When the silver jubilee clock tower was built in 1927 to mark 25 years of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s rule, the then Maharaja sent an invitation to Mahatma Gandhi to inaugurate the iconic structure.
But, the Mahatma, who was in Bengaluru at that time, had completed his tour of Mysuru region and expressed his inability to return to the city for the inauguration, said historian N.S. Rangaraju.
But, Pandit Motilal Nehru, noted lawyer, also the father of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, came to Bengaluru to discuss with Mahatma Gandhi a case he had to argue in London.
“Gandhiji asked Motilal Nehru to inaugurate the clock tower. But, when Motilal Nehru said he did not have the invitation, the Mahatma sent word to the Maharaja to invite him. After receiving a message from the Mahatma, the Maharaja sent an invitation to Motilal Nehru and he came for the inauguration,” said Mr. Rangaraju.
Motilal Nehru not only inaugurated the clock tower on August 8, 1927, he also addressed the Praja Pratinidhi Sabha or the People’s Representative Assembly in Mysuru.
Mr. Rangaraju said the 75-feet-tall silver jubilee clock tower was built from funds generated by the employees of the royal family and Ursu Mandali members, including military officers.
The clock tower, which completed 96 years a day before the restoration works were taken up on Wednesday, is situated at a vantage location in front of the north gate of the Mysuru palace and served as the city’s “time keeper” for a long time when the people neither wore wristwatches nor kept clocks at home.
The sound from the bell of the clock was loud enough to be heard up to a distance of 5 to 6 km, which was practically within the hearing distance of the entire city’s population.
Old-timers recall hearing the clock’s bell till the advent of automobiles began drowning its sound. However, the bell, which is made out of French mechanism, has fallen silent since the last 15 to 20 years due to mechanical problems.
