Holi and more in Vadodara

Not usually on the tourist itinerary we arrive at Vadodara to celebrate Holi, the festival of love, with recent colleagues of Diane’s.

Where we are:

Vadodara (formerly Baroda) is in the western (dry) state of Gujurat.

Our host ‘KK’ and his wonderful family and friends made our visit extra special, shuttling us around to various sights, dinners and festival events.

Some Highlights:

Lukshmi Villas Palace (1890)

Huge private dwelling of the Maratha family 4 times the size of Buckingham Palace.

The Palace is still home to the current Vadodara royal family, the Gaekwads. It boasts a 10 hole golf course, roaming peacocks on stunning grounds, and a pond with crocodiles!

Admiring the workmanship.

A 550 year old Stepwell (Sevesi vav) in a suburban area:

An ingenious Indian invention to reaching water.

Sabarmati Ashram in nearby city of Ahmedabad:

This was the residence of Mahatma Gandhi and wife Kasturba for 12 years. It’s beautifully situated on the Sabarmati River.

Young boys reading ‘principles to live by’. All wise except defining food as only for maintain the body, without spices, and not for pleasure. Gulp.

Fascinating that Gandhi chose this spot for the Ashram because of the area’s long tradition of weaving, the idea being to grow India’s natural talents in order to be less dependent on the West.

Gandhi began the famous Dandi March from here, rolling forward the Indian Independence Movement.

….

HOLI Celebrations – the Festival of Love – an ancient Hindu festival where bright colours are thrown on anyone in sight.

🔥🎉🎊🎶🥁🇮🇳

Shopping at the market for Holi clothes (ie disposable); taking in Central Park on ‘toy’ train.

Too busy partying to take pictures but all these colours got applied by fellow celebrators!

The evening before actually has a religious element. The idea is to rid yourself of past errors and end conflicts. Tipi-style fires (often covered with flags) are lit along the roadsides by ‘societies’ (neighbourhoods).

People walk around the fire three times, throwing offerings into the fire.

Some offerings and Holi celebrators.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM)

Located in Ahmedabad, it is a top MBA public institution, stunning archetecturally….stark in some ways but with beautiful clean lines, balanced, yet with surprises inside – circular, semi-circular elements, a hint of Islamic influence. Established in 1961; the archetect: Louis Kahn.