After lying in a dilapidated state for over two decades, the 54-year-old clock tower in the heart of Nagari town is all set to get a fresh look. The renovation works, which were approved a few days prior to the election schedule this year, have resumed after a gap of three months.
The clock tower at the town centre was erected in 1965 in memory of the assassinated American President John. F. Kennedy on his second death anniversary. A portrait of him was placed at a vantage point on the tower.
Admiration in stone
Why Kennedy, that too in a place thousands of miles from the United States? It’s a tribute to the man. A.K. Venkata Ramana, alias Thamba Naidu, an ardent admirer of Kennedy and the then sarpanch of Nagari, then a village, was behind the construction of this historical structure. Over the years, the tower became the prime monument of Nagari municipality. Incidentally, Nagari saw hectic activity of the British Raj with troop movements in trains during the World War I and II, thanks to its proximity to Chennai (erstwhile Madras) and Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu.
Though a couple of the British colonial buildings suffered total dilapidation and eventual disappearance in the town, this post-colonial clock tower withstood the vagaries of nature and time and has assumed regal significance.
Local landmark
For Nagari’s residents and town it had become a landmark. People would mention ‘Clock Tower’ to their outstation relatives or guests and ask them to wait there to be picked up. The vegetable market and petty businesses surrounding the clock tower have come up around the local monument.
In fact, cyclone Laila in 2010 and the heavy rains of November and December in 2015 weakened the tower bringing it to the brink of collapse.
Local public groups, irrespective of political affiliations, kept demanding the tower’s renovation frequently, thus getting civic approval early this year.
Now, a digital clock
Municipal Commissioner (Nagari) Ranga Swamy told The Hindu that the Clock Tower was the ‘pride of Nagari’. “We have designed the renovation without altering the original structure. We have preserved Mr. Kennedy’s portrait at our office and will put it up again on the tower.
The manual clock got completely damaged. So, we are going to set up a digital clock with good visibility,” he said.
