DISTRIKT : India

My city Vadodara is a good place for tourist who just want to get away from the cold winters and perhaps if you want to go on a sweat bath while you walk you can come in summer too. The pictures are of the flag of Vadodara state, statue of the then king Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad who made this city what it is today. In British Raj it was one of the four princely states in India thy got 21 gun salute. Well the city is an Art lover’s pilgrim as there is a dedicated art university and four museums but also it has lot of great place to see and relax more of which I will show you as we proceed in this realm. Great food, great places, amazing people.

Well the corresponding pictures are of Kamati Baug. Located at banks of river Vishwamitri on which the city was founded. This garden as you see was built by Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad. It has a zoo, a museum, a piazza and lots of statues and gardens inside it. It’s very calm quiet and peaceful in here and you can seclude yourself in cool under the trees. There are a lot on monkeys and dogs here. Plus many city birds too but, I suggest keeping distance from them as you can see. Then there is a toy train the one in the picture newly inaugurated few years back. It’s a joy ride and it takes you around the park in twenty minutes. More about the zoo and more about the museum will be coming soon when I visit it tomorrow and I suggest not to come here in summer time between April to Mid-June as there is a huge crowd and it gets real hot.

My backyard

These two sculptures that you see are made of scrap metal left after the construction on a steel plant. The Rhinoceros ( aka Genda circle) is almost eight feet high till the tip of his horn from the feet up. Made and designed by Nagji Patel.

The corresponding pictures are of two brothers Hari and Arjan. The were just simple boys from a small village. One day Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad went on a hinting trip in Amreli. Where he was to hunt a lion but under some rough circumstances, everything went awry and King had an eye to with a Herculean lion with no bullet in his rifle. He was saved by these two brace boys and they were awarded and there statues placed at Kamati Baug.

This is a part of happy street thing started by The Times Of India in my city. Every Sunday people flock this street cycle, skate, play sports and have fun early in the morning.

This is a real baby blue whale skeleton present in the Baroda Museum. It was washed on the Mahi river in June 1950. It died as no effort was made to save it and it has been here since the last fifty years.

This picture is of Maharani Chimnabai ladies club which was established way back in 1903 in Kamati Baug.

Museum tour

Vadodara museum and art gallery. The art part.

This toy train started it first run in the campus of The Luxmi Vilas Palace which was the home of the king. A three kilometre track which was a three kilometre track that took the princes from Palace to school. Its a fully functional steam engine of a toy train. Right now its kept at display at Fatehsinhrao Museum. Sorry for the bad picture quality, I was escorted out by security as I was not allowed to go that close.

This is the university in my city. Set up by the king in the early 1900s was a seat of learning arts mostly. This is the main front.

Found these amazing chess articles while at the museum. Evidently chess was invented in India in around 500 BC. These chess pieces belong to the medieval era.

This is the main gate of The Luxmi Vilas Palace. It was the resident of the king until now but it was made into a hotel couple of year ago. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go in and get the pics of the palace.

This is the farmers market known as Khanderao market. The picture is of the front gate which is a mixed architecture of British, Hindu and Islamic styles. Well it’s summer time so not much variety but in winter the market floods with all sorts of stuff.

Caged beasts. Kings.

Boys do hide your wallet when in Vadodara. There is so much to shop. Nava bazaar. It’s closed on Mondays. Well but its really good pricing.

This is Mandvi Gate. The balcony you see up in the white is where during night musicians would site and sing songs. One of the notable singers was Poet Mannbhatt.

Nyay Mandir. Temple of justice is what the district court of my city is called.