns with occasional little fairies woven into them, give the idea of textiles of the period which may have adorned the interiors at some point. Other than the themes of Indian epics there are also some paintings which may be copies of some European paintings.

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Just like the interior defies the idea of the building we form based on the outside, the rear portion defies the idea of a healthy building, that we form looking at its facade. With the front wing of the building under the ASI and the residence wing under the VMC (Vadodara Municipal Corporation),  the matter of its conservation has become a feud.

Over the years, both the agencies have delayed its conservation work by blaming each other for the same and have permitted the rear portion to fall into ruins, which has now become a grisly place and a home of bats. If the matter is not looked into quickly, even the front portion which seems to be healthy will fall along with the rear portion.