The city of Vadodara is one of the most populous cities of Gujarat. Vadodara was earlier known as Baroda. The city gets its name from Vad trees which are found on large scale in and around the city. History of the city goes back to 9th century when it was known as Ankottaka. Ankottaka was famous for Jain religion in 5th and 6th century. There are some bronze images of Ankottaka kept in the Vadodara Museum. In the course of time the name of city changed a number of times. British travelers and merchants who came to India called it Brodera and then later on it came to be known as Baroda. Again in 1974 the name was changed to Vadodara. The city is situated on the banks of the river named Vishwamitri. It is located southeast of Ahmadabad and 139 km away from Gandhi Nagar which is a state capital of Gujarat state.
How to reach: One can easily reach there by plane, train, bus and also by boat. By plane: The city is well connected to the rest of the country by domestic airlines like AirIndia, Indigo and Jet Airways. The nearest international airport to the city of Vadodara is about 100km away and is situated in Ahmadabad. By train: Vadodara railway station is junction station and also busiest station in the state of Gujarat. It is connected to entire country by many Mail and express trains. There are some premium trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani express which connect Vadodra to National and state capitals. By bus: The main bus stand which is known as STC bus station is very near to railway station. Buses leaving from this station connect you to the rest of Gujarat and major cities and towns of the states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. By boat: Vadodara can be reached by boat also through the river of Mahi from Savli.
Must visit places:There are many places in the city of Vododara which are worth visiting. These places include the world famous Maharaja Sayajirao University. The University has one of largest campus in the state of Gujarat. Pavagadh Champaner. Pavagadh Kalika Mandir is also worth visiting place. To visit Kalika Mandir you have to reach first to Manchi which is just 5km away from Pavagadht. From Manchi there is facility of ropeway. Then you have to climb 250 steps to Kalika Mandir.
The city of Vadodara also offers its tourists other places worth visiting like Fatehsingh Museum, Tribal Academy at Tejargh, Lakshmi Vilas Palace etc. Shopping: Things made from camel leather is easily available here. You also can buy objects embedded with pure gold and objects with stone colors. Other: City of Vadodara and the rest parts of the Gujarat celebrate many festivals. Among them festival of Navaratri holds special significance. The festival of Navaratri is celebrated over nine days. During this festival the people of Gujarat dance the ras in Garba.
