![]() Baroda is prosperous, neat and well maintained, with broad tree-lined avenues, extensive parks and numerous buildings of considerable distinction, including various exceptional museums and art galleries. A number of monuments, both historical and religious, are found at Baroda. ![]() South of the railway is the Pratap Vilas Palace built in 1910, is an elegant classical range of two storeys with a rusticated base, comer quoins and semicircular bays flanking the entrance. The corner towers are capped by shallow domes with circular windows in a faintly Arts and Crafts style. The Palace once functioned as the residence of the royal family. It has now been converted into the Railway Staff College. ![]() The Nazarbagh Palace lies almost at the centre of town. Built in 1721, it is a three-storey pile with arcaded verandas in Corinthian style, with a cresting of 'pic-crust' parapets. A solid gold and solid silver gun are kept here, the former weighing over 127 kg (280 lb), drawn on ceremonial occasions by a team of white bullocks. It now houses the royal family heirlooms. Museums housing ancient artefacts are also found at Baroda. The Museum and Picture Gallery (1894) are contained in the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Institute in the Sayaji Bagh, a pleasant riverside park, at the entrance to which is a large bronze equestrian statue of His Highness Maharaja Sayaji Rao III. The Museum pavilion, designed by the Chennai architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm (1840-1915), contains a section on Industrial Arts. The Art Gallery has a collection of Mughal miniatures and European masters. A modern planetarium stands nearby. Within the park, which is a relaxing retreat, are a zoo, miniature railway and an equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha warrior-prince. Between the park and the Kirti Mandir is a 16th century bridge, one of four over the Vishvamitri River. ![]() The religious monuments of Baroda mainly comprise Hindu places of worship. The Kirti Mandir or Temple of Fame is the Gaekwad family burial ground, containing the cenotaphs of previous rulers. It was built sometime in the early 20th century, commissioned by Maharaja Sayaji Rao. The term Kirti Mandir literally means Hall of fame. It is a stone building designed in the Hindu style with complete with terraces, domes, balconies as well as a central shikhara. The vault is decorated with murals made by the Indian artist Nandalal Bose. There are a cluster of Lord Shiva temples built around here. ![]() Among Muslim religious monuments, the Maqbara or Hajira is the only Mughal monuments of the city. It was built in memory of Qutub-ud-din, a general of Akbar's army. A number of architectural constructions are found here, which, though used for civic purposes are of great historic interest due to their colonial construction. The Kothi building, now housing the Secretatriat is a late 19th century construction. This resembles an English college, with mullioned and transomed windows and a central hall with traceried windows crowned by a fleche spire. Adjoining the Sursagar Tank is the Nyaya Mandir (1896), the High Court, an interesting commingling of Mughal and Gothic styles. The City Library (1876) is also by Major Mant. The centre of the old city is a marketplace marked by the Mandvi, a square Muslim pavilion (1736) and clocktower. The Shri Sayaji General Hospital (1876), designed by Major Mant (1840-81), a pioneer of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. The Kalabahavan Technical Institute (1922) is a fine Indo-Saracenic pile with a high central tower and dome in polychromatic stonework, continuing a tradition established by Mant and Chisholm over forty years earlier. To the north of the city are the Cantonment and Residency. The Anglican Church was consecrated by Bishop Heber in 1825, but was rebuilt thirteen years later. |
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Monuments Of Baroda