Former Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Syed Mohammedali Shihab Thangal had once described himself as a horophile.

But before he could show this reporter his collection as a testimony of his passion for clocks and watches, he fell ill and passed away on August 1, 2009.

On Thursday, the tenth anniversary of Thangal’s death, the watchmaker who used to support Thangal’s personal hobby by repairing some of his complicated clocks reached the Kodappanakkal house at Panakkad and overhauled dozens of timepieces that the Muslim leader had treasured.

K. Nasaruddin, the watchmaker from Thiruvananthapuram, said Thangal was an enthusiast of timepieces that he collected passionately.

Some of the winding clocks in his collection were more than 80 years old.

“It was a wonderful hobby that he cherished privately,” said Mr. Nasaruddin.

Thangal’s widow Shareefa Aysha Beevi told The Hindu that he was an aficionado of clocks, watches and pens. “During our travels abroad, he used to buy some curious clocks and pens. At home, he used to look at them closely for a long time enjoying their intricacies and beauty,” she said.

Once with his gaze fixed at the needle of a curious chronograph, Thangal told this reporter: “It reminds me of human lives. Whatever we do and however hard we try, our lives move in accordance with God’s design.”

Ms. Beevi said that Thangal used to give pens and watches from his collections to people who value them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Abdul Latheef Naha / Malappuram – August 01st, 2019