Vadodara, An Amazing City: Sayaji Garden and zoo

Sayaji Gardens, as the name suggests is dedicated to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III himself. Spread in the area of 113 acres of land the garden is the oldest and the largest one among all the 50 parks and gardens of the city. This nicely manicured lush green garden was a gift by the great ruler Maharaja Sayajirao to his subjects.

This was built in the year 1879 on the river Vishwamitri and it comprises of a large spectrum of flora, with more than 99 species of trees to its name. That's not all, this park also has two museums (Vadodara museum and Health museum), Sardar Patel planetarium, a zoo, a toy train for children and a floral clock.

So many utilities under one roof, make this attraction the most sought after in the state of Gujarat. Constructed by the Gaekwads in 1894, the Vadodara Museum and Picture Gallery is host to umpteen numbers of relics relating to a wide range of fields right from archeology to geology. The main attractions being the skeleton of the gigantic blue whale. The Floral Clock is a huge structure in the park which is a one of a kind construction in the state. The mechanism of the clock is very minutely designed to ensure that the time given by the clock is accurate. The Sayaji Baug Zoo has a rich collection of fauna featuring 167 types of 1103 animals. Recently, an aquarium containing 45 species of fish was added to the Sayaji Baug Zoo. The Sardar Patel Planetarium, situated near the main entrance of the Sayaji Gardens, offers daily public shows as well as special shows to educational universities.