Clock Tower of Haridwar
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Clock Tower of Haridwar
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| image = Clock Tower of Haridwar.tif
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| image_caption = Clock Tower of Haridwar: view from steps of Har Ki Pauri (2023)
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| coordinates = {{Coord|29|57|23.5|N|78|10|16.8|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
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| alternate_names = Raja Birla Tower, Ghantaghar
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| building_type = Clock tower
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| location = Malviya Island
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| location_town = Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, Uttarakhand
| location_country = India
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| completion_date = 1938
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| height = {{convert|66|ft}}
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| architect = Raja Baldev Das Birla
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| known_for = *Landmark of Har Ki Pauri
- Observation point for Ganga Aarti and Kumbh Mela
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The Clock Tower of Haridwar, also known as the Raja Birla Tower, is a landmark freestanding clock tower, built by Raja Baldev Das Birla in 1938 in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Each of its four sides has a clock, with Roman numerals representing hours and dots depicting the minutes. The structure marks a good location from which to watch the evening prayers at Har Ki Pauri.
The surrounding area has been used as a media platform for the Kumbh Mela. Prior to the 2021 Kumbh Mela artist Harshvardhan Kadam painted it in red and gold murals to express Hindu mythological stories based on the writings and ideas of the Vaimānika Shāstra.
History
The Clock Tower of Haridwar, India. also known as the Raja Birla Tower and Ghantaghar, was built by Raja Baldev Das Birla, the founder of the Birla Group,{{cite book |last1=Raichaudhury |first1=Anjan |title=Managing new ventures: concepts and cases in entrepreneurship |date=2010 |publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-81-203-4156-2 |page=32 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sFqQSBbn_x0C&pg=PA32 |language=en |chapter=2. Identifying and evaluating opportunities |access-date=5 February 2023 |archive-date=5 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205144200/https://books.google.com/books?id=sFqQSBbn_x0C&pg=PA32 |url-status=live }} in 1938.{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Dr Yatindra Pal |title=Clock towers of India |date=2021 |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |isbn=978-9-35427-256-1 |pages=40–41 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MI0TEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |language=en |chapter=18. Haridwar |access-date=31 January 2023 |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131033520/https://books.google.com/books?id=MI0TEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |url-status=live }} Many clock towers were built in India before it was common to own a watch.{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Dr Yatindra Pal |title=Clock towers of India |date=2021 |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |isbn=978-9-35427-256-1 |pages=1–2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MI0TEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |language=en |chapter=About the clock towers of India |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307105603/https://books.google.com/books?id=MI0TEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |url-status=live }} The tower daily evening Hindu prayers at Har Ki Pauri are easily seen from the tower.{{cite book |title=The Rough Guide to India |date=2011 |publisher=Rough Guides UK |isbn=978-1-4053-8847-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yi4PbmKuE70C&pg=PT365 |language=en |page=365 |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204040223/https://books.google.com/books?id=yi4PbmKuE70C&pg=PT365 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Khushwant |title=Sights and Sounds of the World |date=2001 |publisher=Books Today |isbn=978-81-87478-25-6 |page=94 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdhlAAAAMAAJ |language=en |access-date=7 February 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207013558/https://books.google.com/books?id=fdhlAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }} In 2010 a platform was constructed close to the tower from which nearly 300 media personnel watched the main bathing day of the Kumbh Mela that year.{{cite book |last1=Pokharial 'Nishank' |first1=Ramesh |title=Maha Kumbh Biggest Planet Event (A Managerial Perspective) |date=2022 |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-5599-132-4 |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYBbEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT134 |language=en |access-date=9 February 2023 |archive-date=9 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209015710/https://books.google.com/books?id=nYBbEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT134 |url-status=live }}
The tower is on Malviya Island, named after Madan Mohan Malaviya,{{cite book |last1=Dash |first1=Trilochan |title=The Four Dhamas of the Himalayas: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunetri |date=2017 |publisher=Soudamini Dash |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgneDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |language=en |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307050326/https://books.google.com/books?id=GgneDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |url-status=live }} opposite the steps of Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar.{{cite book |last1=Betts |first1=Vanessa |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=77D8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA94 |title=Indian Himalaya Footprint Handbook |last2=McCulloch |first2=Victoria |date=2014 |publisher=Footprint Travel Guides |isbn=978-1-907263-88-0 |page=94 |language=en |chapter=83. Haridwar, Rishikesh and around |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204033719/https://books.google.com/books?id=77D8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA94 |url-status=live }} The structure is freestanding and {{Convert|66|ft}} high. It has four sides, each with a clock face, that use Roman numerals to represent the hours and dots to depict the minutes. The surrounding island has marble flooring, is shaped like a boat, and has its own ghat (steps) to enter the river Ganges. Until 1979 it was connected to other local bathing spots by three bridges.{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Man Mohan |title=Of Gods and Glaciers: On & Around Mt. Rataban |date=1979 |publisher=Vision Books |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QnkFAAAAMAAJ |language=en |access-date=9 February 2023 |archive-date=9 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209015706/https://books.google.com/books?id=QnkFAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live}}
Prior to the 2021 Kumbh Mela, the artist Harshvardhan Kadam painted the tower with red and gold murals to express mythological stories based on the work and ideas of the Vaimānika Shāstra.{{cite web |title=Places to Visit in Haridwar |url=https://www.indianvisit.com/uttarakhand/haridwar/tourist-attraction.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226183034/https://www.indianvisit.com/uttarakhand/haridwar/tourist-attraction.html |archive-date=26 February 2023 |access-date=6 March 2023}}{{cite journal |date=27 January 2020 |title=Murals at Har Ki Pauri and Chandi Ghat |url=https://nmcg.nic.in/Newsletter/Jan-Feb2020/index.html#p=8 |journal=Ganga Yatra |page=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209085942/https://nmcg.nic.in/Newsletter/Jan-Feb2020/index.html#p=1 |archive-date=9 February 2023}} The work was part of the Haridwar Mural Project, in collaboration with the Namami Gange Programme and art retailer Mojarto: a venture to find non-traditional platforms to display religious art in Haridwar and to safeguard the river Ganges.
Gallery
File:Ganga Dashara Festival, 2005 at Har ki Pauri, Haridwar.jpg|Clock tower (2005)
File:Har Ki Pauri l Haridwar.jpg|Clock Tower (unpainted) view from Har Ki Pauri (2010)
File:Rishikesh haRishikeshridwar (595).JPG|Clock face (2012)
File:Har Ki Pauri Haridwar.jpg|Clock Tower during evening prayers (2013)
File:Har ki paiddi, Haridwar.jpg|Clock Tower during evening prayers (2021 Kumbh Mela)
File:Har Ki Pauri and Clock Tower of Haridwar.jpg|Clock Tower (2023)
References
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External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{YouTube|T-0Y_MYQSek| Indian Mythological Imagery On Historic Clock Tower}}
- {{cite web |title=EP-5: Haridwar Mural Project {{!}} Transforming 66 Ft Tall Clock Tower With Art - Mojarto Blogs |url=https://blog.mojarto.com/ep-5-haridwar-mural-project-transforming-66-ft-tall-clock-tower-with-art/ |date=26 June 2019}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clock Tower of Haridwar}}
Category:Clock towers in India
Category:Buildings and structures in Haridwar
Category:1938 establishments in India
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1938