I’ve waited a tad bit longer that usual to write of our visit to Baroda in April. It has become a pattern of sorts – of holding on to the precious precious memories of the last trip, keeping it swirling in the deepest of my heart, until a new journey comes close to becoming a reality. In Baroda’s case, I’ve held on to the memories tight for comfort and mental support, because the months that followed were a total roller-coaster of a ride. But out of nowhere, our dear friend from Baroda woke up 3 months later to paytm 400 rupees for her share of a pizza (!), I must also pay(tm) what is due and worth Baroda’s share.
So while it was yet spring or early summer tops and bursts of untrained bougainvillea were finding their way across, we decided we must go ‘somewhere’. That familiar-sounding conversation ensued around oh-we-should-go-someplace-it’s-a-3-day-weekend and we-could-do-a-budget-scene and half a dozen names later, Baroda came up, and one look at airbnb sealed the deal. When an 80 year old mansion which is a heritage homestay in the heart of the old city’s Dandia Bazaar summons, you do not refuse.
Hoping to max-out on the whole weekend in the city, we hopped on to an overnight train from Bandra and arrived into Baroda Junction at the crack on dawn. Since check-in was much later in the morning, we headed straight to the historic and famous for its Puna-Misal place, the Canara Coffee House. The journey from the train station to Canara was a teaser – offering glimpses of the majestic domes of MSU Baroda, morning walkers thronging to the city Baug and the glorious gates to the Maharaja’s Palace property. Since Canara was still being sweeped and cleaned, we walked over to catch a glimpse of Sursagar. Historically a part of the Bombay Presidency, Baroda feels in parts like Maharashtra and in parts like Gujarat – as it did at Canara Coffee House. The guy at Canara turned a deaf ear when we tried placing the order, simply walked to the wall and turned on lots of tiny black switches to highlight the items that were available. As is apparent from the innovative board, we had to get tea at ટી કોર્નર (Tea Corner) at the street that lead to our homestay.
We were ushered in by our host, Jai (as in the flower ‘Jai Jui’) with Sangram at our feet leading the way to the room on the ground floor, tucked in across the garden. The garden took us by surprise, since we had walked the congested city streets to get to this huge private garden. The room was warm, and frugal in a very peaceful, positive way that we couldn’t help reading and dozing off a while, with the doors opened out to the verandah and Sangram lazing at the doorstep.
The deal with this weekend was that we would not try to cover too much ground in 2 days (a very difficult to achieve proposition), because we typically exhaust ourselves with going everywhere and doing everything. Also summer was beginning to get harsh, specially between noon and 3pm and we had hoped to plan our meals and afternoon siestas within those windows. So when we woke up afresh, we were ready to step out and make the most of the evenings.
As is typically the case with us, we prefer to tick off the basics first – in this case the Lakshmi Vilas Palace. That not only helps orient with the city and its history but once that box is checked, we can go beyond the typical itinerary . Our beyond for this trip happened right when we were at the LV Palace – Mikail instagrammed a photo that got the right attention. A friend from long-ago offered to walk us around the city and our trip was mapped out right there – or in fact, not mapped out. Best!
We had exciting things lined up for the day – Visiting the Fateh Bagh Museum to see phenomenal paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Gujju thaali lunch, afternoon nap and meeting Niharika from my CEPT TA days for a walk around the city! 5 years ago, who knew we would end up spending this unforgettable weekend together. I have no photos from the Fateh Singh Museum and that makes sense because seeing Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings or Fellicci’s sculptures in pictures would do no justice to the sheer scale and magnanimity of seeing them in real.
Done feasting on the art work at the museum, we headed to feast on the much recommended Gujarati thaali place – Kansaar. Needless to say the thaali and following nap at Arudh Mahal was heavenly. We woke up in time to meet Niharika at Khanderao Market – what better than someone who knows the city in an out offer to walk you around. I was much excited 🙂
Khanderao Market is an enormous wholesale market that is set in the backyard of the palatial building of the municipality. The arcades on the ground floor lead from the front yard to the back via various gullies stocking spices, coconuts, fruits, vegetables, pots and pans and flowers. Just the kind of place that would bring one of my favourite poems, In the bazaars of Hyderabad by Sarojini Naidu, to mind –
What do you sell O ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of Purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of Amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.
What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call, O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.
What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.
What do you cry, O ye, fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play, O musicians?
Sitar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for aeons to come.
What do you weave, O ye flower-girls?
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed.
Sheets of white blossoms, new-gardenered
To perfume the sleep of the dead.
Past the Gurudwara across from Khanderao, our first stop was at what seemed to be called First Pay Money because everything from their counter top to their walls and even the cups were branded so. It was only much later we realised it had a more conventional name of નાતુર્ળ ઇસ ક્રીમ એન્ડ કોલ્ડ ડ્રિંક્સ.
We rushed soon after (of course we had paid money first) to catch the last of the setting sun and view of the Sursagar from atop one of the city gates. Past the Nyay Mandir, (which had just moved locations outside of the city centre) we walked up the secret stairway of the Laheripura gate. Fortunately, the resident claimant was not around and we enjoyed the last of the daylight from this strategic vantage point. Below us, there was the usual clamour of the bazaar and we soon walked down the stairs and became a part of it.
The rest of the evening unfolded similarly – walking the streets, getting lost in the by-lanes looking for deepstambhas and climbing up unending spirals to get to the top of more historic gates – in one case, by having to get the contractor-in-charge’s permission carrying out repair works at the Mandvi Gate. He could fathom no reason why we were hoping to get up, but the moment he nodded his head, we disappeared into the spiral.
On Day 2, after the lazed out breakfast at Arudh Mahal followed by endless cups of chai, we went across the city visiting School of Environmental Design and Architecture, followed by shopping at Alkapuri. Instead of hunting for cotton prints all over in other cities, it’s just easier to book a trip to Baroda, because I wanted to pick up anything and everything they had in stock. Having spent hours trying everything in my size, I reluctantly agreed to leave the store only because I was famished. In the choice between hoarding more prints and gorging on a Gujju thaali, the latter finally took over. So off we went and got served the most delicious yellow things on our thaalies – aamras and boondi!! Slurrrp. Of course lots of food and our promised afternoon nap followed.
That evening we walked to Tambekar wada, followed by a visit to Gallery Ark to check out Death of Architecture. The wada is a 19 century Maratha mansion and the front, conserved half of the house is under ASI, while the rear, totally dilapidated part is under the municipality. Every inch of the walls and doors is covered with paintings in rich colours from the Indian epics, war scenes or floral motifs.
Early the morning we were to travel back, we paid a visit to the central park of Baroda – Sayaji Baug and neighbouring MS University. There were people and peacocks in equal numbers out on a stroll. Before we headed back to pack, we had a two-course breakfast – first course at Fatehraj Sev Usal (who btw had no sev usal – only poha with some spicy gravy) and later guzzled the famous Mahakali sev usal – which comes as a DIY kit of parts including extra tangy usal gravy, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, extra usal, lime juice, salt and pepper, extra sev, chopped spring onion for garnish and a pack of tiny flat paos. Later they just count how many paos are left and bill you accordingly.
We normally chart out our trips in much detail, but we got to Baroda in such a hurry that we had had no time to plan, only to realize that it was all planned for us! One is certainly rich having spent a long weekend such as this – replete with connecting with faraway friends, slow breakfasts out-on-the-porch and afternoon naps for 3 days in a row to melt those worry knots away.
P.S: Our relatives gave us a bag-full of Baroda snacks, which I was sure we wouldn’t eat. When I was sharing the food (read giving it away) with my colleagues, someone said I would be stupid not to taste the famed bhakarwadi.
All I have to say is the cottons and the bhakarwadi are two things that will pull me to the city soon again!
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