West India · Gujarat
Vadodara, Gujarat
Sources: wikimedia
About Vadodara
- Inland
Where it is
Vadodara, also known as Baroda, is a city in central Gujarat on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, on the fertile plain between the Mahi and Narmada rivers, south-east of Ahmedabad.
History
Vadodara was the capital of the Gaekwads, a Maratha dynasty who ruled the princely state of Baroda from the 18th century until after independence. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, who reigned from 1875 to 1939, made it a model state, building the Laxmi Vilas Palace in 1890 and founding schools, libraries and the Bank of Baroda.
People
Vadodara's people speak Gujarati, and Marathi is also spoken by families linked to the old Gaekwad court. Known locally as the cultural city, it takes pride in its art school, its music and its nine nights of Navratri garba.
Known for
- The Laxmi Vilas Palace
- Navratri garba
- The Faculty of Fine Arts of MS University
- Sayaji Baug and the Baroda Museum
- Champaner-Pavagadh, a UNESCO site nearby
Did you know?
In 1906 Sayajirao Gaekwad III became the first Indian ruler to make primary education compulsory in his state.
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