Lucknow vendor has designs clock that denotes time of eight countries

Lucknow, Dec 31 (PTI) Apparently inspired by the 2-in-1 music system of yesteryears and a keen desire to do something different, a Lucknow-based vegetable vendor has designed a clock which can denote the time of eight countries, including India.

He recently gifted one such clock to Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The clock designed by 52-year-old Anil Kumar Sahu has become the centre of attraction at the vegetable market near Hahnemann crossing, with curious vegetable buyers, onlookers and fellow shopkeepers constantly enquiring about the working of the clock.

The clock denotes the time of India, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia), Beijing (China), Singapore, Mexico City (Mexico), Washington DC and New York (USA).

Explaining the features of the clock, Sahu said, “The specialty of the clock is that it has one hand which denotes both hours and minutes. The second’s hand shows that the clock is functioning properly. For example, if it is 2.30 pm in India, it is 1.00 pm in Dubai, it is 6.00 pm in Tokyo, 12.00 pm in Moscow, 5.00 pm in Beijing and Singapore, 3.00 am in Mexico City and 4.00 am in Washington DC and New York.”

Sahu added that recently he gifted a clock measuring 75 cm in diameter to Champat Rai. “I started working on this clock (75 cm) in October during the Navratras, and recently gifted one such clock to Champat Rai jee,” he said.

When asked about the choice of the above countries, Sahu said that since these are the prominent countries in the world, he chose them.
He also said that he first made the clock in 2018, and it was given the ‘certificate of registration of design’ by the Patent Office, Government of India. It displayed the times of India, China, Dubai, Moscow and Tokyo.

Sahu also said that he wants to incorporate GMT timing, for which he needs more money since that clock will have a 24-hour dial (unlike the regular 12-hour clock).

Apart from this, Sahu plans to design in the future clocks which can denote timings of 25 countries.

When asked what inspired him to design this clock, Sahu said, “In 2015, I got a call from my landlord from Oman, and there was a discussion about the time zone. It was from here that the idea of designing a clock denoting the time of a number of countries took shape.”

“I gave the first clock to the Khatu Shyam temple in Lucknow. I gifted another clock to the Kotwa Dham and Kunteshwar Mahadev in Barabanki,” he said, and added that he wants to gift one such clock to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“I had a wish since my childhood to do something different for the country, to be different from the world. My friends used to praise me for my presence of mind. But at the same time, they also used to say that I was careless, and did not focus on studies. This thing haunted me, and 20-25 years passed in thinking what I can possibly do,” he said.

“After rejecting a number of ideas, I zeroed in on making this clock,” he said.

Throwing light on his family background, Sahu said, “I did not go to school after class 8th, but again got enrolled in class 9th at the insistence of parents, also submitted a form for class 10th board examination. In fact, my family members made me fill the forms two-three times. But, I failed in the examination.

“I was careless towards studies, and felt there was no solution to my problems. I was inclined towards electronic gadgets, and absence of digital medium also added to my woes. Apart from this, there was no one who could tell me about the benefits of getting educated. No one was there to tell me that good education helps in getting a job,” he said.

He added, “We are from a village called Sakhiyaan in Fatehpur district. We lived there for 15 years, then we came to Fatehpur city. Our family business was making ‘dalmoth’. Despite our father’s wish, my brothers and I could not study, and he felt bad for it. After his death in 1993, we remained unemployed. I came to Lucknow in 1997 along with my wife. Since 2004, I have been selling vegetables, and have educated three of my daughters.”

Himanshu Varma, a resident of Vastu Khand in Gomtinagar, who was buying garlic from Sahu, was curiously looking at the novel clock.

He said, “I have seen different clocks put up at the reception counters of various hotels in Lucknow, showing the current time of different prominent cities of the world. However, this is the first time that I have seen a clock, which is showing the time of different places across the world at the same time on its dail.”

Sahu also said that he plans to commercially manufacture such clocks, but his hands are tied due to paucity of funds.

He also said that on an average, the cost of making the 75-centimetre-long diameter clock is around Rs 3,000; and it takes around one-and-half hour to make it.