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Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower

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Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower
LocationPerin Nariman Street
Coordinates18°56′04″N 72°50′09″E / 18.934320°N 72.835840°E / 18.934320; 72.835840
AreaFort, Mumbai
Built1882
Architectural style(s)Persian architecture
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower is located in Mumbai
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower
Location of Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower in Mumbai
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower is located in India
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower (India)

Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower is a heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai, India, that was erected in 1882 using public funds as a token of appreciation for Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadi, a Parsi philanthropist who had contributed to the cause of education in the city.[1] He was a member of the Bombay Native Education Society and on the board of Elphinstone Institution (now Elphinstone College).[2] He died on 3 July 1862.[3]

The building had a functional drinking fountain, and the facade has many elements of Persian architecture, like lamassus at every entrance, and ornate acanthus leaf cornices.[4][5] The structure was in extremely poor condition and was repeatedly vandalised (the glass and hands from clock face were often stolen), but it was restored by a team led by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, with funding from the Kala Ghoda Association, in 2017.[3][6] The restoration project on the tower won the Honourable Mention under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Venkatraman, Tanushree (15 March 2016). "Wadia Clock Tower to be restored". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ Palsetia, Jesse S. (1 January 2001). The Parsis of India: Preservation of Identity in Bombay City. BRILL. ISBN 9004121145 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b "How safe is Mumbai's heritage from wrecking?". mid-day. 29 January 2016. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. ^ "VDA- Projects". Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  5. ^ Fernando, Benita (19 July 2019). "Breathing life back into Mumbai's fountains". Livemint. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Two South Mumbai heritage structures in shambles brought back to life". 6 January 2017. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Painstaking work restores Mumbai's structures to former glory". The Indian Express. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.