Hooghly Imambara

Hooghly Imambara (Imam—angel, bara —the building to live in) is a mosque cum imambarah administered by shiah astna-ashari sect of Muslims, in Hooghly, West Bengal. The construction of the building was started by Muhammad Mohsin in 1841, which completed in 1861. The building is a two storied structure, which a tall clock tower over the entrance gate. The mosque within the complex has intricate designs and texts from Quran engraved on the wall. The interior of the mosque is decorated with marbles, candles and hanging lanterns.

Hooghly Imambara is famous for its vaunted clock. The clock is located at the middle of the twin towers constructed upon the doorway of the main entrance. Each tower,having height of approximately 150 ft., takes 152 steps to reach its top. The clock has two dials with three bells having weight 80 mds, 40 mds and 30 mds. Smaller bells ring at an interval of 15 minutes and bigger bell rings to signify one hour. The wonder clock requires two men to wind for half an hour of each weak, with a key weighing 20 kg. The clock was bought at a cost of Rs. 11,721 (at the time of buying i.e. in the year of 1852) by Syed Keramat Ali from the manufacturer- M/s Black & Hurray Co., Big Ben, London.

Way:- It is in Hoogly District. But people coming from Kolkata have to take a train (Local or Express) upto Naihati Junction. From there they have to board down at Hoogly Ghat Station. From there the subject is just a walking distance.

The outside facade

Clock Tower

Bell inside the clock tower

Hooghly Imambara

The twin towers of Imambara of Hooghly

The Sun Dial of Hooghly's Imambara

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