You might take it for an ordinary clock, but the one at Christ Church, Kasauli, is the oldest turret clock in India still running on its original weight-and-gear assembly. That distinction earned it a place in the Limca Book of Records. A make of W.H. Bailey & Co., Manchester, far from these hills, it reached here in the 1880s, when such clocks were as much about prestige as precision. A tower was raised to house it, with costs for the whole affair shared between the colonial government and public contributions.
At the time, Kasauli was a modest military outpost, part of a chain of stations spread across the lower Himalayas. The church was among the earliest permanent structures here. Congregational services began in a temporary shed in 1844 and continued there until the sandstone chapel took form in 1853. It was formally consecrated four years later, in 1857, by the Bishop of Calcutta. Cruciform in layout, with narrow lancet windows and a central tower above the entrance, the structure balances restraint with symmetry. Inside, carved stone columns, Burma teak pews, and imported stained glass add texture to the quiet space. The main panel shows Christ on the cross, flanked by Mary and Joseph. A side altar holds Saint Barnabas beside Saint Francis, with doves at his feet. And this old clock outside keeps the place anchored in the record books.
Unfortunately, it was under a long spell of hibernation. For decades, it marked the hours without fail. Then, like most old machines left to fend for themselves, it slowed, stalled, and eventually fell silent. In 2015, however, a restorer from Chandigarh, working with the local EME workshop, managed to bring it back to its old rhythm.
