Coordinates 22°182003N 73°122013E Area 148 sq.kms. (Approx.) Population 1.65 million (Approx.) Altitude 35.5 meters above sea level Climate Summer Max. 40.4oC. Min. 20.4oC. Winter Max. 33.1oC Min. 9.8oC. Rainfall 930 mm. (mid-June to September) Vadodara is divided by the Vishwamitri into two physically distinct eastern and western regions. The eastern bank of the river houses the old city, which includes the old fortified city of Vadodara. This part of Vadodara is characterised by packed bazaars, the clustered pol system , and numerous places of worship. It houses the General Post Office and landmark buildings like Laxmi Vilas Palace, Mandvi and Nyay Mandir. The colonial period saw the expansion of the city to the western side of Vishwamitri. This part of the city houses educational institutions like Maharaja Sayajirao University, Railway Station, modern buildings, well-planned residential areas, shopping malls, multiplexes and new business districts centred around R. C. Dutt Road, Alkapuri and more recently, the Old Padra Road and Gotri.

Vadodara, also known as Baroda, and popularly referred as the Sayaji Nagari or Sanskari Nagari (Cultural Capital of Gujarat), is situated on the banks of Vishwamitri, a river whose name is derived from the great saint Rishi Vishvamitra. The city also had another name “Virakshetra” or “Virawati” (A Land of Warriors). Later on it was known as Vadpatraka or Wadodará, which according to tradition is a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word Vatodar means ‘In the heart of the Banyan tree’. The official name was changed to Vadodara in 1974. The Beginning Vadodara city’s beginning was in the form of a small township on the right bank of the river Vishwamitri, which was then know as Ankotakka (Akota). Being located on the trade route of Gujarat to Malva, it flourished in to a commercial centre during the rules of the Guptas and the Vallabhis. A severe flood in Vishwamitri river around 600 A.D. forced the inhabitants to abandon this settlement and move away from the banks of the Vishwamitri. The inhabitants moved to the present day Kothi area. And Eversince, it remained as the core of Vadodara city as we know today. The City of Vadodara is strategically located at a junction of the main thoroughfares linking Gujarat with Rajputana and beyond in the north, the Malva and the Gangetic plains in the north-east, Konkan in the south and khandesh in the south-east. Even today, Vadodara is a junction on the western railway of the lines leading to Ahmedabad and Delhi. Vadpadraka (Vadodara) After Gupta’s rule till the end of the 5th century, Vadodara passed in to the hands of the Chalukyas and then Rastrakutas, who had established a small presence in Gujarat with the city as their district headquarter. By the end of the 10th century, Gujarat entered its golden period. Under the Solankis, Gujarat acquired political and cultural unity which allowed the art, literature, trade and commerce to flourish to its full bloom. Vadodara became a great commercial center and prospered like never before. After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate over Gujarat in 1298 A.D., Vadodara became a district town. In 1451, the sultan of Malwa looted Vadodara. In 1511 A.D. Vadodara was given as jagir by Mahamad Begda to his son prince Khalil Khan who built a small but strong fort. Several lakes were contructed and the the city expanded beyond the fort in the east and the south.

For those looking for ethnic Gujarati food, the city offers a wide choice. Some of the popular restaurant serving traditional Gujarati Thali include Surya Palace (Area: Sayajigunj), Yuvraj (Area: Station), Kansar (Area: Sayajigunj), Amantran (Area: Alkapuri), Sasuji (Area: Alkapuri), Surya (Area: Sayajigunj), Mandap - Express (Area: Alkapuri), Swagat (Area: Alkapuri) There are several multi-cuisine restaurants like the Fountain (Welcome Vadodara), Taj Residency, 24 Carat (Express), City Square (Surya Palace) The city also boasts of a fine speciality restaurant Peshawari (Welcome Vadodara) which offers north west frontier cuisine. There are several fast food chain restaurant like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Barista and Café Coffee Day. Besides great roadside food can be enjoyed at thousands of ‘larris’ spread across the city, the most popular spots being Ellora Park, Kareli Baug and the University area.

Industry & Commerce Until the early 1960s Vadodara was considered to be a cultural and educational centre. The first modern factory (Alembic Pharmaceuticals) was established in Vadodara in 1907 and subsequently companies such as Sarabhai Chemicals, and Jyoti Ltd. came up in the 1940s. The establishment of Bank of Baroda by Sayajirao III in 1908 also help industrial growth. In 1962, Vadodara witnessed a sudden spurt in industrial activity with the establishment of Gujarat Refinery by Indian Oil Corporation. Several factors like raw material availability, product demand, skillful mobilisation of human, financial and material resources by the government and private entrepreneurs have contributed to Vadodara becoming one of India’s foremost industrial centres. In Vadodara various large-scale industries such as Gujarat State Fertilisers & Chemicals (GSFC), Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (IPCL, Reliance) and Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) have come up in the vicinity of Gujarat Refinery and all of them are dependent on it for their fuel and feedstock. Other large-scale public sector units are Heavy Water Project, Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited, ONGC & GAIL. In addition to these public sector enterprises, a number of other large-scale private enterprises like ABB Ltd., Siemens India Ltd., have come up. The development of the chemical industries has been supported by the research tie-up with Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara. The multi million dollar industries like the Sun Pharmaceuticals, Zydus Cadilla and Panacea Biotech have MS University as the partner institute. In line with the ‘Knowledge City’ vision of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Vadodara is gradually becoming a hub in Gujarat for IT and other development projects. Civic Administration Vadodara is administered by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) from their head office at Khanderao Market (Phone: 0265-2433116, 2433118, 2431467, 2431466, 2433369, 2433388 Fax: 0265-2433060). The city is divided into four zones and 26 wards. Some of the regions surrounding the city are administered by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA). The principal responsibility of VUDA is to ensure a holistic development of the Vadodara agglomeration covering an area of 714.56 km². Culture and Language People of Vadodara are known for their tolerance and emotional maturity; justifying the name ‘Sanskari Nagari’ or ‘Cultured-City’ for Vadodara. Vadodara is one of India’s most cosmopolitan cities. Thanks to the vision and broadmindedness of the Gaekwads, the subsequent industrialisation, the proliferation of academic activities and a strategically important geographical location, Baroda has welcomed a wide variety of people from all over India. In all of this, the sprawling and cosmopolitan MS University campus and the large number of local, national and foreign industries act as a catalysing and unifying force. Navaratri or Garba is the city’s largest festival, with song, dance and lights during every October. Many of the residents spend their evenings at their local Garba grounds where local musicians play traditional music while people dance the Rass and Garba dances. The people of Vadodara have preserved the original and the traditional part of the Navaratri. Garba in Vadodara attracts a fairly large number of international tourists. Vadodara is a cosmopolitan city with Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, and English as main languages and Urdu and Sindhi as the other prominent languages spoken.