Rajabai Clock Tower, Mumbai
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The tower as seen from the other side of the Oval Maidan. The building still remains
one of the tallest buildings in the surrounding areas. -
The tower is a blend of two architectural styles namely the Venetian and Gothic.
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The tower was constructed using the locally available buff colored Kurla stone.
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The tower has one of the best stained glass work in Mumbai.
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The tower has two spiral staircases at the right and left end of the tower.
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The tower has many statues incorporated in the architecture.
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Details of the work on the tower.
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The tower is still functional. Though it was closed for access to public when it became
a common spot for people attempting suicide. -
Details of another statue from the tower.
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Details at the entrance gate of the tower.
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Some of the windows have withered over the years.
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The tower plays a tune every fifteen minutes.
One of the most beautiful and a big tourist attraction of South Mumbai is the Rajabai Clock Tower. Nestled between the High Court and the Mumbai University buildings and facing the Oval maidan it stands at a height of 85mts (280 ft.) Designed by English architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, its design was based on the model of the Big Ben, the clock tower in the United Kingdom. Interestingly due to this fact the tower is, in humour, called the Big Ben of Mumbai among the localities. The foundation stone of the tower was laid on 1st March 1869 and the construction of the tower was completed in November 1878. Premchand Roychand, who was a prosperous broker and also the founder of the Bombay Stock Exchange, paid the entire construction cost, which was approximately about 2 Lakhs. His only condition was that the tower must be named after his mother Rajabai. Rajabai was blind and a stringent follower of Jainism. According to Jain traditions and customs she used to have her dinner before sunset. The evening bell of the tower helped her know the time without taking anyone’s help.
