Bogdanwyo at 00:53, 9 November 2025

2025-11-09T00:53:06Z

New page

{{Short description|Clock tower in Gaya, Bihar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Rajendra Tower
| alternate_names = Tower Chowk
| image = Tower Chowk Gaya close-up.jpg
| caption = Rajendra Tower, August 2022
| location_town = [[Gaya (India)|Gaya]]
| location_country = [[India]]
| completion_date = Between 1910 and 1914
}}

'''Rajendra Tower''' ([[Hindi]]: राजेन्द्र टावर), locally known as '''Tower Chowk''',<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-09-24|title=इतिहास का अंधकूप बनाम बंद गलियों का रूह-चुह : गया में यौनकर्म और यौनकर्मी : पहली क़िस्त|url=http://streekaal.com/2014/09/blog-post_23-10/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=streekaal.com}}</ref> is a historic [[clock tower]] in [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], [[Bihar]], [[India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Revamp bells ring for tower - Rs 14-lakh project to restore British raj relic|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/bihar/revamp-bells-ring-for-tower-rs-14-lakh-project-to-restore-british-raj-relic/cid/389298|access-date=2023-01-28|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=India|first=Alok|last=Kumar|date=31 May 2011}}</ref> Built sometime between 1910 and 1914 during the [[British Raj|British rule]] by the-then collector [[C. E. A. W. Oldham|George Oldhum]], it was renamed as Rajendra Tower after the [[List of presidents of India|first Indian president]] [[Rajendra Prasad|Dr. Rajendra Prasad]] in 1981 by the administration of [[List of chief ministers of Bihar|Bihar's Chief Minister]] [[Jagannath Mishra]]. The tower is widely considered to be the symbol of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=47 दिनों में भी नहीं बना राजेंद्र टावर|url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/bihar/gaya/32741|access-date=2021-05-26|website=Prabhat Khabar - Hindi News|language=hi}}</ref>

== History ==
The clock tower was built during the [[British Raj]] by Oldhum, the-then collector of [[Gaya district]], which was under [[Bihar and Orissa Province]] sometime between 1910 and 1914. The clock tower gradually became symbolic for the city of [[Gaya, India|Gaya]]. After the end of British rule in 1947, the clock tower became the property of the new Indian state of [[Bihar]]. It was renamed Rajendra Tower in 1981 after [[Rajendra Prasad|Dr. Rajendra Prasad]], the first [[President of India]] by the government of Bihar.<ref name=":0" /> According to locals, there were four clocks in the tower on each side and people used to hear the chimes of the clock kilometers away, whereas pedestrians used to set their watches, using the tower's clocks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ये तो ठीक नहीं है, गया शहर के टॉवर की तीन लाख से निखरेगी सूरत, लेकिन घड़ी की नहीं होगी मरम्‍मत|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/gaya-this-is-not-good-the-tower-of-gaya-city-will-be-enhanced-by-three-lakhs-but-the-watch-will-not-be-repaired-21246593.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Dainik Jagran|language=hi}}</ref> Due to the presence of the clock tower, the area gradually became a commercial district and goes by the name of Tower Chowk.<ref>{{Cite web|agency=TNN|date=10 Feb 2021|title=Civic body gives nod to Rs 547-crore budget in Gaya {{!}} Patna News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/civic-body-gives-nod-to-rs-rs-547-cr-budget-in-gaya/articleshow/80775140.cms|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-30|title=टावर चौक की कपड़े दुकान के छज्जे पर आग लगने से मच गई अफरातफरी|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/bihar/gaya/news/fire-broke-out-on-the-balcony-of-the-clothes-shop-of-tower-chowk-070657-6935941.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Dainik Bhaskar|language=hi}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Bihar}}

[[Category:Clock towers in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Bihar]]
[[Category:Gaya, India]]
[[Category:Towers completed in the 1910s]]
[[Category:1910s establishments in India]]

Rajendra Tower - Revision history

Bogdanwyo at 00:53, 9 November 2025