The Faisalabad Clock Tower is a

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...

in Faisalabad,

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, and is one of the oldest monuments still standing in its original state from the period of the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. It was built in 1905 by the British, when they ruled much of the

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

during the nineteenth century. The decision to build the clock tower on this spot was taken by the then

Jhang Jhang (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the List of most populous c ...

deputy commissioner Sir James Lyall. The foundation of the majestic Clock Tower was laid on 14 November 1905 by the British lieutenant governor of Punjab Sir Charles Riwaz and the biggest local landlord belonging to the Mian Family of Abdullahpur Mian Abdul Raheem, Faisalabad (then known as

Lyallpur Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

). A water well formerly existed at the exact location of the Clock Tower which was filled with earth. The red sandstone used in its construction was brought from

Sangla Hill Tehsil Sangla Hill is a tehsil in the Nankana Sahib District of the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It lies 103 km from the provincial capital of Lahore and 47 km from Faisalabad. Until 2005, it was part of Sheikhupura District. Education Colleges * ...

, about 50 kilometres from here.The fund was collected at a rate of Rs. 18 per square of land. The fund thus raised was handed over to the Municipal Committee which undertook to complete the project. It took two years to complete the construction at a cost of Rs. 40,000. Ghanta Ghar 04

The locals refer to it as "Ghanta Ghar" () which translates into Hour House in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. It is located in the older part of the city. The clock is placed at the center of the eight markets that, from a bird's-eye view, look like the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

flag of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. This special layout still exists today and can be viewed using the latest software from

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

. The eight markets (bazaars) each has unique product types for sale. The bazaars are named for the directions these open towards i.e. Katchery bazaar, Chiniot bazaar, Aminpur bazaar, Bhawana Bazaar, Jhang Bazaar, Montgomery bazaar, Karkhana bazaar and Rail bazaar. All these eight bazaars are also connected with each other through another round-shaped bazaar, which is called 'Gole Bazaar'. During festivals of

Eid Eid as a name may refer to: Islamic holidays An Eid is a Muslim religious festival: * ''Eid Milad un Nabi'', alternate name for Mawlid (, "Birth of the Prophet"), the date of observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad * Eid al ...

and

Independence Day of Pakistan Pakistan Establishment Day (colloquially the Fourteenth of August) is a state holiday in Pakistan commemorating the nation's establishment from the United Kingdom on 14 August 1947, establishing the Dominion of Pakistan. Pakistan came into ...

, the mayor (

nazim Subahdar, also known as Nazim or in English as a "Subah", was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty (Delhi), Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Mughal era ( of India who w ...

) of Faisalabad delivers a speech at this site and hangs the flag at full mast.

Significance in the History of Faisalabad

Clock Tower or Ghanta Ghar is the most recognized building of Faisalabad. It is not only the center of the city, it is also the center of all the activities that happen in the city. During election season, each political party tries to hold rallies at this spot. The same is done for all political demonstrations. The central rally of

Eid Milad Nnabi Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi ( ar, المولد النبوي, translit=mawlid an-nabawī, lit=Birth of the Prophet, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronunciations; sometimes , ) ...

religious festival and the biggest procession of Moharram (annual religious event) is also held at Ghanta Ghar each year. The importance of this iconic tower is so much that one of the leading Pakistani judges of the 1960s, Muhammad Rustam Kayani famously drew a parallel between the presidential system of General

Ayub Khan Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...

and this clock tower because like Ghanta Ghar which is visible throughout the city, the presidential system of General Ayub made him of equal prominence.

References

External links

Clock Tower City dot com

https://web.archive.org/web/20070210001724/ Faisalabad Government website

The Clock Tower of Faisalabad
– ''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Daily Express'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the ''Interna ...

'' * {{cite web, url=http://www.faisalabad.gov.pk/pictures/fullScale/fs_Clock_Tower.JPG, archive-date=10 February 2007, website=Faisalabad Government website, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210001724/http://www.faisalabad.gov.pk/pictures/fullScale/fs_Clock_Tower.JPG , title=Large Full Scale Picture of the Clock Tower Buildings and structures in Faisalabad Towers in Pakistan Clock towers in Pakistan Squares in Pakistan Tourist attractions in Faisalabad Towers completed in 1905 1905 establishments in India

Significance in the History of Faisalabad

See also

References

External links