3 DAY TRIP FROM AHMEDABAD | VADODARA & CHAMPANER - PAVAGADH

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vadodara Railway Station, Kirti Mandir is the cenotaph of the Gaekwads situated near Vishwamitri Bridge in Baroda. Also known as the Temple of Fame, it is one of the popular and important places to visit in Vadodara.

The Kirti Mandir is actually a cluster of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was built in 1936 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the Gaekwad dynasty to perpetuate the glorious memory of his beloved ancestors. Built as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the outstanding E- shaped building was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens & V R Talwarkar.

The Kirti Mandir is adorned with terraces, balconies, domes and a central sikhara that rises to approximately 35 m height. The sikhara of this temple represents the sun, the moon and the earth in bronze with the undivided map of India. The interiors of the Kirti Mandir are marble treated and brilliantly decorated with intricately carved murals. The walls .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Vadodara Railway Station, Aurobindo Ashram is a famous spiritual community or ashram located in Vadodara, Gujarat. Situated at Dandia Bazar, it is one of the best places to visit in Vadodara.

Also known as Arvind Ashram or Auro Nivas, Aurobindo Ashram was served as the residence of Aurobindo Ghose during his stay in Baroda in the years 1894 to 1906. He was the private secretary to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, and also the vice-principal of Baroda College (now MSU) during that time. Later, he gained glory as a social and political thinker, a freedom fighter, a philosopher and a yogi, named Sri Aurobindo. The bungalow was then visited by famous people like Lokmanya Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Sister Nivedita and Sakharam Ganesh Dueskar. Frequent visitors included his wife Mrinalini Devi, his sister Sarojini Devi and younger brother Barindar Kumar Ghose.

This was the first ever ashram to gain immense popularity and respect in the southern areas of .....

At a distance of 4 km from Vadodara Railway Station, Lakshmi Vilas Palace is an opulent royal palace located in Vadodara, Gujarat. Situated in Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, it is one of the most majestic palaces in India, and among the prime tourist places in Vadodara.

Built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Lakshmi Vilas Palace was constructed in 1890 at a cost of GBP 180,000 (Rs.27, 00,000). Designed by Major Charles Mant, it is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built to date and four times the size of Buckingham Palace. At the time of the construction, it boasted the most modern amenities such as elevators and the interior is reminiscent of a large European country house. It remains the residence of the Royal Family of Vadodara, the Gaekwads.

Spread over 700 acres, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. .....

At a distance of 4 km from Vadodara Railway Station, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum is a museum situated inside the opulent Lakshmi Vilas Palace complex in Vadodara, Gujarat. Located next to Lakshmi Vilas Palace, it is one of the most popular museums in Gujarat and among the must include places in Vadodara Tour Packages.

The Fateh Singh Museum building was constructed in 1875 AD as Motibaug School for Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad and later Maharaja Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad as well as other members of the royal family including Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad completed their schooling here. This beautiful building of the museum is a reflection of the Indo-Saracenic architecture style that still houses personal belongings of the Gaekwad family. The building was converted into a museum in 1961. Today a large number of works of art belonging to the Royal family have been displayed in the museum.

The museum contains art works collected by Maharaja Sayajirao .....

At a distance of 5 km from Vadodara Railway Station, ISKCON Temple is a Hindu Temple situated in Gotri locality of Vadodara, Gujarat. Also known as Sri Radha Shyamasundar Temple, it is one of the wonderful ISKCON temples in Gujarat and among the must see places in Vadodara.

The ISKCON temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple also has the idols of Sri Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadradevi, and Sri Gaur Nitai. Spread over an area of 6 acres, the temple complex includes the main temple hall, goshala, Govinda's Restaurant, gift shop, guesthouse and two community halls for religious functions. The darshan mandap is aesthetically decorated with relief artwork, depicting Lord Krishna's rasalilas. The Lordships are seated on an exquisitely carved wooden sinhasan. There is also a large sinhasan upon which the statue of ISKCON founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada sits. The exterior and interior of the Mandir are also decorated by hand carved pillars.

With its serene ambience, fine architecture, .....

At a distance of 62 km from Vadodara, Nilkanthdham Swaminarayan Temple is a beautiful Hindu temple located at Poicha Village in Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the Narmada River, it is one of the amazing temples in Gujarat and among the popular places to visit near Vadodara.

Dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan, the temple was built in 2013 by Shri Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple. Built mainly out of sandstone, the main temple is encircled by an artificial pond with a Shivling and a beautiful fountain. The shivling in the artificial pond can be accessed via a peacock shaped boat. The temple walls are exquisitely carved with figures from Hindu mythological scriptures. Every mandap has its own flag that waves in the breeze and the stark blue water juxtaposed with the sand coloured stone come together in perfect harmony to offer a visual treat.

Also known as Poicha Temple, the area is so clean and well maintained. In the main temple there are idols of God Vishnu with Sheshnag, Lord Ganesha, .....

At a distance of 7 km from Kevadiya Railway Station, and 90 km from Vadodara, the Statue of Unity is a giant statue located on an islet on the Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia village in Gujarat. Situated on Sadhu Bet Island, it is one of the most popular places Gujarat tourist places and among the must include places in Kevadiya tour packages.

The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and the Ironman of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950) who was the first Home Minister of India. The statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in 2018. The project was carried out by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) which was established for this purpose. Designed by the Indian Sculptor, Ram Vanji Sutar, the construction was taken up by the Indian company Larson & Toubro. The Rs. 2,989 crore project took 42 months, and round-the-clock work .....

At a distance of 3 km from the Statue of Unity, 10 km from Kevadiya Railway Station, and 94 km from Vadodara, Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada River near Kevadia village in Gujarat, India. It is one of the largest dams in India and among the top places to visit in Kevadiya.

Also known as Narmada Dam, the Sardar Sarovar project was a vision of the first deputy prime minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The foundation stone of the project was laid out in 1961 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity. The dam provides water to generate power and supply water for drinking and irrigation to states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

Having a length of 1.2 km and a depth of 163 m, it is the third highest concrete dam in India and the 2nd biggest concrete dam in .....

At a distance of 49 km from Vadodara, Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the ancient city of Champaner. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Gujarat, and among the prime places to visit as part of Vadodara tour packages.

Covering over an area of 1,329 hectares, Champaner - Pavagadh Archeological Park is located around the historical city of Champaner, founded by the Rajput King Vanraj Chavda in the 8th century. Due to its strategic point on the trade routes, it lured many invaders including Khalji Dynasty, Chauhan Gurjars, Solanki kings, Khichi Chauhans. Later Mahmud Begada captured the city in 1484 and rebuilt Champaner into a splendid new capital. The region faced major devastation in 1535 CE when looted by Mughal Emperor, Humayun who made Ahmedabad the capital city again to control Gujarat. This marked the start of the decline .....