5 famous clock towers of India

New Delhi: With the advent of technology in India, many things have become quite handy. Now one doesn't need to carry a calendar to check out on the date, or a notebook to jot down important details.The smartphone does it all for almost everythng.But this technological revolution in India came just few years ago. Before that life was enitrely diffent.The things which are so handy nowadays were not that easy to avail. Prior to mid-20th century, most people did not even have personal watches.That was the time for clock towers which were mostly placed near town centers and were often the tallest structures there.Many clock towers across the world were used as a landmark to represent the entire city like the Big Ben of London.Likewise India too features some amazing clock towers which have been quite iconic.While some have the similar architectural design to those built in during British reign, some represent the colonial trends of that period.Here we present you a list of 5 famous clock towers of the country: Rajabai Clock TowerLocated in South Mumbai, the Rajabai Clock Tower is situated within the confines of the Fort Campus of the University of Mumbai.Designed by an English architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, the foundation stone of Rajabai Clock Tower was laid on 1 March 1869 while its construction was completed in November 1878.Sir George Gilbert Scott modeled it on Big Ben in London.Standing upto he height of 280 ft, Rajabai Clock Tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles and was the tallest structure in Mumbai in its time.Built out of the locally available buff coloured Kurla stone, Rajabai Clock Tower has one of the best stained glass windows in the city. Husainabad Clock TowerLocated in the city of Lucknow, Husainabad Clock Tower was constructed in 1881.Built by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider, Husainabad Clock Tower was constructed to mark the arrival of Sir George Couper, 1st Lieutenant Governor of United Province of Avadh.Designed by Roskell Payne, Husainabad Clock Tower reflects the fusion of Victorian and Gothic style.The clock tower features a gigantic pendulum a length of 14 feet along with the dial designed in the shape of a 12-petalled flower and bells around it.Gunmetal is used for building the clock parts.Reaching upto the height of 219 ft, cost of construction of the Husainabad Clock Tower was around Rs. 1.75 lakhs. Secunderabad Clock TowerLocated in the Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Secunderabad Clock Tower was constructed in 1860.Secunderabad Clock Tower was built to honour the progress achieved by the British officers stationed at Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad.The tower was inaugurated by Resident Sir Trevor John Chichele Plowden on 1 February 1897.Reaching upto the height of 120 ft, the Secunderabad Clock Tower is constructed on 10 acres of land.The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad was planning to demolish the tower in 2003 in order to accommodate the increasing traffic, following which the tower was put under renovation.The renovation was completed in 2005, and the park was inaugurated by then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2006.The tower was declared a heritage structure in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. Silver Jubilee Clock TowerBuilt in 1927, Silver Jubilee Clock Tower was built in Mysore, Karnatka in order to commenmerate the 25 years of the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the then maharaja of Mysore.Silver Jubilee Clock Tower is also known as ‘Dodda gadiara' which means big clock tower.Standing with a height of 75 feet, the clock tower displays different architectural styles.While it was built in Indo- Saracenic style, the curvilinear chhajja represents the Rajasthani tradition, while the tall double arches and framing slit windows shows the glimpse of English church architecture.The tower has 5 feet diameter clock that spots Kannada numerals on it. Mint Clock TowerOne of the four standalone clock towers of Chennai, Mint Clock Tower was built in 1990s.A classic example of art deco architecture, the clock tower was built with high use of cement concrete, rich usage of colours and fewer floral engravings.The architectural style of the clock tower was influenced by the Industrial and the French revolutions.Standing with a height of 60 feet, each of the dials of the clock is of four feet in the diameter and is made of aluminium.TThe clock runs on weight-driven mechanism and has a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its time-keeping element.Six iron plates have been tied to a metal rope and connected to a chain of wheels.When the wheels rotate, the iron plates go down and the brass pointer on the dial of the clock moves. The moment the plates hits the floor the clock stops working, so the plated are lifted manually once a week.