Baroda City
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Baroda City
Capital of the Baroda State, situated in 22° 18' N. and 73° 15' E., on the Vishwamitri river, 489/2 miles from Bombay by rail, and 123/2 miles south-by-south-east of Ahmadabad. The population at the last three enumerations was: (1881) 106,512, (1891) 116,420, and (1901) 103,790. In 1901 Hindus numbered 80,834, Musalmans 18,770, and Jains 2,266.
The municipal board, reconstituted in 1906, has an income of about 2 lakhs, derived from octroi, fines levied for permission to erect new houses, &c., sales of land, and a conservancy tax. In 1904-5 the expenditure was 2.4 lakhs, the chief items being roads (Rs. 91,000), conservancy (Rs. 61,000), and administration (Rs. 32,000). The aspect, comfort, and health of the city have recently been considerably improved. A free supply of filtered water, supplied from the Ajwa reservoir, is dis- tributed to every street by means of pipes. Drainage works are being constructed to carry off storm water and sullage from the houses. New roads have been constructed, old roads have been made wider, new buildings have been erected on every side, old and inconvenient ones have been removed, the streets are clean and well lighted, and con- servancy is carefully attended to.
The city proper is enclosed by the old walls of the fort. It is approached from the railway station by a road which, at first broad and straight, gradually becomes narrower and more tortuous. Close to the station is the magnificent building erected for the Baroda College, at a cost of more than 6 lakhs. It is situated in a spacious compound, which also contains residential quarters for students, a fine botanical garden, a cricket ground, a tennis court, and a gymnasium. A little farther is the entrance of the public park, and across the Vishwamitri stands the Countess of Dufferin Hospital, a handsome modern building, with wards for male in-patients, and the Victoria Jubilee ward for female in-patients. Just beyond it, and on the same side, is the Sayaji Rao Military Hospital, for the reception of the sick from all regiments of the Baroda forces. In the suburbs of the city stands the house of the famous minister Gangadhar Sastri, while close by a steep ascent up a short hill leads to what is called the Juna Kot, or old fort, probably the most ancient portion of the Hindu town of Baroda. The principal offices of the State are located here, and just opposite is the new Survey Office. A large building has recently been constructed for the safe custody of records. The State Library, a small but handsome erection, is close to the Record Office. From the Laharipura or western gate a broad and picturesque street leads through the city to the clock-tower.
At right angles to this street branch off pols or wards belonging to distinct classes and castes of people, and forming culs-de-sac the entrances of which are barred by heavy doors. Close to the clock-tower is the old palace in which the Gaikwars lived formerly ; and immediately behind it, rising high above surrounding buildings, stands the white stucco Nazar Bagh palace which was erected by the Maharaja Malhar Rao. The Gaikwar's jewels, which are stored here, have been valued at over 3 crores. They include a diamond necklace, one of the stones of which is known as ' the Star of the South,' a brilliant of perfect water weighing 125 carats (originally 254!), estimated to be worth 9 lakhs, and a cloth embroidered with precious stones and seed pearls which was designed to cover the Prophet's tomb at Mecca. Not far from the Nazar Bagh is an old building containing a fine library collected by Sampat Rao Gaikwar. The Nazar Bagh adjoins a continuation of the Laharipura street, terminating in the eastern or Water Gate. On its southern side are the military office, and the lines where the gold and silver guns are kept. Just beyond the Water Gate is the arena where public sports are still held. From the clock-tower a road leads to the Champaner Gate, and another to the Rhinoceros or South Gate. Near the western gate is the Sursagar, a large reservoir of water with stone banks, and masonry steps in places. The length of this tank is 1,057 feet, its width 665 feet, and its average depth 12 feet. In the neighbourhood is the Chimnabai Nyaya Mandir, or 'temple of justice,' occupied by the High Court, and named after the late Maharani Chimnabai. Close to it are two other fine structures, the female training college and the Anglo-vernacular school. Another educational building is the Kala Bhavan, a technical institution where students learn dyeing, weaving, carpentry, smithy-work, drawing, &c. The Central jail is a carefully constructed building arranged on modern principles. The public park contains a museum, beautiful gardens, and a collection of wild animals. Just beyond the park is the lunatic asylum, a new and spacious building.
Besides the Nazar Bagh palace, the Makarpura palace is situated about 4 miles to the south of the city. It was originally erected by Khande Rao, but has been much enlarged and improved. It is now surrounded by fine gardens containing fountains, grottoes, and pergolas, and is used by the Maharaja as a country residence. The chief palace is, however, the Lakshmi Vilas, a building in the Hindu-Saracenic style, which cost about 60 lakhs. It contains a large Darbar hall, with mosaic decorations on the walls and a mosaic floor specially executed by Italian workmen, and covered wooden galleries reserved for ladies. The palace is well furnished, and contains bronze statues and costly paintings by European artists. The grounds have been laid out by an English land- scape gardener, and add greatly to the attractiveness of the palace.
There are many other objects of interest in Baroda, of which perhaps the most notable are the Hindu temples which crowd the city. Close to the stone bridge which crosses the Vishwamitri are the temples raised to the memory of several members of the Gaikwar family, as well as two temples to Mahadeo. Other temples of importance are Bande's, which has the largest allowance from the State; the Sidhnath temple, Lakshman Bava's Mandir, Kalika's temple, and Bolai's temple, all of which are supported by the State. There are also the temples of Khandoba, the tutelary god of the Gaikwar family, and those of Bechraji and Bhimnath, where Brahmans undergo penance for the spiritual welfare of the Maharaja's house. Ganpati's Mandir and the temple to Kashi Vish- veshvar mark the liberality and religious aspirations of the late Gopal Rao Mairal, banker, financier, and minister. The chief Gujarat temples are those of Narsinhji, Govardhan-Nathji, and Baldevaji, while high above all other buildings in the city, except the Nazar Bagh, towers the temple built by the followers of Swami Narayan.
There is no characteristic art in Baroda deserving of special mention. A few artisans are proficient in wood-carving, some in lacquer-work, and some in iron grille work suitable for balcony railings. Calico-printing is also carried on to meet the demand for cheap cotton saris. Embroidery with gold and silver thread of a superior description is produced to a small extent. A cotton spinning and weaving-mill built by the State was transferred to a private firm in 1905, and other mills are being built.
The cantonment or Camp lies north-west of the city, from which it is separated by the Vishwamitri. Its area is about 2 square miles, and its population (1901) 3,162. The garrison consists of a regiment of native infantry belonging to the Indian army. In or near the cantonment are the church consecrated by Bishop Heber in 1825, the Residency (just outside the boundary line), a stone column raised to the memory of Mr. Williams a former Resident, the American Methodist Episcopal Church and orphanages (280 boys, 260 girls), vernacular schools for boys and girls, and a school for European chilaren maintained by the Government of India and the Baroda State jointly.
