KENDRAPARA: The historic 132-year-old sun clock near the District Collector's office has turned into a monument of neglect. The clock, hardly visible due to growth of vegetation around it, was built in 1887 to commemorate the golden jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria.
A stone plaque on it reads, "Jubilee sun-dial was built in 1887 on the occasion of the 50th year of the reign of her majesty the empress of India, Queen Victoria."
The sun-dial is exceptionally ornamental and made in theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration. The vagaries of time, coupled with a callous administration has turned the sun-dial into a picture of neglect. Vertical cracks have developed on the clock and rainwater seeps through it due to growth of weed on it, said Biswanath Behera, a retired engineer of Kendrapara.
"Nowadays people use watches. But during my childhood, we got to know the time looking at the sun clock. It is sad to see that the monument is lying in a dilapidated condition due to the civic body's negligence," said nonagenarian Iswar Chandra Sahoo, a retired school teacher.
Kendrapara Sub-Collector Niranjan Behera said the sun clock was renovated by the district administration in 2018 when a boundary was constructed around the monument. "We will soon restore the sun clock by clearing weed around it," he said.