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             VADODARA TRAVEL GUIDE

Vadodara, a town in Gujarat in India, also known as Baroda, is named for the Vad
(banyan) trees that flourish in the area.
Vadodara  also known as Baroda , is the third most-populated town in the Indian
state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad and Surat.
It is also known as the Sayaji Nagari or Sanskari Nagari (Cultural Capital of Gujarat).
Vadodara or Baroda, formerly the capital city of Gaekwar State, is situated on the
banks of Vishwamitri, a river whose name derived from the great saint Rishi
Vishvamitra. It is located southeast of Ahmedabad. It is the administrative
headquarters of Vadodara District.

Vadodara has a rich historical background. The ardent historian can trace
Vadodara's history over 2000 years and more. The first noted history of the city was
of the early trader settlers who settled in the region in 812 A.D. The province was
mainly Hindu-dominated with Hindu kings ruling till the year 1297. The Gupta
Dynasty was the first power rulers of the region. After fierce battles, the region was
taken over by the Chalukya Dynasty. Finally, the kingdom was annexed by the
Solankis. By this time the Muslim rule had spread across India, and the reins of
power were then snatched by the Delhi Sultans.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone                    IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                              148.95 km² (58 sq mi)[1]
Elevation                      129 m (423 ft)
Climate                        Semi-Arid (BSh) (Köppen)
Temperature               43 - 12 °C (97 °F)
Summer                       43 - 26 °C (83 °F)
Winter                           33 - 12 °C (79 °F)

Distance(s)
From Delhi                  956 km NE (Rail & Air)
From Mumbai             430 km S (Rail & Air)
From Ahmedabad     90 km NW (Road)
Nearest city                 Ahmedabad
District(s)                     Vadodara District
Population                  1,641,566† (18) (2007)
Density                        952/km² (2,466/sq mi)
Literacy rate                76.11
Language(s)              Gujarati, Hindi & English


PLACE TO VISIT


Maharaja Palace - actually refers to a series of palaces in Vadodara
constructed since the Gaekwad family started ruling the Vadodara State. The first
one was a building known as the Sarkar Wada. This building, not really a palace,
was given up for the Nazarbaug Palace built in old classical style. This once a
magnificent building is now in a dilapidated state.

Lakshmi Vilas Palace -  an extravagant building of the Indo-Saracenic
school, was built by [Mehul Makwana III] in 1890 is till date the residence of the royal
family. Its ornate Darbar Hall has an Italian mosaic floor and walls with mosaic
decorations. The palace houses a remarkable collection of old armoury and
sculptures in bronze, marble & terracotta. The Palace "compound" as it is known
here is of over 700 acres and houses a number of buildings, particularly the Moti
Baug Palace and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum building.

Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum -  is a museum housed within the
Maharaja's palace  The building was constructed as a school for the Maharaja's
children. Today a large number of works of art belonging to the Royal family have
been displayed in the museum. The museum contains the large number of works of
art collected by Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III during his numerous visits out of
India.
There is a beautiful collection of sculptures in marble and bronze. These include
copies of great masters in bronze commissioned by the Maharaja and also originals
by renowned artists.

Kirti Mandir -  or Temple of Fame, is the cenotaph of the Gaekwads, located in
the city of Vadodara.
It was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III to perpetuate the glorious memory of
his beloved ancestors. The sun, the moon and the earth in bronze with the undivided
map of India adorn the shikhar of Kirti Mandir.

Nyaya Mandir -  means Temple of Justice, is a unique piece of Byzantine
architecture. It houses the District Court of Vadodara city.

EME Temple -  or "Dakshinamurty Temple" is a Shiva Temple run by Indian
Army Authorities in the city of Vadodara in the state of Gujarat, western India. It is a
unique in concept & design, geodesic structure covered with aluminium sheets. This
temple is a major attraction for both tourist and devotees.

Hazira Maqbara -  is a Tomb of Qutbuddin in the city of Vadodara, in the state
of Gujarat, western India. Built around 1586, the Tomb of Qutbuddin (the army
general of the Great Moghul king Akbar) has beautiful windows carved in stone; there
is an old step-well in the large grounds surrounding it. It is one of the oldest Moghul
monuments of the city of Vadodara.


HOW TO REACH

By plane - You can get into Vadodara on a domestic flight, and it is reasonably
connected to the rest of the country by domestic airlines like Indian Airlines and Jet
Airways (there are several smaller and cheaper operators, too. The nearest
international airport is about 100 km away in Ahmedabad.

By train - At Vadodara railway station you can get on and off both superfast and
premium trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani express, as well as travel the humble
passenger trains (memu/ kathana passenger etc) that will take you to the smaller
towns and villages in Gujarat. It is well connected to the other parts of the country
(east, south and north) by direct long distance trains and is a major stop on the
Bombay-Delhi Rajdhani route.

By car - The National Highway no.8 passes through Baroda. It is connected by
excellent roads. There is an express highway to ahmedabad, and highway travel is
fairly speedy by road atleast in to other places in the western part of the country.

By bus - The main bus station is the STC bus station that is a stone's throw away
from the railway station (Vadodara Central). Non-airconditioned buses leave from
here. Buses leave every 15 minutes to Ahmedabad, taking 2 hours on the
expressway and it costs 63Rs (Aug07).