Then: Vadodara (Baroda) is said to derive its name from the presence of "Vadpadraka", meaning banyan trees. The Gaekwads ruled the state of Vadodara till independence. Under them, the city developed rapidly in rail connectivity and overall progress. The late Maharaja Sayajirao III, who took the throne in 1875, did much to modernize Baroda, establishing compulsory primary education, a library system, a university, and model textile and tile factories, which helped to create Baroda's modern textile industry. Credit for modern Vadodara can certainly be given to the late monarch who made the city into an educational, industrial and commercial centre. No other city in Gujarat was as modern then as Vadodara.

Now: Vadodara, is the third most-populated town in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad and Surat. It is one of the four towns in the state with a population of over one million. It is known as the Cultural Capital of Gujarat. The city is a tourist’s delight with palaces, museums, galleries, library, large parks, dam, lakes, temples, Unesco Heritage sites, etc. Large public and private sector undertakings, especially in the petrochemical sector, have established plants here and the city bustles with industrial and business activity. The world-renowned Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (M. S. University) is located here. Its educational facilities in fine arts attract students internationally. The University also attracts students in performing arts, technology and medicine streams.