British-era sundial in Shahjahanpur stands test of time

Shahjahanpur (UP): Melding heritage and science, a sundial installed by the British here a century ago has stood the test of time with villagers in the area still referring to it for accuracy and using it to set their watches.

The sundial at a bridge in Mahasir village was originally installed for labourers digging canals so they could track the hours. Almost 100 years later, it continues to mark time and is also a tourist attraction with people flocking to the village from far and wide to marvel at it.

Fakhr-e-Alam, the principal of a government college here, said villagers still refer to the sundial for time.

"Villagers come to see if the time on their wristwatches matches with that of the sundial," he said.

Suresh Singh, a villager, said, "We stop at the sundial whenever we pass by it to know time. People visiting from other places are amazed by it." Sundial is the oldest known instrument for telling time. It helps the people to track the position of the sun more accurately and know the time of the day.

Each Sundial has a gnomon, a thin rod that casts a shadow onto a dial, and a flat plate. As the sun's position appears to change, the shadow it casts falls on the lines marking each hour indicating the time of day.

Dr Vikas Khurana, Head, Department of History, Swami Shukdevanand Postgraduate College, said the sun, stars and constellations were used to know the time in ancient times.

He said the sundial in Shahjahanpur was established in 1929 and it still tells the exact local time.

Khurana said a sundial was also installed in Jama Masjid of the city during the tenure of Nawab Aziz Khan in the 1660s.

He said the sundial at Sharda Barrage bridge in Mahasir is made of metal and the plates have numbers engraved in angles and are divided into 24 segments.

Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena said policemen have been posted on Sharda bridge to keep a watch on the sundial.

Additional District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Pandey said the sundial is a heritage site under the archaeological department and the effort is to preserve it.