Watching over the city of Kathmandu, and the university students who daily pace back and forth beneath this belfry, the Ghantaghar clock tower has withstood the test of time.
The name translates literally to “hour house,” and it has dominated Kathmandu’s skyline since it was built in 1894 by Premier Bir Shumsher of the prominent Rana family. This 100-foot-tall edifice housed Shumsher’s library in addition to the British-made clock until 1901 when the Premier died.
The original structure sadly did not survive the infamous 1934 earthquake, but fortunately the clock itself was largely undamaged. Though the current tower has faced other challenges, it was spared significant damage in the devastating 2015 earthquake that destroyed many other buildings in Nepal.
Today, Shumsher’s old palace grounds have been converted into the Tri-Chandra University campus, and students can determine precisely how late they are to class by simply looking up. The clock’s accuracy is legendary, as it has had a dedicated technician since the 1980s. The current clock watcher has even lived in the tower to ensure its precision whenever there has been an uptick in worldwide attention on Kathmandu stemming from major sporting or political events.
Sadly, interest in the clock seems to be winding down as there is no regular budget set aside for its upkeep. The current technician, Ganesh Sapkota, is due to retire in the near future without any successor to whom he can hand off his knowledge. From the outside, especially when it is lit up at night, Ghantaghar looks majestic, but a second look closer up reveals a desperate need for some TLC. Given its extraordinary resilience, hopefully someone will chime in with helpful advice to preserve this icon in the nick of time.
