Do sundials exist anymore? The answer is yes
Wrist watches and wall clocks have almost lost their relevance in our day-to-day lives, thanks to smartphones, which have made looking at time much easier for us now. But if we go through the pages of history, we will know that during the ancient times, there was no electronic device to measure time. So, back then, sundials were the only resort for mankind to keep a track of time.
The mechanism of sundials was one of its kind. Also known as shadow clocks, they were designed in such a manner that the position of a shadow cast by a pole or a plate (gnomon) upon an engraved series of marks helped to determine what time of the day it was.
Sundials have almost ceased to exist, except in antique stores and museums. However, in some parts of the world, they have survived for centuries and still do. Here’s a look at them.
Beijing, China
A tiny part of the Chinese capital is called the Forbidden City, where there’s still an equatorial sundial that stands like an ancient satellite dish. This sundial looks like a round stone-made slab with carvings of date rings and hour lines.
Jaipur, India
Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is historically significant for its astronomical observation zone. Presumed to be built around early 18th century, it is the world’s largest stone sundial with 20 or more fixed instruments.
Singapore City, Singapore
The Singapore city is famous for its Botanical Gardens. This, in turn, is famous for its equatorial sundial that still works perfectly. Visitors can measure time by staring at the horizontal bar that has arcs where hours are numbered.
Cornwall, England
This is perhaps the most modern sundial that exists. Named as the Perranporth Public Sundial, it was constructed on a giant clifftop in the year 2000, as part of UK’s Millennium celebrations.
California, USA
California is home to the world-renowned Sundial Bridge built over the Sacramento River. Its support tower points at the north at a cantilevered angle, that acts as the gnomon of the sundial and at present measures time pretty accurately.
Rome, Italy
In 1702, an Italian sculptor named Francesco Bianchini designed and built a sundial in the Basilica of the Saint Mary of the Angels called the Clementine Sundial. It was made upon the meridian that crossed the city of Rome.
Carcassonne Fortress, France
Known as the Carpe Diem sundial, it was built by eminent French gnomonist Rene R.J. Rohr in1961. This sundial was meant to inspire the French to seize the day, no matter what.