Vadodara also known as Baroda, is a major city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, 141 km from the state capital of Gandhinagar. The railway line and National Highway 8, which connect Delhi with Mumbai, pass through Vadodara. The city is named for its abundance of banyan trees. Vadodara is also locally referred to as the Sanskari Nagari and Kala Nagari of India.
Vadodara features a borderline tropical savanna climate that despite the roughly 850 mm or 33 in of rain that the city receives annually is due to the area's high potential evapotranspiration very close to being classified as a hot semi-arid climate. There are three main seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Aside from the monsoon season, the climate is dry.
Vadodara was part of the historic Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, which arrived in the city in January 1861. On 5 November 1951 the BBCI Railway was merged with the Saurashtra, Rajputana and Jaipur railways to create the Western Railway. Vadodara Railway Station now belongs to the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways and is a major junction on the Western Railway Main Line.
The city houses many Schools and Colleges, including Baroda High School. Higher Education Institutions across various disciplines attract international students mainly from the African countries such as Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, and Kenya.