Secunderabad Clock Tower

Secunderabad Clock Tower Clock Tower
Location	Secunderabad
Type	victory column
Height	120 feet (37 m)[1]
Opening date	1 February 1897
Dedicated to	British officers posted at the erstwhile Secunderabad Cantonment
Coordinates	17°26′27″N 78°29′55″E / 17.440846°N 78.498532°E / 17.440846; 78.498532Coordinates: 17°26′27″N 78°29′55″E / 17.440846°N 78.498532°E / 17.440846; 78.498532

Secunderabad Clock Tower is a clock tower located in the Secunderabad region of Hyderabad, India. Constructed in 1860 on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land, the structure was inaugurated on 1 February 1897.

History

A firman issued by Nizam Sikandar Jah established the city of Secunderabad after his name in 1806.^[2] To honour the progress achieved by the British officers stationed at Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad, the erstwhile British government established 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for this purpose in 1860.^[3] A 120-ft high clock tower was constructed in a park of 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) in 1896.^[1] The tower was inaugurated by Resident Sir Trevor John Chichele Plowden on 1 February 1897. The clock on the tower was donated by Dewan Bahadur Seth Lachmi Narayan Ramgopal, a businessman.^[2]

In 2003, the tower was placed on a demolition list drawn up by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad to accommodate the increasing traffic. A senior official at this civic agency of the Government of Andhra Pradesh said that they were trying their best not to demolish this structure.^[4] In 2006, the park housing the tower was chosen for renovation by the same agency. Carried out at a cost of 1 crore (US$202,800), the park's size was reduced to widen the roads. In addition, the tower was renovated, the park was landscaped with lawns and hedges, and a waterfall was installed. The renovation was completed in 2005, and the park was inaugurated by then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2006.^[1][5] A martyr's memorial was also established inside the park in memory of the first police firing in 1969 during a separate Telangana agitation.^[6] Within a year after this, two of the tower's four clocks experienced technical problems and stopped working.^[3]

The tower was declared a heritage structure in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad.^[3] It was as a result of the efforts put by the civic agency at sites like this tower that the proposal to seek UNESCO Heritage status for Hyderabad was revived.^[7]

In 2006, the 200-year celebrations of the formation of Secunderabad were organized by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The clock tower was chosen as the subject of the logo, which was designed by a local firm.^[8] The outline of the Clock Tower was first conceived by the students of a city architectural college.^[9] A short cinema film of 9 minutes, 30 seconds by director Mani Shankar was released as a part of this celebration. The film, which relates the history of the city, features the clock tower in it.^[10]

The park housing the tower also served as a venue for promoting various citizen-centric events such as a children's film festival,^[11] awareness programs among others.^[12]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Clock Tower Park to open, finally". The Hindu. 27 February 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/27/stories/2006022715620300.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Nanisetti, Serish (3 June 2006). "The man, his mite and Secunderabad". The Hindu. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/06/03/stories/2006060303650100.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Time stands still at Clock Tower". The Hindu. 13 February 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/13/stories/2007021321680400.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
4. ^ "Secunderabad clock tower on MCH demolition list". The Times of India. 7 February 2003. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad-times/Secunderabad-clock-tower-on-MCH-demolition-list/articleshow/36705233.cms. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
5. ^ "Renovated Clock Tower Park to be opened today". The Times of India. 26 February 2006. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Renovated-Clock-Tower-Park-to-be-opened-today/articleshow/1429861.cms. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
6. ^ "Floral tributes to Telangana martyrs". The Hindu. 5 April 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040557820600.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
7. ^ Khan, Mir Ayoob Ali (16 March 2007). "Heritage hope alive". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1770238.cms. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
8. ^ "Towering logo for 'splendid' city". The Hindu. 23 May 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/23/stories/2006052320360300.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
9. ^ Vijay Kumar, Renuka (6 September 2006). "Students lead the way". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/09/06/stories/2006090600300100.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
10. ^ K., Sangeetha Devi (6 June 2006). "A cinematic ode to Secunderabad". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/06/06/stories/2006060600670200.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
11. ^ Yousuf, Mohammed (11 November 2009). "Children’s film festival". The Hindu. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/11/11/stories/2009111151311500.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
12. ^ "Campaign held to spread awareness about sanitation". The Hindu. 26 November 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112615870300.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2010.