Inside Tambekar Wada: A Painted Maratha Mansion in Vadodara

While exploring the historic city of Vadodara and spending time at the magnificent Laxmi Vilas Palace, I was told about an unusual old house hidden in the crowded lanes of Raopura. Curious, I decided to walk over. Barely 1 to 1.5 km away, I arrived at Tambekar Wada, one of the city's most fascinating yet lesser known heritage homes.

From the outside, the building appears like many other aging houses in the old city. But the moment you step inside and climb the narrow wooden staircase, the interiors begin to reveal something extraordinary.

Built around 1874, this four storey Maratha mansion once belonged to Bhau Tambekar, a minister in the Gaekwad administration. The house follows the traditional wada style, organised around a central courtyard with wooden galleries and carved architectural details typical of Maratha homes.

What makes Tambekar Wada truly remarkable are the murals that cover its upper floors. Nearly 300 paintings once decorated the walls, ceilings, beams and even door panels. Walking through the rooms feels like stepping into a painted story.

Scenes unfold from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, alongside depictions of Krishna's life, royal processions and moments from everyday society. But what makes these murals especially intriguing is the appearance of European soldiers and colonial figures within the same visual world. It captures a fascinating period in 19th century Baroda when traditional Indian culture and the colonial presence existed side by side.

The paintings were executed directly on lime plaster using natural pigments in a tempera technique. In certain areas, faint traces of gold detailing can still be seen, hinting at the richness these rooms once possessed.

Time, however, has not been entirely kind to the structure. Parts of the residential sections collapsed over the years, especially after the building was used as a school for a period of time. Today the surviving sections are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, which has worked to preserve what remains of this remarkable painted house.

Standing inside those quiet rooms today, the murals feel almost like fragments of another era. The colours have softened and some panels have faded, but the atmosphere is still deeply evocative.

Moments like this are what make travelling across India so rewarding. Often, the most memorable discoveries are not the grand monuments but the hidden homes and forgotten spaces that quietly carry stories of art, culture and everyday life.

Tambekar Wada is certainly one of those places.