Neglected time-keepers

HYDERABAD: They stand tall, unnoticed as sentinels of the glorious past. Though they form an important part of the city’s heritage, the clock towers are a neglected lot. Most of the them are maintained by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Heritage wing. But it seems there is no preservation nor tourism promotion for these monuments.“The clock towers once served the purpose of not only keeping time but also served as public space for recreation and relaxation,” said P Anuradha Reddy, convener, INTACH Hyderabad. She added some clock towers like the ones at Sultan Bazar (built in 1865) and Fateh Maidan (1903) are neither visible nor accessible to the public due to encroachments.It is true the British brought us the concept of personal watches and clock towers, but Indians had an equally good method of time-keeping.“The sundial at Mecca Masjid was set up by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in 1687,” said MA Qaiyum, former deputy director of archaeology department. The clock tower at Secunderabad is currently functioning because of a long struggle from activists and NGOs to reinstate it. Qaiyum feels there is a need to keep these clock towers alive rather than making them functional.“Some light and sound arrangements could make it excellent spots for tourism,” he added.Some of the other clock towers include the one at Mehboob Chowk built by Paigah Nawab Asman Jah (1892), Falaknuma Palace clock tower (1892), Mozam Jahi market tower (1935), Aza Khana Zehra (1930), Monda market, Secunderabad (1930s), western gate clock tower of Chowmahalla Palace (1860s), James street police station clock tower (1900s), Raja Shamraj Bahadur Devdi tower (1904) and clock mounted on Charminar (1889).These are listed in Madhu Vottery’s book, A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad: The Natural and the Built. She feels it is the responsibility of citizens to understand and maintain aesthetics and heritage of the city where they live. Except for the clocks at Secunderabad, Chowmahalla Palace, Falaknuma Palace and Charminar, none keep right time. The ones at Nayapul Afzal Darvaza and Diwan Devdi are already lost forever.In an age where time is the most precious thing, the clock towers cry out for a little attention. It might not be important to maintain the right time but there is a need to preserve these heritage structures.