Baroda is a city of famous festivals and celebrations. The belief that the gods are continually blessing people in all aspects of their lives remains intact. Truly a visual proof is the rise of intellectuals and talents in the field of arts and sports. Some of the famous festivals that they celebrate are splendidly attributed to their gods.

The first festival is Navrati. It is celebrated every October. People dance raas and garba while musicians play traditional music. It is also known as beard and is considered the biggest festival here.

The second festival is Diwali. It is a five-day event that takes place from October 13 to November 14. It is celebrated to honor the freedom and victory of Lord Ram of Ayodhya. People decorate their houses with lights made of diyas. A diyas is a light formed inside a small clay pot strung with coconut oil. It is also known as deepavali of the Festival of lights.

The third festival is Ganesh Chathurti. It is a celebration of eleven days between the months of August to September. The first day is called Shukla Chathurti. The last day is the Anant Chathurti. It is held to commemorate the birth of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha is the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. During the celebration, Lord Ganesha is worshiped through a life-size image made of clay.

The image is placed on platforms in front of houses or under outdoor tents. A priest who sings as a ritual leads the people. People offer red flowers, clover leaves, rice flour, brown sugar, and coconut. It is also known as Vinayak Chathurti or Vinayaka Chavithi.

The fourth festival is the Uttarayan. It is a six-month occasion that occurs between January 14 and July 14. It commemorates the movement of the sun towards the north and the awakening of the gods. People fly and fight kites of various sizes, from 9 inches to 3 feet. The women fly kites while the men fight with kites. The winners of the competition cheer for “Kaypo Che”, which means “I cut the kites”. People also enjoy chewing sesame and peanut bars.

In addition to the joyous festivals, the city has produced intellectual and talented individuals who continue to be the pride of the city. Some of the personalities are from the arts and sports.

The Baroda Cricket team is made up of the best players and bowlers who have won many tournaments. They represent the city and have been six-time champions in the Ranji trophy. Some of its famous players are Hemu Adhikari, Amir Elahi, Gul Mohammad and Anshuman Gaekwad.

Inayat Khan Rahmat Khan Pathan is a famous icon of Indian music, poetry and religion. He was academically excellent in both vocal and instrumental music. He was well versed in Karnatac music and Hinduism. He was blessed with a sonorous and unique voice. He is the grandson of Prof. Moula Bux, founder of the Indian Music Academy.

He was able to compose religious songs and write music books. Some of the books that he wrote are Mingar Mousiquar, Stee Sayaji and Inayat Harmonium Shikshak. He traveled to other countries like the United States and Russia to promote Indian music.

Another group of famous people from Baroda are seven dynamic young artists from MS Baroda University. The city known as the home of modern contemporary art has once again produced Bhupen’s upcoming khakhars. Khakhar is an internationally acclaimed painter from Baroda.

This budding group is interested in pop art, kitsch, postmodern art, and minimalist styles of artwork. They used textiles, pencil drawing, charcoal and ink as a medium. The seven artists are Sandip Pisalkar, Shreyas karle, Boshudhara Mukherjee, Bhrigu Kr. Sharma, Bhavin Mistry, Nibha Santander and Swetha BV.