Hyderabad: Centuries-old brass bell weighing 400 kg, may not adorn renovated Ramgopalpet police station

A 400-kg brass bell, cast in London and once installed atop Ramgopalpet police station’s clock tower, may not be reinstalled due to structural concerns. Officials have opted for a digital bell, and the original may be relocated to a museum

Hyderabad: A historic brass bell weighing 400 kg is unlikely to get its earlier place of pride in the renovated James Street i.e., Ramgopalpet police station. The reason is that the stone-structured clock tower cannot bear the heavy weight of the bell.

Senior police officials have expressed concerns that reinstalling the bell atop the stone-built clock tower, constructed in 1900, could pose high risk to the structure. The bell currently rests on a wooden plank on the ground floor of the police station.

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“Given the risk involved, we have made alternate arrangements by installing a digital bell that replicates the sound of the original at the clock tower. Its tone is remarkably similar to that of the brass bell,” Ramgopalpet Inspector T. Narsing Rao told Telangana Today. The decision followed a recent inspection by Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, during which safety concerns were raised.

The historic bell was cast by Mears and Stainbank, a renowned bell foundry from Whitechapel, London — a detail proudly imprinted on the bell itself. For decades, it marked the hour atop the tower using a mechanical, self-chiming system powered by suspended chains and a weighted motor.

However, due to its antiquated mechanism, there are no technicians in the city today with the skills required to repair the bell if it stops working, Narsing Rao added. Authorities have yet to decide whether to retain the bell at the police station for public viewing or relocate it to a heritage institution such as the Salar Jung Museum or the Archaeology Department.

The James Street Police Station, originally built in 1870, recently underwent a major renovation. “The Ramgopalpet police station is expected to start functioning from this historic building by the end of the month,” the Inspector said.