{"id":19679,"date":"2013-07-18T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2013-07-18T04:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bharatestates.com\/blog\/?p=19679"},"modified":"2020-06-15T03:55:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-14T22:25:53","slug":"rajabai-tower-an-exquisite-architectural-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bharatestates.com\/blog\/rajabai-tower-an-exquisite-architectural-monument\/","title":{"rendered":"Rajabai Tower \u2013 An Exquisite Architectural Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RAJABAI-TOWER\"One of the main tourists’ attractions the Rajabai Tower is actually a clock tower located in the fort campus of the University of Mumbai just next to the High Court in South Mumbai. This tower quite resemble to the Big Ben Clock Tower of London, UK because it is modelled on that structure. With a height of 85 metres or 280 feet Rajabai Tower looks quite impressive with its huge clock and the stained glass windows. This tower was created by an English architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott who took inspiration from London’s Big Ben to build this clock Tower. On 1st March 1869 the foundation stone was laid and the construction was started. It took almost nine years to complete the Tower and in November 1878 the Tower was ready.The total cost to build this tower was about Rs. 200000 which was a huge amount in those days but the sole contributor of the tower clock was Mr. Premchand Roychand who agreed to fund the tower construction on the condition that it should be named after his Mother Smt. Rajabai. Premachand was a wealthy broker of Mumbai. He also founded Bombay Stock Exchange. He loved his mother very much. His mother was blind women. He and his family was follower of Jainism in which dinner should be taken before sunset. After the clock tower was ready and functional his mother found it easy to determine the time of the evening with the bell and could take her dinner before sunset without any assistance.Gothic and Venetian architectural styles were mixed beautifully in creation of this tower. The material used to build this tower was Buff Coloured Kurla stone which was available in plenty in those days in Mumbai. For windows of the tower stained glasses were used that enhanced the beauty of the tower. The clock tower has two rooms at the ground floor and a snaky stairs to climb up. At the ground level and till the top of first level the tower has a square shape but after that it becomes like an octagon shape. There is a gallery on the top of the first floor. The third level till top makes a height of 94 feet. During the before independence period there were sixteen different tunes that were played in the clock tower and these tunes actually changed four times a day. Currently only one tune is played with an interval of fifteen minutes. The tunes include \u2018Rule Britannia’, God Save the King’, \u2018A Handel Symphony’, \u2018Home Sweet Home’, etc. you may be surprised to know that when this structure was created at that time it was the tallest structure in entire Mumbai.Unfortunately this exquisitely beautiful clock tower had become the favourite choice of those who wanted to commit suicide and that is why it was closed for general public since long. You can notice the tower from a distance easily as it is quite tall. When it was open to visitors from top you could see the panoramic view of surroundings and the city of Mumbai. It is a historic monument of Mumbai city adding to the beauty of Mumbai city.Accessibility<\/strong>The Rajabai Clock Tower can be reached easily by public transport buses, taxies or auto rickshaws, etc. from any part of Mumbai city.Attractions close to the tower<\/strong><\/p>\n