High Court, Rajabai Tower & Secretariat Buildings In Bombay, 1900 Photo
A 1900 photograph of the row of High Court, Rajabai Clock Tower, & Secretariat buildings in Bombay (Mumbai). The three historic buildings face the Oval Maidan, which once overlooked the Back Bay. But after the Marine Drive reclamation, the view of the Back Bay became a little further away. The area of the Oval Maidan is the core of Victorian Bombay.
The row of public buildings – the High Court, Rajabai Clock Tower, and the Secretariat. They were the first to be built on the land made available after the demolition of the fort walls. It was on the orders of the governor of Bombay, Henry Bartle Frere, in 1862, to demolish the fort’s walls. Thus freeing considerable space, consequently, the city went into rapid expansion mode. Frere was instrumental in transforming Bombay into a Europeanized city.
The High Court building was designed by Colonel J. A. Fuller of the Royal Engineers. It was completed in 1878. The 280-foot Rajabai Clock Tower was a part of the University and was completed in 1874. Premchand Roychand funded the building’s construction. He was one of the city’s leading industrialists and philanthropists, and the Tower was named after his mother, “Rajabai.” Captain Henry Wilkins had designed the Secretariat Building, which was completed in 1874. Click on the photo to enlarge.
Did you know – the Fort had walls about 40 feet high and from 25 – 50 feet wide. These carried guns and were surrounded by trenches (moat), which were full of water.
Past posts – M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Untitled 1964 (#18)., St George’s Cathedral Madras – Old Postcard 1915., Aerial View of Parliament New Delhi – Old Print 1946., Old Book 1887, Dupleix And The Empire Of India.
