| I came here to give a series of lectures on
Italian art to MA students. At the end of
the series, I decided to stay on because I
realised that Indian art was a totally
different story - a very different art form.
I wanted to learn more about it and
Vadodara seemed to be the perfect place. |
|
| It can get tough for a single woman in a
different country but here I feel
absolutely safe. It's easy to get around. I
travel in rickshaws most of the time and
I've never felt threatened. In fact, they're
friendly and helpful. The women's expat
group has been a wonderful way of
enjoying life here - they organise a lot of
activities - we meet for lunch once every
week - we explore Indian food and talk
about Indian culture and our experiences.
There are great restaurants here - once
you get used to the spicy food here, you
start enjoying it. |
|
|
| Vadodara is an interesting town because it
consists of the old city, which dates back to
the 18th century, and the new Vadodara
which was begun by Maharaja Sayajirao III in
the 19th century. He initiated a renovation
program in the 1870s and employed two
architects, Robert Chisholm and Major
Charles Mant who were responsible for
introducing Indo-Saracenic architecture to
Vadodara. They designed hospitals, markets,
museums, the palace, the university etc. |
|
| The central dome in the M.S. University
campus, designed by Chisholm, is the
second-largest dome of its kind in India.
The Lakshmi Vilas Palace is also very
fascinating - it's four times bigger than the
Buckingham palace and is set in 700 acres
of beautifully landscaped gardens. All this
makes the city distinctive and very
interesting - it's not something you'd just
walk past. |
|
