Baroda(Vadodara) Tourism, Gujarat India

Vadodara, formerly known as Baroda, is the third largest and most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat, after Ahmedabad and Surat. It is the administrative headquarters of Vadodara District. It is located on the banks of the Vishwamitri river, southeast of Ahmedabad, 139 km from state capital, Gandhinagar. Both the railway line and national highway connecting Delhi and Mumbai pass through Vadodara.

According to historians, Vadodara's history is over 2,000 years old and the city has been ruled by Hindus, Pathans, Mughals and Marathas. The city houses different language speaking populace such as Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi and English.

Baroda saw the settlement of traders during 812 AD and was dominated by the Hindu kings until 1297. During the early years of the Christian era, the town was ruled by the Gupta Empire and was taken over by the Chalukya Dynasty. With the spread of Muslim rule in the country, the city was ruled by the Delhi Sultans who were later overthrown by Mughal emperors. Finally, the Marathas took over the region from the Mughals.

The best way to get around Vadodara is by an auto rickshaw. Apart from exploring tourist hotspots like the Laxmi Vilas Palace, Pratap Vilas Palace, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Aurobindo Ashram and the Walled city among other attractions, tourists can also visit the MG University, which has made Vadodara one of the most sought-after educational hubs in the country.

Tourists visiting Vadodara can also visit the various shopping malls the city boasts of or indulge in some street shopping. They can shop for handicrafts, textiles and leather products from the various bazaars in the city, especially Nava Bazaar. As for eating out, apart from restaurants, street food available near MS University is worth a try. Hawkers serving egg dishes, vada pav and Indian-Chinese delicacies are quite renowned.

As the geographical location of the city is close to the Thar Desert, the city has tropical savannah climatic conditions. The summer temperature ranges from 45⁰ Celsius to 24⁰ Celsius. On the other hand, the winter temperature ranges between 31⁰ Celsius and 11⁰ Celsius. Keeping weather conditions in mind, the ideal time to visit Baroda is during March and April.