5 must-visit places in Vadodara

Laxmi Villas Palace

Laxmi Villas palace is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built till date and four times the size of Buckingham Palace. 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.

Sardar Patel Planetarium

The planetarium is situated near the main gate of the Sayajibaug. Besides, reflecting the immense progress of India’s space programme, it conducts several audio-visual programmes on the earth’s planetary system, movement of celestial bodies in space and earth’s planetary system.

Baroda museum & picture gallery

This famous museum was built in 1894 on the lines of Victoria & Albert and Science Museums of London. It preserves a rich collection of art, sculpture, ethnography & ethnology. Several of the paintings are not only original but masterpieces at the picture gallery. The picture gallery which offers an excellent collection of originals by famous British painters Turner and constable and many others attract tourists from every part of the country. The Egyptian mummy and skeleton of a blue whale are major attractions for those who visit the museum.

Kirti Mandir

The Kirti Mandir in Vadodara is actually a cluster of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Also known as the Temple of Fame, it is situated near the picturesque Vishwamitra Bridge of the city, in the memory of deceased members of the royal Gaekwad family. The marble treated interiors of the Kirti Mandir is wonderfully decorated with intricately carved murals.The characteristic ‘shikhara’ of this statuesque monument represents the sun, the moon and the earth in bronze with the undivided map of India.

Sayaji Baug

Sayaji Baug is a garden located in centre of Vadodara. Sayajirao III built Sayaji Baug, well known as Kamati Baug, on the river Vishwamitri. Sayaji Baug is the largest garden in Western India, stretching over 113 acres (0.46 km2). It has a rich flora of more than 98 species of trees. The garden is home to the Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery, the Sardar Patel Planetarium, and the Sayaji Baug Zoo.