Howrah’s ‘Boro Ghori’ Clock Turns 97

It’s been nearly a century old, but it stands with majesty not just to swing but to showcase the dynamic vision of the city – the big clock at Howrah station ‘Boro Ghori’ turns 97 this year.

The hour must have witnessed the city’s never-ending chaos.

While it may seem insignificant in the daily lives of thousands of passengers, the 97-year-old watch has seen it all from colonialism to today’s modern digital age.

The watch has seen it all – love, breakups, numerous promises, heartbreak, etc. The clock knows the history of this place.

While one clock’s hand is facing platforms 1 through 8, the other is gazing at platforms 9 through 15. The hour hand is 4 feet 18 inches long, while the minute hand is 24 inches long.

This gigantic clock was made by the Gents Company of London and installed at Howrah Station by the late Dev Prasad Roy, a watch dealer.

Earlier, these electromechanical clocks used a working pulse device that relied on counting radio pulses and could be controlled remotely from the station to set the timing.

Later, his cable started to develop problems and it was decided to put the pulsar device into the watch itself. The watch requires no winding.

The “Big Ben of Howrah” and its importance to Howrah can be perfectly summed up in this song by Rabindra Nath Tagore-, “Jodi puraton prem dhaka pore jay nabopremojale. Jodi thaki kachakachi, dekhite na pai chahyar moton accomplishes the feats of Tobu Mone Rekho.” Viz If old love is covered by the web of new love, if I live near, I can’t see, I’m like a shadow, I’m not – remember though.”

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