The Nagercoil Clock Tower, also known as also known as Nagercoil Tower Junction, is situated in the heart of the city of

Nagercoil Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The clock in the tower was presented to the Maharajah of Travancore by the European missionary, Rev. Duthie, during his visit to Nagercoil in the later part of the 19th century. A prominent landmark of Nagercoil, it is in a state of neglect. It has stopped ticking as there is no expert available to bring it back to action.

History

The clock tower was built at the centre place of Nagercoil, to commemorate the visit of Sri

Moolam Thirunal Sir Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (1857–1924) was Maharajah of the princely state of Travancore between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Visakham Thirunal (1880–1885). Early life and education Mulam Thirunal Rama Varma was bo ...

, then ruler of Travancore, in 1893, and it was designed by Hogeorf and S. Horesly of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The Maharajah himself inaugurated it on 15 February 1893. The pendulum of the clock was made in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

Smith of Derby Group Founded in 1856, the Smith of Derby Group are clockmakers based in Derby, England. Smith of Derby has been in operation continuously under five generations of the Smith family. History John Smith (21 December 1813 - 1886)London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The clock is attached to a 60-foot-long chain with a weight, operated with pulleys through gravitational force. As the Nagercoil Municipality grew wary repairing the clock every time it stood still, the clock tower is now legally under private care as per a contract with the Nagercoil Municipality since 2009. The sponsor renovated the tower twice in 2010 and 2012 by spending around Rs. 4 lakh. It has been running without trouble ever since.

References

{{coord missing, Tamil Nadu Clock towers in India Buildings and structures in Tamil Nadu Buildings and structures completed in 1893 Nagercoil