September 23, 2025

Mumbai’s Rajabai Clock Tower is more than just a tall, beautiful building — it is a living piece of history that still keeps time the old-fashioned way! Built in 1878, this impressive tower in the Fort campus of Mumbai University once stood as the city’s tallest structure and is now a proud UNESCO World Heritage Site. What makes the Rajabai Clock Tower truly special? It’s all mechanical — no electricity powers its giant clock! Every day, a dedicated man named Mahendra Prasad Gupta climbs 238 steps to wind the clock by hand. He works for VS Time Services, the expert firm that has cared for this and other historic Mumbai clocks since 1990. Gupta’s job is no small feat. He starts by winding the clock mechanism and the bell system, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes each. The tower holds 14 metal bells that ring every 15 minutes, filling the air near the Oval Maidan and the bustling Fort area with their soothing chimes. Besides winding, Gupta oils the parts, cleans if needed, and makes sure everything runs smoothly — all while carrying a transistor radio to keep company in the tower’s quiet heights. The journey to keep these bells ringing wasn't easy. When VS Time Services first took charge, the clock and bells were silent. It took nearly a year and a half of careful work before the musical chimes returned in November 1991. A.N. Venkateshwar Rao, owner of VS Time Services and a second-generation clockmaker, told Mumbai Mirror, “They finally started working in November 1991.” Besides the Rajabai Clock Tower, this skilled team also looks after other British-era clocks in Mumbai, such as those at CST station, Western Railway building, and Bora Bazar. But none capture the hearts of Mumbaikars quite like the chimes of Rajabai, a timeless melody weaving the city’s fast pace with whispers of its rich past.

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Tags: Rajabai clock tower, Mumbai heritage, Mechanical clock, Vs time services, Manual winding, Historic landmarks,