A short trip to Kevadiya (2021-22)

It had been 2 ½ years since we travelled anywhere and 1 year since the Covid-19 Pandemic. We had not stepped outside Mumbai for a long time. So, we decided to have a short trip of 3 days to Kevadiya and Vadodra between 31st December 2021 and 2nd January 2022.The best time to explore Gujarat is during the winters from the end of November to mid January. Thus, we planned our trip during the winter vacations of December. We woke up super early on 31st December, to start our trip. We reached Mumbai Central Station to board the Shatabdi Express to Vadodara. We left Mumbai at 6:10 AM. The journey was fantastic. Shatabdi Express is a premium train known for its high speed 130 km/ph runs. The scenery was beautiful, and we stopped at some of the major towns of Gujarat, that is, Vapi, Surat and Bharuch to reach Vadodara at 10:45 AM. After checking-in our hotel in Alkapuri, 1 km from the station, we went to the Railway Colony Area near Pratapnagar to see NRTI, that is, National Railway and Transportation Institute. Launched in 2018, it is India’s first ever college focusing only on transportation sector. For Graduate courses, it offers B. Tech in 2 specializations, BBA in Transport Management and B. Sc in Transport Technology. The Campus was impressive. There was a lot of greenery and particularly, there were many peacocks. We saw the central building where all the classes happen. We got to know about all the courses offered and the career opportunities. After our visit to the college, we went to a Gujarati restaurant to try a Gujarati Thali. It was delicious. We had dhokla and 3 curries along with fresh hot phulkas. We got to try Sarson Ka Saag, a spinach based dish having mustard leaves available only during the winters, along with Makki ki Roti, best combination to eat during the winters. And, we also tried the famous sweet Gujarati Dal which was tasty. We then went to the see the Lukshmi Villas Palace. During the 19th Century, Vadodara came under the royal state of Baroda which was ruled by the Gaekwads. We were provided audio guides according to our choice of language. The Palace architecture is a mix of Indian and European styles. It has a huge 500 acre compound and a golf course. We saw the Durbar Hall, Armory Hall, Hathi (Elephant) Hall and the palace verandah in full detail. The present king and queen still live in the palace. It was evening, time for a snack. So we tried a local favorite snack called Tam Tam. It is made from a variety of sev, seasoned with some red chili powder and a spice mix and topped with onion, peanuts, coriander and tomato. After having Tam Tam along with our tea, we headed to our last stop, another local favorite outlet, Raju Omelette. It is known for serving unique types of omelettes and bhurji (scrambled eggs) made with lots of butter along with hot pav (buns). We ended our day by having a masala omellete and bhurji. The next day, we freshened up early and headed straight to the railway station to have a good start to the New Year. At 9:15 AM, we boarded a Jan Shatabdi Express to Kevadiya, 84 kilometers and an hour away from Vadodara by train. Kevadiya used to be a small town which was literally converted into a tourist place between 2013 and 2018. Today, it is home to the world’s largest statue, the Statue of Unity and India’s 6th largest dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam. To explore every tourist site of Kevadiya, one has to stay for at least 2 full days. But we decided to have a day trip.The train journey was great. The brand new railway terminal at Kevadiya and the track connecting it to Vadodara was inaugurated on January 2021. Our train passed through huge farms and tiny dotted villages and also crossed a river through a huge viaduct. After covering 84 kilometers, we reached Kevadiya and, after switching buses, we reached our first site, the Sardar Sarovar View Point. The Dam is 1.2 kilometers long and 135 meters high. It is used for irrigation purposes and generation of electricity. Overall, this dam is beneficial to the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan making it a very significant dam. It is the world’s 2nd largest concrete dam in terms of volume capacity, which was envisioned by the man who created a united nation of India, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, also known as the Iron man of India. We then headed to see the world’s largest statue, the Statue of Unity. It stands at a massive height of 182 meters on the banks of the Narmada River, facing towards the Sardar Sarovar Dam, indicating Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s vision. At the basement, there is a museum which tells about the construction of the statue and the life of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who convinced most of the princely states to join India after the Partition. Also, there is a high speed elevator which takes tourists to a viewing gallery inside the statue at a height of 153 meters on the chest level of the statue. It gives you amazing views of the Dam, the Satpura mountain range and the Narmada river valley. You also get a glimpse of the dense steel structure which supports the statue. The statue itself is made of plates of a bronze alloy. You can also go to the base (foot) of the statue and admire the massive structure. After visiting the statue, we did a ferry ride along the Narmada River which is called Ekta Cruise. It’s a 30 minute ride which starts from a jetty in front of the public parking and goes to the statue of unity complex passing in front of the statue itself. It was a perfect way to see the sunset along the Narmada. After the cruise, we waited at the statue of unity complex to see the laser and sound show which happens at 6:45 PM. The show was amazing and was the perfect way to end an amazing trip to Kevadiya. Later, we headed back to Vadodara and the next day, we were on a train back to Mumbai.