Hyderabad: The 135-year-old clock on the eastern side of the historic Charminar was found damaged by visitors. The authorities started the repair work on Tuesday. A hole was noticed at the 25-minute mark on the clock’s white background. The authorities suspected that pigeons, which often gather around the clock, caused the damage.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) assessed the damage along with the family members of Wahid Watch Company, who installed the clock. Ghulam Rabbani of Wahid Watch at Lad Bazar and his team made temporary repairs. “We repaired the dial using a special glue paste to join the broken parts and restore it close to its original look,” said Rabbani.
The four clocks on the Charminar were installed during the reign of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, and are displayed in four cardinal directions.
Wahid Watch Company was started by Wahid Khan, the grandfather of Sikander Khan, in 1942. After the rule of the Nizams ended in 1947, the clocks of Hyderabad’s iconic structure stopped ticking. Wahid’s family has ensured the clocks continue to work since then. After Late Rasool Khan made the clocks, his son Sikander Khan, who has also passed away, and now Ghulam Rabbani, have taken on the responsibility to make sure the clocks show the right time to thousands of tourists and uphold their original purpose.
