LUCKNOW: Ahead of the Ram temple consecration on January 22, 2024, a vegetable vendor from the state capital, who has developed a world clock capable of telling nine countries’ time, has gifted the first clock to the Ram temple as a token of reverence .
Anil Kumar Sahu, 51, who sells vegetables on a cart near Hanneman crossing here, developed the world clock in 2018 and got its design patented with the Government of India. He gifted the 75 cm clock to the general secretary of Ram Temple Trust Champat Rai on Monday for the Ram temple.
Sahu exhibited his work at a state level science model competition organised by the Council of Science and Technology (UPCST), Lucknow at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Scientific Convention Centre in October.
Apart from the main temple, Sahu has gifted two more such clocks, one each to Hanuman Garhi and Ayodhya Junction railway station. “Apart from Ayodhya, I have dedicated clocks in Khatu Shyam Mandir in Lucknow, Kotwa dham and Kunteshwar Mahadev Mandir in Barabanki,” he said.
Sahu, originally from Fatehpur, explained that the clock could show the time of nine countries simultaneously with a single hand. Starting from India, this clock showed the time of China, Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia), Dubai (UAE), Mexico, New York and Washington DC. “I tried to match the countries with the same time zone using seven circles such as Beijing with Singapore,” said Sahu, a high school failure. He said he got the idea from reading newspapers since the age of 15 years. “I lost my father in childhood due to which we had financial crisis . I had no money to buy newspapers so I would go to my neighbour’s house to read them, I was always good at technical things and would get praise from friends. I always wanted to do something but could not. Hence I developed this clock to prove India as the world leader,” he said, adding that he would like to give one to PM Modi as well and get it Internationally patented.
Pic Cap: Anil Kumar Sahu, a vegetable seller dedicated one patented world clock to Ram Temple ahead of its inauguration. He gifted the clock to general secretary of Ram Mandir Trust Champat Rai on Monday.
