When we at Heritage Trust first planned doing Walks in and around Baroda, our attention, rather obviously, focused on the Walled City. We were not sure whether we could have someone who would conduct the Walks on a regular basis, so we created a Do-It-Yourself folded chart that had the map with four Walks, each marked in a different colour, on one side; and detailed descriptions and photos of important heritage buildings to see, on the other side. These charts were freely distributed and though now we have run out of them, the more modern GACL’s mobile app, VadodaraByFoot (sponsored by Vadodara Municipal Corporation and GACL Education Society) can be used, free of charge, for a number of Walks across the city. (http://vadodarabyfoot.com)
However, while DIY charts and mobile apps are useful and offer the convenience of doing the Walk anytime the Walker has time, there is truly nothing like a Walk led by an informed guide who can brighten up the Walk with many interesting and juicy details about the heritage precincts and buildings and make the Walk informative and a morning well-spent!
I began to explore new possibilities for a heritage walk in the city when the parking availability at the Nazar Baug grounds that allowed for Walkers to drive in right till the Mandvi at the centre of the Walled City, was no longer possible. I did a recce with a possible Walk beginning at Kothi, taking it right to the Laxmi Vilas Palace Gate and turning in at the hockey ground, walking past the Khanderao Market, turning left towards Dandia Bazaar, walking till Tower and from there back to Kothi along the Raopura main road. There were numerous heritage buildings along the way that reflected wonderfully on how the city developed and grew. It would offer opportunities for lots of interesting information tid-bits that would keep the Walkers engaged and interested. However, this was too long a Walk and it would go on for well over three hours which would be too tiring for everyone. I had to find a way to edit it to make it a Walk not more than an hour and a half.
So instead of going all the way till the Palace Gate, I cut the Walk to turn into Dandia Bazaar with detailed visits to Aurobindo Ashram, Tambekar Wada, and Suryanarayan Mandir. The Kothi precinct itself is a fantastic space and a wonderful start to the Walk – most Barodians only drive or walk past the area, rarely bothering to go in and check out the beautiful buildings. Dandia Bazaar area, having once been a predominantly Marathi neighbourhood, is home to several Wadas, once homes to very well-to-do Marathi families where the men were generally top officials in the Gaekwad court, now mostly in a run-down condition. One can still see typical double-storeyed houses with verandahs (as seen in Shivaji Park area in Mumbai) though very few survive now. When I do Walks, I like to introduce Walkers to known traditional street food joints in that area. So the lane near the GPO always offers something for everyone, including steaming cups of tea to finish off the last leg of the Walk which is always Atul Shah’s amazing Home Museum that really needs to be seen to be believed!
Sandhya Gajjar
