Heritage Trust Timeline
Heritage Trust in association with Alliance Francaise d’Ahmedabad-Baroda annex brought the French rock band KWAK together with KADAMB, a school of Kathak, founded by renowned dancer Kumudini Lakhia. Fresh twists and turns of Kathak dance movements were synchronized in perfect harmony with western and Indian classical instrumental music. The performance…
Heritage Trust completed the last project of ‘A set of Panels on Heritage Structures of Baroda”, out of the three projects that were sanctioned by The Vadodara Municipal Corporation and submitted to them in the month of July 07. About 275 Children from 5 schools of Baroda were taken to…
The annual Viraasat Lecture was held on the 27th of November 2022 at the FGI auditorium. The speaker, Ms. Heta Pandit has been a Heritage conservation activist for over 25 years where she spoke on her experience of ‘Heritage Activism in Goa: A Roller Coaster Ride’. The Rajmata, Shubhagini Raje…
Heritage Week was celebrated by organising several events. The Laurie Baker walk was led by Pragya and covered the structures designed by Architect Laurie Baker at Navrachana School, Sama, and Jyoti Ltd. The Coin Story was a talk led by Zubair Motiwala at the Ajwa coin museum. A special visit to the…
Successful PIL filed by Heritage Trust to save the iconic Pratap Vilas Palace: The palace is over 100 yrs old heritage complex within the confines of the city of Vadodara housing the erstwhile Railway Staff College and home now to the National Academy of Indian Railways and the National High…
VMC – Heritage Trust Clean up drive. This project by the city and the people took place once a week. A site was decided upon by both parties to clean and preserve. The areas around the Jaysingrao Library, the Navgruh Stepwell, the Bhadra Kacheri, the precincts of Yavteshwar Mahadev Mandir,…
Viraasat Lecture. The second quarter of the year has the World Heritage Day on April 18 every year. Heritage Trust’s much awaited Viraasat Lecture was held on April 16. It was delivered by Ar. Aishwarya Tipnis an award-winning architect and heritage conservationist on “Heritage and Us: What citizens can do?”…
Reimagining Heritage: A Collaborative Initiative of Navrachana University’s Centre for Heritage Research and Heritage Trust Baroda. Exhibition and walking tours were organized as part of the event Reimagining Heritage, by the Center for Heritage Research of Navrachana University along with the Heritage Trust Baroda. These two organizations collaborated for these…
World Water Day was celebrated at Sevasi Vav. Ananta Foundation held an awareness event at the Sevasi Stepwell (popularly known as the Vidyadhar Vav) on 22 March, celebrated as the World Water Day. The foundation has adopted the Stepwell for two years and will be carrying out its regular cleaning…
Royal Lunch at Jambughoda, Darbargarh was organised for HT members. At Rs. 1200 per head, Bhavnadevi of Jambughoda worked out an excellent menu for 20 persons. The Lunch was organized for the morning of Sunday, March 13. Heritage Trust has links with the Jambughoda Royal Family for many years. When…
Makarpura Medley – a workshop experiencing industrial art whose products blended the traditional (or heritage) with the contemporary interested a wide range of participants at two locations. Bodhi is a textile design and printing studio established by NID alumni Mala and Pradeep Sinha, and Rachaita is a fabrication unit that…
The Heritage Trust of Baroda planned a cycle ride covering a 15 km loop in the city visiting some heritage structures invisible to plain sight and a few stepwells. This ride was guided by Sameer Gaikwad. Starting from The cyclists resumed their homebound journey after 2.5 hours of immersion in…
The Heritage Trust ended the National Heritage Week event calendar with a talk, Being Raja Ravi Varma, by illustrated author Mr. Vikrant Pande. This event was hosted by the Alembic group at the Alembic City Amphitheatre on the 27th of November in the evening. Apart from having written several well…
The Coin Story – A Walk Through at the Coin Museum : Displaying close to 10,000 coins, including many that date back to 6th century BC, Shri Mudra Nidhi Coin Museum is located near the Ajwa-Nimeta Garden. This museum is said to be one of the country’s first private coin…
The Heritage Trust went digital by organizing it’s first ever online lecture in association with the School of Environmental Design & Architecture, Navrachana University to celebrate the World Heritage Day 2021. Titled ‘Stepwells of Ahmedabad : Water, Gender and Heritage’ the lecture was delivered by three young scholars namely Priyanka…
A heritage walk was organised to Dharmaj to learn and appreciate the old Kahadki’s, Pol’s and Bhavan’s of that town that also has an old African connection.
Mr Anuj Ambalal gave a talk on his book “23 Grams of Salt” that traced the journey retracing Gandhiji’s walk from Sabarmati to Dandi.
A group of over 10 cycling enthusiasts got an opportunity to explore the iconic heritage structures around the city. It was initiated & organised by The Cycling Club of Baroda along with Smart City of Baroda initiative led by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. The ride was conducted and led by…
The Vadodara Peoples Heritage Week was ushered in with great enthusiasm. The Heritage Trust organised two walks. One was around the Kirti Mandir and its precincts and the other was at the Kamnath Mahadev temple complex along the ghats of Vishwamitri river – both led by Mr Chandrashekhar Patil.
The fourth edition of the Culinary Delights of Vadodara celebrated the Bohra Culture of Vadodara and was titled the ‘Alavi Bohra Badri Mohalla’ walk. The walk was led by Dr. Bhaisaheb and was conducted on 9th February, 2020. The walk explored the culture of the Bohra community at the Badri…
The third edition of the Culinary Delights of Vadodara celebrated the Christian cuisine and traditions. The event was titled ‘Christmas Spirit of Baroda’ and was held on 3 rd Jan 2020. The event started with a walk exploring the churches of Baroda such as the Rosary Church, St. James Church…
Two food walks led by Mr. Adil Marawala titled ‘Merchants of Memories’(Vegetarian) and ‘Baroda Triangle’(Non vegetarian) were organized on 16th and 23rd Nov 2019 respectively. The walks explored the different areas of the city and introduced the people to the food culture of Baroda.
As a part of the National Heritage Week 2019 as many as 8 different events were organized. The first of these was the exhibition titled ‘India through European Eyes : A collection of original prints from the 18th and 19th Centuries’ which was displayed at the Faculty of Fine Arts…
The Trust started a series of events titled the ‘Culinary Delights of Vadodara’ which introduces the people to the local food culture. The first of these was a Parsi Dinner which was held on September 1st 2019 at the Cooverbai Hall in Parsi Agiary, Sayajigunj. The event hosted about 40…
A walk to the town of Bhadran was organized on 29th August 2019 and was led by Mr. Jitendrasingh Gaekwad. The walk introduced the participants to the history of the town and the upliftment efforts carried out by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in the late 19th and the early 20th…
The Bharuch Collector office organized a Bharuch Heritage walk that was attended by six of our members and facilitated by Bharuch based HT member Archana Patel. The district administration is showcasing Bharuch’s architectural rich legacy and has been encouraging weekend heritage walks to enable tourists to better appreciate the rich…
An inter-school heritage quiz organized by the Bal Bhavan’s school on the 22nd of January 2019 for the second consecutive year and was sponsored by the Heritage Trust. 78 children from 20 different schools participated in the same. The quiz was designed and conducted by WH5 consultancy. There were audio…
The Trust’s publication Once Upon A time…there was Baroda has been acquired by the United States Library of Congress’ New Delhi office. It will soon be available as part of their online catalogue with the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC) as part of research on South Asia. A two…
The Trust launched its Quarterly newsletter Dharohar with the first volume for 2018-19 complete with 4 issues, the latest being the one in March. This is an e-newsletter and apart from letting our members know of activities that will or have happened, cover a theme. The themes covered till now…
A workshop titled ‘Heritage at Risk’ conducted by Dr. Rohit Jigyasu (UNESCO Chair at the Ritsumeikan University, Japan and ex-president of ICOMOS India) was conducted on 20th August 2018 from 10.30- 1.30pm in the morning. The workshop was attended by various stakeholders including officials from the VMC futuristic cell, ASI…
A team of HT met ASI Deputy Superintending archaeologist Arun Malik to raise the issue of the Tambekar Wada on May 14, 2018. Issues on how to ensure the back portion is conserved and to get the other stakeholder on board to provide wholesome conservation efforts were discussed too. A…
Various notes were prepared with aid of different members of the Trust for the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner in support for the protection of the city’s heritage. The properties included were the Damajirao Dharamshala building besides the railway station, the Tambekar Wada (VMC portion), the Israeli Cemetery in Fatehgunj and for…
Nature + Heritage Walk: Wadhwana-Dabhoi / Bilapur- Began with a drive to Wadhwana Lake to spot the winter migratory birds here with ace ‘birder’ Avi Sabawala. After breakfast the group drove on to Dabhoi- from the Hira Baghol Darwaza to other gates of this ancient town with Chandrashekhar Patil as…
The Heritage Trust website was launched to reach more people as well as have a permanent showcase to the work it has conducted. Work on the same is being carried out to incorporate more of the past activities done and include future events as well.
An exhibition of more than three hundred school students’ posters on“My city, My Heritage” was held at Band stand, Sayaji baug from16th to 18th April 2016.It was inaugurated by the then Municipal Commissioner Shri H.S.Patel. Prizes to winners were given by Smt. Avantika Singh, the then district Collector of Vadodara.
A decision was taken by Heritage Trust and The Municipal Commissioner to have two three members from Heritage Trust on the board of ‘Heritage Cell’ which will be created by the Municipal Corporation. 20 Nov 2015: An exhibition of photographs by eminent artist- printmaker- photographer Prof. Jyoti Bhatt was inaugurated…
Dr. Rani Dharkar’s book on Baroda, ‘Once upon a time…….. there was Baroda’ was released on April 18, 2014 on the World Heritage Day by Raj Mata Shrimant Shubhangini Raje Gaekwad. Along with the book release, ‘Water Colours’ by Rani Dharker & Selected Photographs by Rahul Gajjar taken for the…
A Project on the Study of the Textile and the Art Works used by the Royal Family of Baroda was started with Students of Home Science, Clothing & Textile Department MSU. Activities like cataloging and documentation culminated in the form of an exhibition.
In this book, the author seeks to capture the essence of the city, which makes it what it is. The book is divided into sections, which brings alive the magic of the old Baroda, a magic that still exists despite industrialization, giving it its unique character. The Book of Baroda…
As a part of our Children-in-conservation initiative, the trust organized a workshop for children at Navlakhi Vav, Laxmi Villas palace grounds, on the 19th, 20th and 21st of January 2012. About 1000 children (Class VIII-IX) from 16 English and Gujarati medium schools along with two schools working with hearing impaired…
CITY MUSEUM – An Executive Committee meeting of Heritage Trust was organized at the Collectorate Office under the Chairmanship of the District Collector, Shri. Vijay Nehra, to discuss the starting of City Museum as well signing of an MOU between the Collectorate, the Municipal Corporation & Heritage Trust for the…
The Book “Myths and Legends” of Champaner Pavagadh, compiled by Smt. Sonal Mittal Modi and illustrated by late Artist Jaidev Thakore & published by Heritage Trust was released by the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri. Ahmed Hameed Ansari where Minja Yang, Director, UNESCO for India was also present. Minja…
Ravi Kapoor, Managing Committee member took initiative to publish a calendar with pictures of Champaner for the year 2008. The calendar was sponsored by 12 corporates. Heritage Trust participated in the United Way Mela held in Febrauary 2008. As a part of intangible Heritage panels of Myths & Legends of…
President of India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam unveiled the UNESCO’s World Heritage Plaque at Jami Masjid, Champaner on 11th November 2006. He was accompanied by Governor of Gujarat Shri Naval Kishore Sharma and the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi. The programme was jointly organized by Heritage…
Heritage Trust collaborated on projects with the Archaeological Survey of India, the INTACH-UK Trust, INTACH, Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, National Mission on Manuscripts, Faculty of Fine Arts (MSU, Baroda), University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, USA), and United Way of Baroda.
Champaner-Pavagadh became India’s nomination to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site status for 2004. The Trust instituted the Viraasat Lecture Series which will feature an eminent person in the vast field of heritage issues. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Professor George Michell, well-known architect-art historian who has done path-breaking work at…
The Trust completed the visual, historical, and architectural documentation of 120 heritage monuments at Champaner-Pavagadh. The Trust received 3000 pound-sterling from the INTACH-UK Trust which was used in organising a workshop on landscape development of Champaner-Pavagadh monuments with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA and department of Architecture, M S…
The government of Gujarat formed a task force on Champaner-Pavagadh for the protection, conservation, and development of the site. The Trust received US $ 20,000 from the WMF (General Electric Global Fund) towards the creation of a comprehensive management plan for the heritage site.
The Trust successfully nominated Champaner-Pavagadh to the World Monuments Fund (New York)’s 100 Most Endangered Heritage Sites of the World for the year 2000.
At the second Champaner Dance Festival, Astad Deboo performed with the Gundecha Bandhu singing the Dhrupad. The programme was sponsored by General Motors who launched the Opel Astra at the function. Then Ambassador of the United States to India, Frank Wisner attended the function with a delegation of 40 top…
At the first Champaner Dance Festival, danseuse Mallika Sarabhai performed “The Story of Champaner-Pavagadh”. The Trust filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Gujarat High Court to ban quarrying in the environs of Champaner-Pavagadh, as all our efforts with the government of Gujarat over the last 8 years to…
The Chowghadia programme was inaugurated by Ustad Bismillah Khan, the shehnai maestro and it continues even today. The Gaekwad Brothers have added Jaltarang to the Shehnai. It is thoroughly enjoyed by the hundreds of early morning joggers and strollers in Sayajibaug and is supported by ONGC.
The Heritage Club for children was established. Workshops on traditional terracotta toys for 140 children, 7 schools, and visits to Hajira, the only Moghul monument in Baroda for 627 children were held. Visits of children to the Baroda Museum were accompanied by informed guides and slide shows with the Department…
The first three-day workshop on the architectural conservation of Champaner-Pavagadh was held at Champaner, presided over by Sir Bernard Fielden, Chairman, ICCROM, Rome. It was attended by national level architects, archaeologists, art historians, environmental journalists and so on. The Trust decided to press government of Gujarat to ban quarrying in…
The Trust organised a seminar on “Save Sursagar” with the Baroda Municipal Corporation, where Mr. Sherban Cantancuzino, Secretary, Royal Fine Arts Commission, London, who had directed the cleaning of the Thames project, presided. A street exhibition was also mounted at Sursagar, opposite the music college. A detailed plan was created…
The Trust persuaded the Baroda Museum to prominently display the famous Akota Bronzes and other city-related artefacts that have established the antiquity of our city. These artefacts were earlier put away in the museum storeroom. A special exhibition, Heritage of Baroda, was organised on this occasion, inaugurated by Shri B K…