Located in South Mumbai is the Majestic Rajabai Clock Tower. South Mumbai is the precinct of Mumbai University in Fort Campus. It is located near the High Court. The Tower is an amazing structure decorated with oriental figures. it was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and English architect, back in the late 1800s. I was inspired by the Big Ben Clock of London but built with a different flair. It reaches heights of 280 feet and it took about 9 years to construct. The project becan in 1869 and was finished in 1878.

It was a successful broker, Premchand Roychand, who financed the entire cost of building. Premchand Roychand is also the man who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange. The tower was named after the mother of the financier, Rajabai. She was blind and was a deep follower of Jainism. The clock rang out across the city and Rajabai never had to ask someone for the time. She was able to eat her dinner before evening, at the time required for her to follow her religious practices.

The clock is a beautiful blend of Venetian and Gothic styles of design and it was constructed out of Kurla stone which was a local buff colored stone. Back in the day, the tower used to play the songs Rule Britannia which means God Save the King and A Handel Symphony. All together there were 16 songs that would play in rotation of four tunes a day. Now a days, the clock only plays one tune, Big Ben, (and it chimes out every fifteen minutes. So to get a glimpse of this tower, get out of the hotels. India, Mumbai itself has many, and head over to the now, university library located inside the clock tower building and see the stain glass windows cast the brilliant colors throughout the room.