History of Kandy Clock Tower

Ismail was the agent for Rowlands Limited  (who were once the largest importer of British cars in the country. On 14 August 1947 Ismail's son was returning to Kandy from Colombo with his brother-in-law, another employee and the driver when the car was crushed under a boulder that slid down in a continuous rain induced earth slip. The following day Ismail was notified of the accident by police. The land for the tower was acquired by the Kandy Municipal Council, while the machinery and equipment needed was brought over from the United Kingdom.

 The clock 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.^[4]