Birgunj Ghanta Ghar, Clock tower in central Birgunj, Nepal.
The Birgunj Ghanta Ghar stands as a freestanding clock tower in the center of the city, featuring a Seiko clock face that remains visible from multiple directions and serves as a practical reference point for residents and travelers navigating the urban area.
Built in 1976 with funds raised by Japanese school children from Yagano, the tower was established during Nepal's Panchayat System era after local officials successfully prevented commercial development of the site by designating it as Mahendra Park to preserve the space for public use.
The tower represents a symbol of international friendship and cooperation between Nepal and Japan, reflecting grassroots youth involvement in urban development through the collaboration of Birgunj Jaycees and Japan Jaycees, and it continues to embody community identity and pride among local residents today.
The clock tower functions as a central landmark for navigation throughout Birgunj, helping visitors orient themselves in the city and serving as a common meeting point for both residents and travelers exploring the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods.
The Seiko clock face was donated by Japanese students as part of a youth-led fundraising initiative that connected children across two countries, making the tower an enduring monument to the power of young people working together to create lasting community infrastructure.
Location: Birgunj
GPS coordinates: 27.01482,84.87879
Latest update: December 1, 2025 13:38
Clock towers combine technical precision with architectural styles from different periods and cultures. These highly visible structures stand in city centers, university campuses and historic squares, where they structure public life. The collection includes varied examples: the 315 foot (96 meter) neo-Gothic bell tower at Westminster Palace in London, the 1,970 foot (601 meter) Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, the Spasskaya Tower on Red Square in Moscow, the 279 foot (85 meter) neo-Gothic Rajabai Tower in Mumbai, the medieval astronomical clock at Old Town Hall in Prague, the 13th century Zytglogge in Bern, the Giralda in Seville (originally an Almohad minaret), the 548 foot (167 meter) Philadelphia City Hall tower, the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the 308 foot (94 meter) Sather Tower at the University of California Berkeley, the Zimmer Tower in Lier, the Custom House Tower in Boston, the Mughal era Ghanta Ghar in Lahore, the Union Station clock tower in Waterbury, the Renaissance clock tower on St. Mark's Square in Venice, the Jam Gadang in Bukittinggi and the Jaffa Clock Tower in Tel Aviv. Many of these towers serve as urban landmarks and connect historic architecture with practical function. They frequently offer elevated viewpoints and display remarkable mechanical achievements in timekeeping.
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