Local Attractions

Lukshmi Vilas Palace

It is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built till date and four times the size of Buckingham Palace. At the time of construction, it boasted the most modern amenities such as elevators and the interior is reminiscent of a large European country house. It remains the residence of the Royal Family, who continue to be held in high esteem by the residents of Baroda.

The Palace compound is of over 500 acres and houses a number of buildings, particularly the LVP Banquets & Conventions, Moti Baug Palace and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum building.

In the 1930s Maharaja Pratapsinh created a golf course for use by his European guests. In the 1990s Pratapsinh’s grandson Samarjitsinh, a former Ranji trophy cricket player, renovated the course and opened it to the public.

Pavagadh Hills

Pavagadh is the gateway to Panchmahal. The locations of hilly areas around Halol provide good scenery. Pavagadh Hill has total height of 822 meters and you can find many scenic trails to climb including waterfalls during monsoon time. The temples of Jainism at Pavagadh are noteworthy. The temple of Kali is at the height of 550 metres (1,523 feet). A rope-way facility has been made available(commissioned in 1986) to the tourists to reach the temple. About 250 steps have to be climbed from there. The remains of the Raval Palace still exist at Machi. There are rest houses, holiday homes and small hotels at Machi. Dhaba Dungri is also a famous Shiva Temple located on the way from Halol to Pavagadh. It is also known as "Tapobhumi" of Maharshi Vishwamitra. Virasat Van" is also a beautiful garden located at footstep of Pavagad. Sat kaman is a beautiful place to sit and chill, specially before sunrise.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada river near Navagam, Gujarat in India. Four Indian states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Rajasthan, receive water and electricity supplied from the dam. The foundation stone of the project was laid out by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on April 5, 1961. The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity. The dam was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on September 17, 2017. In 2011, the government of Gujarat announced plans to generate solar power by placing solar panels over the canal, making it beneficial for the surrounding villages to get power and also help to reduce the evaporation of water. The first phase consists of placing panels along a 25 km length of canal, with capacity for up to 25 MW of power.

Poicha

This is a Hindu temple situated on the banks of River Narmada, outside the city of Vadodara. The temple has a brilliant architecture along with an extremely calm and serene environment. One can easily spend 3-4 hours here, as it has ample sitting area, a food court with huge variety of snacks. The beautiful sunset over Narmada river is a mind blowing experience. The evening procession involves horses and elephants.

Baroda Museum

Sayaji Baug, also known as Kamati Baug is situated on river Vishwamitri. It was built by SayajiRoa III in 1879 A.D. and covers an extensive area of 113 acres. The museum is considered to be one of the most famous museums of the country. It was constructed in 1894 and was designed by the famous architect R. F. Chisholm. The Picture Gallery building was added in 1910 and it houses excellent collection of originals by famous British Painters Turner and constable and many others. The Egyptian mummy and a skeleton of a blue Whale are major attractions for those who visit the museum. Other treashres include the famous Akota bronzes dating the 5th century A.D. A collection of Mughul miniatures, a fully-fledged gallery of Tibetan Arts etc. The museum houses a rich collection of art, sculpture, ethnography & ethnology. Several of the paintings are not only original but masterpieces at the picture gallery.

Fatehsinh Museum

The museum contains works of art collected by Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III during his numerous trips out of India. The major works of art in this museum are the paintings by European and Indian artists including a collection of the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, who was specially commissioned by the then Maharaja of Baroda. The collection includes portraits of the Royal family in addition to the paintings based on Hindu mythology for which Raja Ravi Varma was famous. There is a 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. One of the artists commissioned by the Maharaja was an Italian artist Fellicci whose works adorn not only the Museum but also the Lakshmi Vilas Palace.

Dakshinamurty Temple

The 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. It was built by the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) corps of the Indian Army. This temple is a symbol of secularism in the country as it displays various features of different major religions of India. The kalasha (Sanskrit: kalaśa, meaning "pot" made of a metal, commonly brass, copper, silver or gold) on the top of the dome represents Hinduism. The Dome is built according to Islamic architecture. The Tower beneath which, the idol of Lord Dakshinamurty is situated represents Christianity. The Golden top of the tower is according to Buddhist principles. The Entrance of the temple is built according to Jain religious tradition. The fire in the temple represents Zoroastrianism. The lord Ganesha idol place near lord Shiva has been brought from mahabalipuram. There is pure silver arch behind lord Shiva's idol, engraved with 'om namah shivay' on it.

Kirti Mandir

It is believed that Sayajirao Maharaja built this Kirti Mandir in the memory of deceased members of the royal Gaekwad family and the edifice is dedicated to Lord Mahadev. Today it is a major tourist attraction in the city. The outstanding stone building is constructed in the shape of a letter "E" with terraces, balconies, domes and a central shikhara that rises to approximately 35 metres. The interiors of the Kirti Mandir are marble treated and brilliantly decorated with intricately carved murals. The walls of the central hall are adorned with many impressive murals such as the Gangavataran, Life of Meera, battle of Mahabharat and Natir Poojan which are all very well preserved works from the renowned Bengali artist Nandalal Bose. Statues as well as precious photographs of eminent members of the Gaekwad family are also displayed for public viewing. According to annals of history, the golden era in the Maratha rule of Baroda commenced when Sayajirao Maharaja came into power in 1875.

Sursagar Lake

Sur Sagar lake also known as the Chand Talao is a lake situated in middle of the city of Vadodara in the State of Gujarat in India. The lake was rebuilt with stone masonry in the 18th Century. The water in this lake remains in it for the whole year. A concrete wall surrounds the lake on which the people use to sit. A 120 ft tall statue of lord Shiva built by Vadodara mahanagar Seva Sadan stands in the middle of the lake. There are many underwater gates in the lake which empty the lake if it overflows. The water from the lake empties in the Vishvamitra River. The lake is used for boating. The statue of Lord Shiva is lit with lights on Mahashivratri.

Tambekar Wada

Tambekar Wada is located at Tambkear no Khancho, Raopura Area, Vadodara (Baroda). It is a three-storeyed building which is a typical Maratha Mansion, which was once the residence of Bhau Tambekar. Inside of Wada, there are some of the most beautiful but decaying 19th Century murals. The Building is almost 140+ Years Old. Tambekar Wada is a spacious, four-storey building that has been constructed in an oblong fashion. It is originally the former residence of the Baroda State Diwan or Minister, Bhau Tambekar, who owned the responsibility of the administration of the state. The walls, doors and ceilings on the first and second floors of this old fashion building are adorned with the best specimens of mural paintings dating back to 17th and 18th centuries. Other wall paintings dating back to the first half of the 19th century represent epic scenes depicting the life of the people. The paintings are in poly-chrome and are of Maratha style of paintings of 19th century A.D. They are the best specimen of mural paintings in Gujarat. Most of the paintings have been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. The ASI still attend to the chemical treatments of these paintings on a frequent basis.