Rajkot Historical Places

Sir Lakhaji Raj, the benevolent ruler of Rajkot died on 2nd February 1930 after ruling for 22 years. In homage to this great ruler, the people of Rajkot built the ‘Lakhaji Raj Smarak’. A marble statue was erected and is known as ‘bapu nu bavlu’. The sculptor of this beautiful statue was V.P. Karmarker from Bombay. It was inaugurated on 21st April 1934 by his son, the then Thakore Sahib of Rajkot Shri Dharmendrasinhji.
 

This is the house where Gandhi (Kaba Gandhi) lived while in Rajkot, serving as Diwan (Prime Minister) to the King. Gandhiji himself spent a few years of his early life here from 1881 to 1887. This is a typical Saurashtra ‘dela’ type house with a central approach from an arched gateway. It was built in 1880-81 A.D. Today, the lace houses an interesting photo essay of his life.

Alfred High School, Originally called ‘Rajkot English School' it was established on 17th October 1853. By 1868 A.D. it became a full fledged high school and came to be known as the Rajkot High School in 1886. It was named Alfred High School in the late 1907. The present buildings of the Alfred High School were built for kathiawar by H.H. the Nawab of Junagadh in memory of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburg. This School was opened in January 1875 by H.E. Sir Philip Wodehouse, KCB, and  Governor of Bombay. The architect of this imposing structure was Robert Bel Booth.

In 1856 A.D., a library by the name of ‘Gungrahak Mandali’ stared off as one room affair in an English school during the British times. Later on in 1864 A.D., it shifted to its own independent building in Kothi compound area. From 1893 A.D. onwards, this library functioned from the grand building Jubilee Garden. In 1964, it was rechristened as Lang Library in memory of Colonel Lang. Political Agent of kathiawar, it is the oldest library in saurashtra. The building housing the library is an important architectural monument of its time. It is built in Victorian Style with Gothic arches out of the local sand stone.

The Masonic Hall House, houses the Free Mason’s lodge. It was called ‘Lodge Kathiawar’. The building of this lodge was built on 1st January 1906. It was inaugurated in September 1906. At that time, the Honorable Sir Lawrence Hugh was the District Grand Master of Bombay. Mr. H.S. Davies, was the architect of this building.

Established by Col. Keating, British Political Agent in 1868, it imparts education upto the higher secondary level. The main aim of establishing this college was to teach the princes’ to rule their state better in future when they became King. In 1938, it became an open institution. The Rajkumar College (also known as RKC) in Rajkot is one of the oldest K-12 institutions in India today. RKC has a 26 acre campus located in the heart of Rajkot City. Most of buildings are built in the Indo Gothic. The Bhavsinhji Hall is worth a visit. It houses large oil paintings of the princes’ who studied there. The foundation stone was laid in 1868 and college was formally opened in 1870. The College’s flourishing history of 136 years had students from all walks of life. In 1938, on the initiatives of its founding members, the college became a public school (Private in Western Terms) the first such college to do so. The college itself is a founding member of the Indian Schools Conference.