The Rajabai Tower is a tall tower in South Mumbai. Rajabai tower has a big old Analog clock which can be seen from a far distance and thus can be identified. It is located in the confines of the Fort campus of the University of Mumbai next to the High Court. The tower stands at a height of 85 m (280 ft).
The Rajabai tower was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, an English architect. It was modeled on Big Ben, the clock tower of the UK houses of Parliament in London. During its time, it was the tallest structure in the city of Mumbai.
The foundation stone was laid on March 1, 1869 and construction was completed in November 1878. The total cost of construction came to Rs. 2 lakhs (Rs. 200,000), a huge sum in those days. This entire cost was given by Premchand Roychand, a prosperous broker who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange on the condition that the tower be named after his mother Rajabai.
Premchand Roychand’s mother was blind and as a follower of Jain religion she was supposed to eat her dinner before sunset. The evening bell of the tower helped her to know the time without anyone’s help.
The tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles. It is built out of the locally available buff coloured Kurla stone. The tower has one of the best stained glass windows in the city.
During the British era, it played the tunes of “Rule Britannia”, “God Save the King”, “Home! Sweet Home!” and “A Handel Symphony”, out of a total of sixteen tunes, which changed four times a day. However, the glockenspiel repertoire currently plays only ‘Big Ben’, after every fifteen minutes.
Under the clock tower is the magnificent University Library, with what are undoubtedly some of the most exquisite stained glass windows in Asia. These have recently been treated by British conservationists and restored to their glory.
The tower was closed to the public after it became a frequent spot for those attempting to commit suicide.
How to reach Rajabai Towers?
You can board a local train and get off at Churchgate station (western line) and then catch a taxi or even a bus to get there. If you’re new to Mumbai, you can disembark at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and get a taxi to the place. It is opposite the Oval Maidan in Churchgate and reaching the tower is very easy.
