Khan Clock Tower – popular landmark in Pettah

By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Ms. Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated at the border of Colombo Fort, about a kilometer from the busy City Center and guarding the entrance to the market in *Pettah, Khan Clock Tower is a memorial to a father from his sons. Built in early 20th century by the family of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan, the clock tower is in good condition and well-maintained to date. Although, there is a fountain which is still in the premises of the clock tower, it is not functioning at present. The Clock Tower is approximately four storeyed and stands above the other buildings in the vicinity.

Well-landscaped popular landmark built by Bhikhajee and Munchersaw Framjee Khan, the sons of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan was a token of ‘affectionate gratitude’ to their father. The clock tower was dedicated to residents of Colombo through Colombo Municipal Council on January 4th, 1923, on the 45th death anniversary of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan.

Khan family were a *Parsi family who hailed from Bombay, India and were wealthy business owners in *Ceylon. They had migrated from India. Hailing from *Bombay, India, they owned the famous Colombo Oil Mills (famous for producing diverse varieties of high quality oil) as well as many business establishments in Colombo including some businesses in Pettah. In 1878, when Framjee Bhikhajee Khan passed away, his sons Bhikhajee and Munchersaw managed the family business which flourished well during the next several decades. Hence, the location of the clock tower was the ideal place, as a memorial to the illustrious business magnate Framjee Bhikhajee Khan.

On the base of the clock tower, there is an inscribed plate as follows:

“This clock tower and fountain was erected to the memory of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan by his sons Bhikhajee and Munchersaw Framjee Khan as a token of affectionate gratitude and dedicated through the Municipal Council to the citizens of Colombo on the fourth day of January 1923, the 45th anniversary of his death”.

Almost a century later, the clock tower is an iconic landmark at the entrance to Pettah, the location where Framjee Bhikhajee Khan was fond of working.

Khan Clock Tower is one of the famous ancient clock towers in Colombo City that functions well to date.

Location: At the entrance to Pettah, Colombo City

Bombay – The official name of present-day Mumbai (until 1995, Mumbai was known as Bombay), the capital city of the Indian State of *Maharashtra.
Ceylon – Sri Lanka gained Independence from British Colonials in 1948. In 1972, Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth and Ceylon was thereafter known as Sri Lanka.
Deccan Plateau – Rising to approximately 100 meters in the north and more than 1000 meters in the south, Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in western and southern India.
Gujarat – A state on the western coast of India with a coastline of 1600 kilometers.
Maharashtra – A state in the western peninsular region of India, Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India and the second most populous country subdivision in the world. Maharashtra occupies a considerable segment of the Deccan Plateau
Parsis – Originally from former Persia (present-day Iran), Parsis were Persians who had migrated to India around 7th century due to fear of religious discrimination when the Arabs invaded their territory (present-day Iran). Many Parsis settled in *Gujarat. But their roots isolated them from the modern Zoroastrian Indian Community of Iranis who arrived in India in 19th and 20th centuries. The Parsis were businessmen and traders and engaged in diverse businesses.
Pettah – Located east of Fort in Colombo City, Pettah is known as a hectic outdoor street market by many people. There are a large number of wholesale and retail shops, buildings as well as commercial institutions in Pettah. According to many, the main market segment of Pettah is similar to a gigantic crossword puzzle as the entire market cannot be covered within a day, even if a person walks from dawn to dusk. Situated in the busiest commercial area in Sri Lanka, there are many bazaars and markets in Pettah where diverse items from fabrics, clothing, household goods such as pots and pans including plastic flowers, vegetables and fruits are sold in the busy streets. Pettah is derived from the Tamil word ‘Pettai’, an Anglo-Indian word which signifies a suburb outside a fort. Pitakotuwa, Sinhala name for Pettah too means outside the fort (Colombo Fort is known as kotuwa in Sinhala).