Mandvi Gate

Much of the city's history is intertwined with the story of the Maratha rulers, the Gaekwads. Many of the historic monuments owe their presence to them, and particularly to Sayajirao Gaekwad III. There is the Nyay Mandir, which he had built and named after his deceased first wife, Chimanabai. It is closed to the public, but the Indo-Saracenic architecture can be admired from the front. The bustling Khanderao Market is similar in style, though showing signs of age. The city's gates – Lehripura, Mandvi (it has a temple and a pir - Muslim holy man), Gendi, and Champaner – are in the Old City and lie close by. Within a pol (micro-neighbourhood) close to the original Bank of Baroda building stands the Narsinhji Mandir, a colourful wooden temple some 280 years old, built like a haveli. It is the city's main temple, once patronised by the royal family. Chirag Munjani of Rural Pleasure Jour