HwaNormanby23 at 02:43, 16 March 2026

2026-03-16T02:43:01Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Chimnabai Clock Tower
| image = File:Raopura Tower Vadodara.jpg
| caption = Chimnabai Clock Tower
| location_town = [[Vadodara]], [[Gujarat]]
| location_country = India
| coordinates = {{Coord|22|18|14.3|N|73|12|02.7|E|type:landmark_region:IN-GJ|display=inline,title}}
| completion_date = 1896<ref name="The British Library">{{cite web |title=Chimnabai Tower [Vadodara] |url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2059209/item_92037__http___www_bl_uk_onlinegallery_onlineex_apac_photocoll_c_zoomify63711_html |website=europeana |publisher=The British Library |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621162140/https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2059209/item_92037__http___www_bl_uk_onlinegallery_onlineex_apac_photocoll_c_zoomify63711_html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| architect = unknown
| cost = {{INR|25000}}<ref name="NEWS18 GUJARATI"/>
| pushpin_map = Gujarat
| structural_system = [[Red brick]] and [[Sandstone|Yellow sandstone]]
| client = [[Baroda State]]
| engineer =
| construction_start_date =
| architectural_style = [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]]
| size = {{cvt|108|ft|m}}<ref name="NEWS18 GUJARATI"/>
}}

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 [[Maharani Chimnabai I|Chimnabai I]] (1864–1885), a [[Maharani|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.<ref name="The British Library"/> The tower was named after Chimnabai I (1864–1885), a queen and the first wife of Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda State.<ref name="ToI 2017-05-24">{{cite news |last1=Rupera |first1=Prashant |date=24 May 2017 |title=Raopura tower to start chiming again |newspaper=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/raopura-tower-to-start-chiming-again/articleshow/58814361.cms |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163855/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/raopura-tower-to-start-chiming-again/articleshow/58814361.cms |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gazetteer Volume II">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II, Administration |date=1923 |publisher=G. H. Desai |location=Baroda |page=465 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.94278/page/n481/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chimnabai Tower, Baroda – 1895 |url=https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/postDetail.php?id=196174216674_10150207889496675 |website=rarebooksocietyofindia |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163856/https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/postDetail.php?id=196174216674_10150207889496675 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gujarat Tourism" /> It was inaugurated by Mir Kamaluddin Hussainkhan, the last Nawab of Baroda.<ref name="HoV">{{cite web |title=Clock Tower |url=https://historyofvadodara.in/raopura-tower/ |website=History of Vadodara |date=25 August 2009 |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621170144/https://historyofvadodara.in/raopura-tower/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During the rule of Gaekwad, it was a stoppage for [[Horsecar|horse-drawn trams]]. The clock tower was erected at the cost of {{INRconvert|25000|year=1896}}.<ref name="NEWS18 GUJARATI">{{cite news |last1=Samrat Bauddh |first1=Nidhi Dave |title=World Heritage Day: વડોદરાના હેરિટેજ સ્થળોને જોતા જ લોકો અભિભૂત થઈ જાય છે, જુઓ તસ્વીર |trans-title=People are overwhelmed to see the heritage sites of Vadodara, see the picture |url=https://gujarati.news18.com/photo-story/madhya-gujarat/vadodara-world-heritage-day-2023-vadodara-historical-place-tourism-vnd-sb-local18-1384356-page-9.html |access-date=22 June 2023 |publisher=NEWS18 GUJARATI |date=18 April 2023 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622171651/https://gujarati.news18.com/photo-story/madhya-gujarat/vadodara-world-heritage-day-2023-vadodara-historical-place-tourism-vnd-sb-local18-1384356-page-9.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was constructed from the funds raised by the citizens of Baroda State.<ref name="Gazetteer Volume II"/><ref name="Gujarat Tourism"/>

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.<ref name="TNN 2017-05-04" /> The mechanical system of the tower clock was replaced by DC motor.<ref name="ToI 2017-05-24" /> The tower is lit up in the evening.<ref name="Gujarat Tourism" />

==Architecture==
[[File:Chimnabai Tower, Baroda in the 1890s.jpg|thumb|The tower in the 1890s|left]]
The tower was built in [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]] style.<ref name="ToI 2017-05-24" /> 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.<ref name="HoV"/> A huge clock made by [[John Taylor & Co]]<ref name="ToI 2017-05-24"/> was brought from [[London]] by Sayajirao and fitted to fourth floor.<ref name="Gujarat Tourism"/> The clock is six feet in diameter<ref name="TNN 2017-05-04">{{cite news |title=Shop in Maharani Chimnabai Tower to be vacated |newspaper=The Times of India |date=4 May 2017 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/shop-in-maharani-chimnabai-tower-to-be-vacated/articleshow/57457405.cms |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163856/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/shop-in-maharani-chimnabai-tower-to-be-vacated/articleshow/57457405.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> and its minute hand is of 3 feet in length.<ref name="HoV"/> 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.<ref name="Gujarat Tourism">{{cite web |title=Raopura Tower |url=https://www.gujarattourism.com/central-zone/vadodara/raopura-tower.html |website=gujarattourism.com |publisher=Gujarat Tourism |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163857/https://www.gujarattourism.com/central-zone/vadodara/raopura-tower.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==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.<ref name="TNN 2017-05-04"/>

==See also==
*[[Chimnabai Lake]]
*[[Nyay Mandir]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category|Raopura Clock Tower|Chimnabai Clock Tower}}

==External links==
*[https://www.gujarattourism.com/central-zone/vadodara/raopura-tower.html Raopura Tower], Gujarat Tourism
*[https://historyofvadodara.in/raopura-tower/ History of Vadodara]
{{Vadodara topics}}

[[Category:Towers completed in 1896]]
[[Category:Clock towers in India]]
[[Category:Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture]]

Chimnabai Clock Tower - Revision history

HwaNormanby23 at 02:43, 16 March 2026