Sunday, January 16, 2011

HUSSAINABAD CLOCK TOWER



                     Cricket is a game of 11 men , where many of  the players though being good are overshadowed  because of their existence in times of legends , one of them is Rahul Dravid .It is isn’t like Dravid is not a player worthy of praise , or he is incapable of achieving any goal set ,  but some things are just because they are, there isn’t any reason why  he isn’t very famous but even then it is a fact that he is not .And the Hussainabad Clocktower stands as the Rahul Dravid of Lucknow , though extremely important yet noted , though always required to complete the Indian Team yet not counted . In short , it is underrated .The tower does deserve some acknowledgement , actually more than some .

                      It might interest you to know that the 67-meter tall tower is the highest clock tower in the nation . Also, the principal wheel of the clock is one and a half inches thick and has a diameter of 2 ft, which makes it larger than  the ultra – famous Westminister Clock . The tower though called ‘Satkhanda’ has only four storeys  because its construction was halted when its erector Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah passed away in 1840. The tower was built to mark the arrival of Sir George Cooper, the first Lieutenant Governor of the United Province of Awadh. But, now it is popularly known as the Hussainabad Picture Gallery. The picture gallery deserves special mention and according to me , it  is no less than the very well known Louvre in Paris .When I  recently went there for the first time  , the paintings held me for a while and made me laugh at myself for being ignorant to such beauty .The tower was designed by Roskell Payne in Victorian -Gothic style . It’s gigantic pendulum has a length of 14 feet and the dial of the clock is designed in the shape of a 12-petalled flower and bells around it. Gunmetal is used for building the clock parts . And the clock costed Rs. 1.75 lakhs to the government at that time .Quiet lot! According to my views , this monument is the best in Lucknow .

1 comment: