Clocks from Nawab’s era attract Swarnim enthusiasts

As part of Swarnim Gujarat celebrations, the Junagadh Museum inside the historic Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh has organised an exhibition of antique clocks dating back to Nawab's era. Four clocks which signify the cultural identity of Nawab's time are on display for visitors.

The four clocks on display are of bracket types. While three of them are light house type, the fourth one runs by steel balls. The light house clocks run by springs. These clocks are from Junagadh, Manavadar, Mangrol and Sardargadha.

The clocks were manufactured in the 19th century.  After India became independent, the then Nawab of Junagadh left for Pakistan from Keshod airport on November 9, 1948, leaving behind the clocks in Junagadh.

“The idea behind the exhibition is to let people know the rich heritage of Junagadh as the state celebrates the golden jubilee of its foundation,'' said Kashyap Vyas, curator of the museum. The exhibition was inaugurated on May 2 and will remain open till July end.

According to Vyas, a bracket clock is a style of antique portable table clock made in the 17th and 18th centuries. The term originated with small weight driven clocks (sometimes called 'true bracket clocks') that had to be mounted on a bracket on the wall to allow room for their hanging weights.

When spring-driven clocks were invented, they continued to be made in the bracket style. 

These clocks were almost always repeaters - striking clocks which could be made to repeat the striking of the hours at the pull of a lever or cord. This feature was used before artificial illumination to tell what time it was at night. However, because they were often used in bedrooms where the hourly striking of the bell could disturb sleepers, they either had a knob to silence the hourly striking, or did not strike on the hour at all but only at the pull of the cord. These were called 'silent pull repeaters'.