The story behind the Kandy Clock Tower ( also known as Kandy Ismail Clock Tower) is a Tragic one. Haji Mohomed Ismail was the local agent for Rowlands Limited, the largest importer of British cars in the country.
Kandy was experiencing some of the worst rains and floods in its history in August 1947. The bridge over Mahaveli River and the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens were totally submerged under water and landslides were being reported all over Kandy.
On the fateful day of 14 August 1947 Ismail’s son, Mohamed Zacky Ismail was traveling from Colombo to Kandy in an Austin 7 with his brother-in-law, another employee and the driver. At Kadugannawa the car was buried under a rain-induced earth slip and all four passengers were buried under the mud.
A parcel from the car and its number plate were brought by the police to Mr Ismail Snr. a day later. A large building owned by Haji Mohomed Ismail, agent for Rowland’s, the car importers, stood at the tail end of Peradeniya Road where it continued as Ward Street. For Mohomed Ismail, the only consolation was to create a memorial to his son who meant so much to him.
He pondered over the matter and recognized Kandy was in need of a clock tower. The Kandy municipal acquired the land on which the clock tower stands and Ismail employed Shirley De Alwis, one of the leading architects at that time who was then the local resident architect working with Sir Patrick Abercrombie on the design of the University of Peradeniya.
The clock tower’s design is influenced by the Kandyan style and incorporates elements of the Temple of the Tooth and the palace of the King of Kandy within elements of its facade. All the machinery and equipment required for the project were brought from the United Kingdom.
The tower was completed on 23 December 1950 although it wasn’t officially declared open until the next year, by the then Prime Minister, D.S. Senanayake and the Mayor of Kandy E. L. Senanayake.
The plaque at the Kandy Ismail Clock Tower reads as follows ;
THIS CLOCK TOWER IS THE GIFT O
F HAJI MOHAMED ISMAIL
TO THE TOWN OF KANDY IN
MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED SON
MOHAMED ZACKY ISMAIL
WHO LOST HIS LIFE
AT KADUGANNAWA
ON 14th AUGUST 1947
Also See
- Attractions of Sri Lanka
- Heritage of Sri Lanka
- Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
- Nature and Wildlife of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Kandy Clock Tower
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
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Travel Directions to Kandy Clock Tower
Kandy can be reached from Colombo on the old Colombo – Kandy road (option 1) which is scenic but heavy in traffic, especially on Fridays and Sundays. However, the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route which is longer but less cumbersome.
Route 1 from Colombo to Kandy | Route 2 from Colombo to Kandy |
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala Distance :150 km Travel time: 3.20 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map | Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala Distance :150 km Travel Time: 3.20 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map |
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy | |
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance :100 km Travel Time : 3.0 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map |
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