Nadiad ni haveli is also known as Bhausaheb ni Haveli. The construction of the house, in Nadiad, Gujarat, started in 1783. Designed with wooden carvings, rain water harvesting, lots of courtyards and balconies covered with bronze sheets, this was the place where Ramachandra Pandurang Tope took shelter during the 1857 Mutiny. Also known as Tatya Tope, he was one of the well known Indian leaders in the Revolt of 1857. He was the personal adherent of Nana Sahib of Kanpur and forced General Windham to retreat from Kanpur. Tope also helped Rani Laxmi Bai.
Tope later launched a campaign in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Narmada river regions, Khandesh and Rajasthan and took shelter for a while at Nadiad ni haveli with Bhausaheb Desai of Nadiad. He managed to escape from the British for over a year but due to the betrayal of his friend Man Singh, chief of Narwar, he was defeated and captured on April 7, 1859 by British General Richard John Meade’s troops and escorted to Shivpuri where he was tried by a military court.
Apart from Tope, Swami Vivekananda also stayed in the house in 1892 and delivered his lectures on spiritualism, while Mahatma Gandhi addressed a gathering in 1917 during the Kheda Satyagraha.
The mansion was the ancestral property of Rao Bhahudur Viharidas Desai, also known as Bhausaheb. He had inherited ‘desaigiri’ (landlordship) from his forefathers who had been tax collectors from the Mughals. Later the same arrangement continued during the British period even as Bhausaheb’s two sons Haridas Viharidas Desai and Bechardas Viharidas Desai took over as Diwansahebs to erstwhile Junagadh state. In the end of 19th century, they became the highest taxpayers to the British government.
Nearby attractions of Nadiad are Dakor, Anand, Ranchhodraiji Temple, Shri Kheda Tirth, Khedia Hanuman Temple, Sabarmati Ashram, Hathee Singh Jain temple, Vastrapur lake, Dabhoi fort, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Jama Masjid, Kankaria Lake.
How to reach there
By Air: The nearest airport at Vadodara. Indian Airlines and other private airlines fly to and from the city, connecting it to important cities in India. By Rail: Nadiad is on the Western Railway network and is well-linked with the rest of the country.
By Road: Nadiad has a good road network of national and state highways. The state transport corporation connects it to all the major cities and towns of Gujarat and other states of the country.
Where to stay
There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfast options, resorts, inns and other lodgings in Nadiad.
