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Tamil Nadu
Chennai’s Big Ben is now standing still for repair work
Kannal Achuthan
Photo: S.S. Kumar
The clock atop Ripon Building has been stopped for repairs. —
Chennai: The historic clock atop the Ripon Building will stand still for about three weeks as it is in need of repairs.
The clock’s hands now rest at the 12th hour as it awaits technicians to service its mechanical system. Chennai Corporation officials said that the repairs and servicing would take about 20 days. Several motorists who rode past the Ripon Building on Tuesday were surprised to see Chennai’s own Big Ben stand still. The public clock not only served as a time-keeper but also friendly, familiar landmark steeped in history.
The Westminster Quarter Chiming Clock was installed by Oakes and Co. in 1913 when the Corporation started functioning from the Ripon Building. The central tower, which houses the clock, is 132 feet tall. The clock has a diameter of eight feet.
This ancient time-keeper, which has four bells, needs to be wound every day.
A Corporation official said that the clock used to chime every 15 minutes (hence the name ‘quarter chiming clock’) but had for some time now struck only every half hour. He said that technicians would try to restore the quarter chimes.
The Westminster Quarters is the name for a melody used by a set of clock bells to strike the hour.
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