Methan mani
The Methan mani or clock tower stands next to the Padmanabha Swamy Temple, East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram in the south west Indian state of Kerala. It is a historic landmark which is constructed with a highly complex pulley system.[1] The clock has a unique appearance. Above the dial is the face of a bearded man with two rams on the side of his cheeks. When the clock strikes, the rams hit the cheeks of the man.
Location
The "Methan mani" or clock tower is located near the Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.[2] To see it, one has to stand before the temple entrance and look in the opposite direction of the Padmatheertha pond. It is on the top of the Old Fort Palace.
History
It is said to have been installed in the 1840s during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. Records show that two clockwork mechanisms were purchased by the then State of Travancore from Chennai. One was installed at Trivandrum, the other at Padmanabhapuram Palace, in Kanyamumari district, Tamil Nadu.
Present
The clock still works perfectly, and strikes each hour in a day. The clock now runs on software developed by the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (CDIT). The Methan Mani remains a popular landmark in the city with the chimes audible around the locality.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Methan Mani. |
- ↑ Kerala with Lakshadweep. Outlook Publishing. 2005.
- ↑ Venugopal, P. (2004-11-01). "'Methan Mani' goes cyber". Thiruvananthapuram: The Hindu. Retrieved 16 January 2010.