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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
An imposing equestrian statue of the late Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad of Baroda, at the entrance of the park, heralds visitors into the beautiful garden, which leads them quite unmistakably to the muscum building.
The Baroda Muscum was founded in the year 1887 by Maharaja Sayajirao III Gackwad of Baroda, a great-enlightened visionary amongst the Indian princes, and the rightful pioneer of this institution. The museum is one of the many institutions, which this benevolent ruler created for the welfare and education of his subjects. His foresight and taste were responsible for its unique and varied collections. He collected these priceless finds by often making numerous trips to many distant countries. He went about it systematically-buying them himself or entrusting various scholars and art connoisseurs to do this special job. It is on account of this exclusive, choice collection that the Baroda Museum to-day possesses some very rare exhibits and enjoys an international reputation, being considered as one of the best in the East.
The foundation stone of the museum building was laid in 1887 A.D and the building was completed in 1894. The construction of the Picture Gallery building began in 1908 and was completed in 1914; but the gallery could only be opened in 1921, as the transport of the collection of European paintings to India was not possible until after World War I. Later, the open galleries around both the buildings were converted into additional exhibition rooms and an Open-air Archeological Section was also constructed.
The Museum and Picture Gallery, Baroda, are two separate two-storied building built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The two buildings were specially designed by the English Architects, Mr. R.F.Chisholm, F.R.I.B.A., the then consulting State Architect, and Major R.N.Mant, R.E. The general outline of the museum building is in conformity with the traditional local Maratha architecture of wooden framework filled with brick walls. But the ground floor has the pure European style, including a cornic decorated with a plaster copy of Parthenon frieze; the south porch rising on a vast flight of steps is decorated with carly and later Mughal forms.
The Picture Gallery building is also a two-storied structures but somewhat smaller. It is designed in simple European brick style, but has Indian columns and open pavilions of the roof. The two buildings are connected by a covered bridge passage, beneath which the entrance to the buildings taken together is about 40,000 sq.ft.
Plan of the Building & Layout of the Galleries
The ground plan 8 shows the interior arrangement of the two buildings. Attempt has been made to display the collections according to a uniform plan as far, as is consistent with the character of the building, availability of space and protection of the exhibits. The basement contains some stores, workrooms, lecture theatre, and conservation laboratory and a part of the Natural History Sections. Exhibits in the central portion of the ground floor afford a survey of Indian Civilization and Art in chronological sequence, beginning with the small castern room containing Pre-historic and
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