Of the regal past

Historic musings

Now, she had a task to do — of choosing a worthy successor who would rule the Gaekwad kingdom wisely. Among all the boys chosen to become the next maharaja of Gaekwad, she found young Gopal Rao very promising. And she had made the right choice. Gopal Rao became Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III, the maharaja of the Gaekwad kingdom. Under his rule, the region at, large and its capital, Vadodara (Baroda) thrived.

Vadodara is the former capital of the Gaekwad state. My first stop was the majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace in the heart of the city. The palace was commissioned by Sayaji Rao and was designed by an Englishman, Major Charles Mant. It was completed in 1890.

The Hindi speaking guide narrated the story of the dynasty in a  flattering tone. The palace, though open for public, is privately owned and maintained by the royal family.
Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the paintings that adorn the entrance to the ornate Diwan-e-Khaas hall, the Italian fountain, the main staircase, the busts of royal family, reflect an Indo-European amalgamation of architecture.

As the guide led the group from one room to another, I mentally drifted to those days when the maharajas ruled in all their pomp and splendour. Predictably, our guide spoke highly about Maharaja Sayaji Rao III. A Maratha king in a Gujarati township, he ensured that he maintained the strong cosmopolitan culture of the city. He made primary education compulsory in his state, founded the Bank of Baroda in 1908 and was instrumental in setting up the first inter city railway in India, between Bombay and Baroda. He also initiated the idea of a university in Baroda, which would be accessible to all, a task that was later completed by his grandson, Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad.

As I heard his achievements narrated quite emotionally by the guide, it reminded me of our own Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who reigned Mysore state around the same time (1884 to 1940).

In fact, there are a lot of similarities in their rule and hence their cities — encouragement for arts and culture, importance to education, promotion of economic and industrial interests, and so on. In fact, the main thoroughfare in Mysore is named after Sayaji Rao Gaekwad! Mulling over such similarities, I walked out of the building along with the group and stood facing the palace. Our guide told us that the entire palace was built using sandstone imported from Jodhpur. The Laxmi Vilas Palace reminded me of the Amba Vilas Palace of Mysore.

The green patch around the palace has now been converted into a golf course. An outdoor auditorium is rented out for weddings. The Fateh Singh Museum next door, once the school for princes, consists of an excellent collection of Ravi Varma’s paintings.

The Gaekwads had a fascination for trains. This is evident from the fact that Maharaja Pratap Rao Gaekwad built a three km-long mini railway track around the palace grounds to ferry young princes and princesses from the palace to their school. Built by Bullock, the owner of Survey Border and Camberley Railway in 1936, it made its maiden run in 1941, on the third birthday of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaekwad. A scaled down model of the train stands proudly in front of the museum.

Vadodara’s documented history dates back to 812 AD, when traders settled in this region. The region was ruled by Hindu kings until 1297, when it was ruled by independent Muslim rulers till the Mughals conquered them later. It finally fell into the hands of the Marathas, who reigned the city from 1732 till 1947, when the kingdom acceded to the Indian Union.

Today, the city is known for its illustrious university. The old city area has old houses built in Maratha style architecture, snugly fitting into its crowded streets.

Later, I bid goodbye to this growing metropolis and headed to Pavagadh, 45 km from Vadodara. Standing at a height of 822 meters, the place is home to a Kali Temple that draws thousands of devotees. On the foothills of Pavagadh is Champaner, which was once a flourishing town under the Rajputs and then under Mahmud Begada, who renamed it as Mahmuddabad. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As we enter the Champaner Fort, the first monument we see is Saher Ki Masjid. The main entrance is through an arched doorway and flanked by two minarets. The carvings showcase the typical jaali work and the mosque is believed to have been built during the 15th century. It faces a well maintained lawn in an otherwise hot and dusty place. Inside the mosque, there are a hundred pillars that support the structure.

Further down the area is the imposing Jami Mosque. The eastern entrance is beautiful. As one enters the central area, there are two huge pillars (minars) on either side of the entrance. In the dimly lit centre, one can see intricate carvings and an area separated by a carved screen at one corner.

Pavagadh attracts thousands of devotees to its temple every year. Though private vehicles are allowed to go up the hillock, a busy day here means big bucks for jeep operators who ferry as many people as they can to make a good sum. We rode in a jeep with six men on the front seat. While the driver managed the steering wheel, another man managed the brake while a song from Aashiqui blared loudly on the music system. You need God’s presence here.