Harshit Mathur
2012B1A4812P : Clock Keeper, Mechanical specialist, Walking database of Turret-Clock Knowledge, custodian of the repository
2012B1A4812P : Clock Keeper, Mechanical specialist, Walking database of Turret-Clock Knowledge, custodian of the repository
The most iconic landmark in the quaint, little hamlet that is Pilani, the BITS Clock-tower brings with it more than half-a-century’s worth of history and tales aplenty. Occupying a central place in BITS folklore, over the years, attempting an ascent of this structure was something of a rite of passage for every BITSian who hopped onto the life-mobile and sauntered off into the sunset.
As clock-towers go, this specimen is about as unique as they come – its array of 10 bells, gives it an unparalleled musical range among its brethren nationally, and it certainly hits rarefied notes on a global scale. That it has had to suffer in silence for the last 30 years is a deafening tragedy, with reports from its heyday extolling how its chimes could be heard from miles away!
Over the last couple of years, there has been a dedicated student-run initiative to restore this tired behemoth to the pristine glory of its yesteryears. Mentored by a group of recent alumni, a team of able hands and minds have made great strides in this regard.
Wishing you well, ye old Methuselah. Long may you enthrall generations hence!