Ghantaghar clock is silent since this operator’s retirement

By Raman Paudel,Kathmandu Aprl.1: Ganesh Sapkota, 63, worked at the Ghantaghar (clock tower) as an electrician for 36 years from 1987 to 2024. Apparently, he spent thousands of hours at this tower.

Sapkota, who joined his job at the Clock Tower right before Nepal hosted the third SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November 1987, served continuously at the same position and at the same workstation. During his tenure, he barely let the clock stop. 

Hailing from Futung in Kathmandu, Sapkota had rented a room in a six-story house of Khichapokhari and from his room located 700 metres away from the Ghantaghar he could easily see whether the hands of the clock tower were moving. 

Despite limited facilities and no option of career ladder, Sapkota dedicated all his energy to his job at the Ghantaghar.

“During my 36-year tenure, the clock of the Ghantaghar stopped only for one month total for various reasons. When my father died, the clock stopped for a week as I was unable to work. It stopped for three days after my mother’s demise. Similarly, it stopped for 12 days during the 2015 earthquake. Otherwise, I never let the clock stop,” Sapkota told The Rising Nepal.

However, the over 90-year-old historical monument has been facing a big challenge in its operation in lack of a technician/operator. He retired from his job two years ago, and the clock stopped ticking. 

Sapkota is worried that there is no one to operate the Ghantaghar as his successor.

Operating the UK model Ghantaghar, which was established in April 1934 AD by Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher Rana, is a tricky task. Sapkota operated it manually for over three-and-half-decades alone.

From time to time, he used to pump his breath into the clock to keep it moving. Thus, the clock ran itself for a few days or weeks. After a few days, he would climb up the tower to breathe into it once again.

In the meantime, the clock stopped ticking a number of times. In such a case, he used to rush towards the tower from his residence. “Working as an operator at this clock tower is quite a difficult job for anyone. There are old and traditional machines. They can go out of order at any time.” said Sapkota.

He is also concerned that related bodies including Trichandra Campus are not paying attention to the operation of the Ghantaghar clock. 

According to Trichandra Campus administration, the Tower has been under construction for a couple of years now. Recently, renovation work has been halted, and the contractor is unresponsive to regular updates.

However, Trichandra Campus itself has no proper answer in regard to the operation of Ghantaghar. Neelima Pradhan, Campus Chief, said that she has been trying to call the contractor to work speedily.

“I also have serious concerns about the completion of the historical tower. The Building Construction Department under Urban Development Ministry started the renovation work two years ago. But currently, the work is halted. While they committed to hand over the building before the month of Mangshir in 2081, in recent days, no one has been responding to my phone. Nor do they continue the work,” said Pradhan.

According to Campus Chief Pradhan, she requested the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to renovate the Ghantaghar previously. KMC agreed to allocate the budget to renovate the Tower, but it has not been implemented yet.

Rather, KMC has verbally committed to allocate 1.5 million budget to construct the library hall near the tower.

“All I do now is follow up with the Building Construction Department and ask them to complete as soon as possible. After completing the renovation, we will hire a dedicated operator for the Tower,” said Pradhan.

Surendra Bajagain, media facilitator of KMC, conveyed Mayor Balen Shah’s desire to complete the Ghantaghar as soon as possible. According to Bajagain, KMC is willing to operate the Ghantaghar after the renovation is finished.

For this reason, KMC has already reached out to former Ghantaghar operator Sapkota, Bajagain said.

“If the Trichandra Campus agrees, KMC is prepared to operate the Ghantaghar by training some metropolitan police. For all this, renovation must be completed first,” said Bajagain.

Meanwhile, former operator Sapkota is also prepared to train new clock operators. Sapkota said, “During my prolonged tenure, no one was sent to support me. However, if the government needs, I am always ready to help by training new operators.”