Kapurthala, Punjab, India Clock Tower (1901) freeart.com/ |
Clock Tower, kapurthala India.indiaanditsamazingtours.blogspot.com |
In today's chaotic fast urban life the colonial clocks never get the attention of the local denizens, whose preoccupation is to beat the traffic jam and urban madness; only visitors to the cities admire them for their aesthetics and ethos. No doubt, they were built in public places for an express purpose. Before the middle of the twentieth century, most people did not have watches, and prior to the late 18th century even home clocks were rare. The first clocks lacked on faces on sides, but most of them were solely striking clocks, which sounded bells to get the attention of the surrounding community to get ready to go to work or to say their prayer.
It was in the year 1901 the Ghanta Ghar, also known as the Clock Tower, was built in the kingdom of Kapurthala, Punjab, India . Close to the Panch Mandir area, this 119 year old part freestanding red stone clock tower on a building forms an important landmark in this small city and is being under the control of the ASI -
Statue of ruler Jagat singh Kapurthala, Punjab, India.localguidesconnect.com/ |
As for chiming and musical notes, in the recent past the ASI undertook the renovation work to restore this monument and had the clock fixed. Now, one could hear the the musical notes of the clock resonating all over again bringing back the past royal period of rule. Earlier, the clock tower was structurally in poor shape on account of poor upkeep and lack of care by the govt.
Tit-bits:
Do you know the tallest free standing clock tower in the world?
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, Univ. of Birmingham, UK.en.wikipedia.org |
It is recorded that this tower came up with a view to commemorating Joseph Chamberlain, the first Chancellor of the University (with the commemoration being carved into the stone at the tower's base), although one of the original suggested names for the clock tower was the "Poynting Tower", after one of the earliest professors at the University, Professor John Henry Poynting. Forming an important landmark in Birmingham, the grade II listed tower can be seen for miles around the campus, and has become synonymous with the University itself....... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Chamberlain_Memorial_Clock_Tower )
https://www.nativeplanet.com/kapurthala/attractions/ghata-ghar/#overview