Chimnabai Clock Tower

The Chimnabai Clock Tower, also known as the Raopura Tower, is a clock tower situated in the Raopura area of Vadodara, Gujarat, India. It was completed in 1896 and named in memory of Chimnabai I, a queen and the first wife of Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda State. It was built in Indo-Saracenic architecture style.

History

Chimnabai Clock Tower was built in 1896. The tower was named after Chimnabai I, a queen and the first wife of Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda State. It was inaugurated by Mir Kamaluddin Hussainkhan, the last Nawab of Baroda. During the rule of Gaekwad, it was a stoppage for horse-drawn trams. The clock tower was erected at the cost of. It was constructed from the funds raised by the citizens of Baroda State.
The premises of the tower were rented by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation for the last three decades. In 2017, the municipal commissioner, Vinod Rao, ordered to vacate the tower to conserve it as a heritage monument. The mechanical system of the tower clock was replaced by DC motor. The tower is lit up in the evening.

Architecture

The tower was built in Indo-Saracenic architecture style. The five storied tower is built with red bricks. The ground floor has a narrow spiral staircase that leads to upper floors. The first three floors have cusped arched openings decorated with fine stucco work on each side. A huge clock made by John Taylor & Co was brought from London by Sayajirao and fitted to fourth floor. The clock is six feet in diameter and its minute hand is of 3 feet in length. The top floor is octagonal. It has the jharokha with jali-work on all eight sides of the parapet. A steeple stands at the top.

Chimes

During the Gaekwad rule, the mechanical system was used to play tunes every 15 minutes, which later changed to every hour. Later, the mechanical system was replaced by an electric connection and now the chimes are muted.