Clocks

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Bimal Mitra's literary works always fascinate me,specially the novels.He had the capacity of writing novels with the characteristics of an epic.His central character,may not be the principal one but stories revolves around him.He remains a helpless bystander putting his best efforts to influence incidents but mostly in vain. This time I am not here to discuss Bimal Mitra and his works though.I took the reference as he came to my mind while I was roaming around the Auckland streets just like that. This city was built by the British settlers and as elsewhere they made it a point to recreate London here too. Therefore, the old buildings ( and believe me,there are too many) were built in greco-roman majestic style and invariably features a clock on the top or middle of the building. As such, kiwis apparently have an affinity towards clocks too.

They have created a clock within the famous Albert Park ( the oldest volcanic site in the region,converted to a park and got the name of prince consort of queen Victoria) with sheer flowering shrubs.

The clocks I have seen are all in working order ,even the one in the park, and kiwis find time for up keeping. The clock bearing buildings are not new to our sight.

After all,Kolkata was built much before Auckland and always had a priority over so many other colonial cities elsewhere.Most of clocks in Kolkata buildings lack maintenance and do not move. While in Auckland the clocks proclaims " Time and tide wait for none", clocks in my beloved city have been waiting for efficient mechanics for years.

Comments

Santanu Sinha Chaudhuri said…
Lovely photographs and interesting observations. I find your piece interesting all the more because you have written from an original and quite unusual point of view.

Your little photo-essay reminds us once again that time has stopped ticking in Kolkata and West Bengal, while the rest of the world moves on.
January 13, 2009 at 8:08 PM
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