Ludhiana’s 114-yr-old Clock Tower being restored to original glory
Erected in 1906, Clock Tower was one of the two landmarks of the city. The other one was Subhani building. AMARJIT SINGH HAYER, retired PAU professor
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Clock Tower tower used to ring every hour in 1948. The monument must be preserved SARDARA SINGH JOHL , Central University Bathinda chancellor
LUDHIANA:DESPITE losing its splendour over time, Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, fondly called Ghanta Ghar, has looked over the city’s shoulder for over a century now. To spring it back to its original glory, the Ludhiana MC is giving the monument a muchneeded makeover.
Elated by the tower’s revival, old-timers and historians of the city say they are eager for the completion of works, expected to be over by the end of this month.
Established in 1906, Clock Tower is the city’s most prominent and last surviving landmark from the pre-independence era. As per the ₹66-lakh project, which is being taken up under the smart city mission, the MC will touch up the tower’s facade, repair its mechanical clock, and light it up. A few trials of colourful lights installed at the tower were held earlier and the sight had fascinated the residents.
Sharing their memories, retired Punjab Agricultural University professor Amarjit Singh Hayer (85) and Central University Bathinda chancellor Sardara Singh Johl (92) narrated how the there were only two prominent buildings in the city at that time, and Clock Tower was one of them.
Hayer said, “Clock Tower was one of the two landmarks of city. The other one was Subhani building. But with time, the tower lost its limelight and now many multi-storey buildings have come up around it, diminishing its visibility.”
Johl recalled the time he used to visit the city in the late 1940s from Noor Mahal, where his family had got temporary allotment after Partition. “The bell of the tower used to ring every hour in 1948. The tower is like a monument of the city and must be preserved.”