The Golden Temple in Amritsar holds great importance in the lives of Hindus. Every year, the sacred shrine welcomes thousands of devotees who come to pray and take part in langar. Many visitors may have heard about the historic clock, gifted to the temple in 1900. However, after being missing from the temple premises for the past two years, the 125-year-old heritage clock has been reinstalled at the Golden Temple. Scroll down to know more!
125-Year-Old Clock Reinstalled In Golden Temple
After a two-year restoration process, the historic 125-year-old clock has been reinstalled at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, reported The Now India. The clock was gifted to the shrine by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India, during his first official visit in April 1900. Over the years, the clock became an important part of the temple’s history and cultural identity.
While speaking to The New Indian Express, Inderjit Singh, a representative of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, said that the clock was hidden near the northeast entrance of the temple. It was placed inside a wall span and covered by a modern clock because it was no longer working. The team discovered the antique clock only after removing the newer one.
After its discovery, the clock was sent to Elkington & Co Limited in Birmingham, the company that originally made it. He added that no one knows when the clock stopped working. Over time, its original manual mechanism, hands, and dial were removed and replaced with a quartz system and an aluminium dial, which also failed to function. The brass body of the clock had dents, cracks, scratches, and missing decorative elements.
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Cost Of Resotration
According to The News Indian Express, the cost of restoring the historic clock was approximately ₹96 lakh. The clock was brought back to India in November, and as per the plan, it was reinstalled in January 2026.
Another major update is that the restoration team removed the aluminium face with hand-painted Punjabi numerals. In its place, they installed a brass face with Roman numerals, matching the original design from 1900.
The clock stands as a living reminder of the Golden Temple’s timeless legacy!
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Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/ @Darbar Sahib & Canva Pro/ Dmitry Rukhlenko