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Race Course
This is a large ground located in the heart of the city. It includes various
places of interest like the Children's Traffic Park, Fun World, Baal Bhavan
etc. Besides it also has sports facilities like Olympic standard Indoor Stadium,
International Quality Cricket Ground, Hockey, Football and Volley ball grounds,
gymnasium, swimming pool etc. It offers an extremely large seating arrangement
in that it has cement benches embedded on the outer border of the ground all
along its periphery.
Rashtriya Shala
Rashtriya Shala, founded by Mahatma Gandhi, has a strong connection with India's
freedom struggle. In the year 1920, Mahatma Gandhi demonstrated his method of showing
dissent towards the British Rule by following the policy of Non-Cooperation with the government. He directed the people to boycott all
government machinery including Judiciary and educational institutions. Meanwhile he also started national educational institutions in different parts of the country. Rashtriya Shala
is one such institution. 66 thousand sq yards of land was given to Rashtriya Shala at a nominal cost by Sri Lakhajiraj
the then ruler of the State of Rajkot. The main building of the institution was constructed on this land.
Now it is a centre of village industry and its main aim is to impart basic-education on Gandhian ideology.
It also conducts various activities which go by the names of Bal Mandir (pre-primary school), Keshav Kumar Mandir, Sangeet Mahavidyalaya imparting classes in vocal and instrumental music and Bharatnatyam, and Mahadeo Desai Library.
Kaba Gandhi no Delo
Kaba Gandhi no Delo in Gujarati it means 'the residence of Kaba Gandhi'.
This is Mahatma Gandhi's ancestral house in Rajkot where he spent his childhood. Located
near Dharmendra road in old city area, it was built in 1880-81 by Mahatma Gandhi's
father Karamchand Gandhi, who was the Diwan to the Nawab of Saurashtra.
The house, now declared as a national monument has a museum 'Gandhi Smriti'
with photographs and personal belongings of Gandhiji. It stands as a memorial
to the Father of the Nation and is maintained by the state government.
The house attracts thousands of tourists every year who come here to pay
homage to Mahatma Gandhi. Top
Jubilee Garden
A big garden with walking paths lined with trees, this place is more popular for its spicy
snacks 'chevoda' made out of rice flakes. It acts as a backdrop to the Memorial Institutes
built in the memory of people who served for the cause of
Kathiawar during their times. These buildings remain as remnants of the colonial past of
Rajkot, and houses the Conaught Hall, Watson Museum and Lang Library. The Conaugt Hall was
built to commemorate the visit of Duke of Conaught to Kathiawar in 1887 A.D. This building was later named
Senate Hall and presently is known as Arvindbhai Maniar Town Hall.
Rajkumar College
Rajkumar college is one of the oldest educational institutions in India.
Rajkumar College or RKC as it is
popularly known has a sprawling 26 acre campus. The college was founded in 1868
by the Princes and Chiefs of Kathiawad for the education of their sons and relatives
and even today it stands as an emblem of quality education. In 1938, the college
became a Public School and also a founding member of the Indian Public Schools
Conference.
Community Science Centre and Planetarium
The community Science Centre is run and maintained by an NGO. The chief objective of the centre is to arrange
educational programmes, workshops, seminars related to science and maths for children. Besides they also have the
task of educating people in the slum areas regarding burning issues like aids etc.The Planetarium was constructed
in 1992. It imparts information regarding planets, their positions, movements and their effects on nature by means of audio and video shows.
Mahatma Gandhi High School
The school which was earlier known as Alfred High School was
established in 1853. The School building has a Gothic Norman structure and was well known for its standard of
education. Mahatma Gandhi was an alumnus of this institution and it was this very school where he
misspell the
word 'kettle'. The name of the school was changed to Mahatma Gandhi High School after its most luminary
student.
Gondal
Located at a distance of 38km from Rajkot, Gondal town is situated on the banks of the river
Gondali. The town boasts of numerous palaces which have now been converted into heritage hotels. The Naulakha
Palace is the oldest and most beautiful of the Gondal palaces. The beauty of the structure is enhanced by
exquisitely carved jharokhas (balconies), pillared courtyard, delicately carved arches and a unique spiral staircase. The
huge windows of the Durbar Hall open into a long balcony which overlooks the river.
The Durbar Hall has large chandeliers, stuffed panthers, gilt wooden furniture and
antique Belgian mirrors. The palace has a private museum with an impressive display of silver caskets.
Orchard Palace is the other grand attraction of Gondal. It is now a heritage hotel. The palace is so named as it is located
amidst a complex of fruit orchards, lawns and gardens. It is a part of the Huzoor palace where the ruling family of Gondal
used to entertain its royal guests. It has a 'room of miniatures' which is a sitting room with a collection of
miniature paintings, brass and antique furniture.
The Riverside Palace located at the edge of the Gondali river is another palace that has been converted into a heritage
hotel. It is built in a colonial style of architecture. The rooms are decorated in both European and Indian
style. While the
European living rooms are furnished in typical colonial style with chandelier, antique wooden furniture and framed paintings, the Indian rooms are decorated with beadwork, brassware and paintings. The structure is comprised of a
series of galleries and terraces.
Wankaner
Wankaner located 50 km north of Rajkot was the capital of the former princely
state of Wankaner till Indian Independence. In Gujarati 'Wanka' means bend and
'Ner' means water stream, thus the place derives its name from its geographical
location as it is located on the bend of the Machchhu river. The place is an
archaeology classroom in itself with palaces and bungalows. Most of the
palaces around here have been converted into heritage hotels. The place even
has a step well, which was the last one to be built in Gujarat.
Raiya Naka and Bedi Naka Gate
The old fort built by Masum Khan, the Deputy Faudar of Junagadh in 1722 AD in
Ramnath para area is in ruins. Only the gates of the fort still remain, of
which the Raiya Naka and Bedi Naka were renovated by Sir Robert Bell Booth, the
Chief Engineer of a British Agency in 1892. He built the three storied clock
tower there.
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