The Mumbai ‘Time Ball’
– A Maritime Legacy That Needs To Be Conserved
Dr. Hrishikesh Samant
Associate Professor and Head
Department of Geology
St. Xavier’s College - Mumbai
• A time ball or timeball is an
obsolete
(today)
timesignaling device. It consists of
a large, painted wooden or
metal ball that dropped at a
predetermined
time,
principally
to
enable
navigators
aboard
ships
offshore to verify the setting
of
their
marine
chronometers.
Mumbai ‘Time Ball’
-The Location
Lat 18057’12.2” N
and
Lon 72050’33.2” E
Port Side of Frere Road
(P Dmello Road today)
Landmark: Foot over bridge
on P DMello Road approx.
100m from the exit of the
Eastern Freeway
✪
View from Eastern Freeway


Mumbai ‘Time ball’ view
from south exit of Eastern
Freeway.

The Mumbai ‘Time
Ball’
Constructed around
1880 -88
Today, just about 60 time balls exist
around the world, most of them, in
former British colonies, in varying
stages of maintenance, and the
Mumbai Time Ball, is unfortunately
not counted among these.
The Port Land Development Plan as
sanctioned by the Centre would
incorporate this area for the
Maharashtra Housing Projects.
It is an urgent requirement that the
conservationists and activists be
made aware of this ‘maritime
heritage’, one of the few remaining
sites in the world.
Let us conserve our maritime heritage…
Thank you…