“Wotchi Yaikulu Kwambiri Padziko Lonse”

MOTO utawononga Nyumba ya Malamulo ya ku Westminster mu 1834, andale a ku Britain anakonza mpikisano wofuna kupeza munthu amene angajambule mapulani abwino kwambiri a Nyumba ya Malamulo yatsopano. Pulani imene inasankhidwa inali yojambulidwa ndi Sir Charles Barry ndipo inali ya Nyumba ya Malamulo yokongola kwambiri yomangidwa mwachikalekale. Nyumbayi inali ndi nsanja yaitali ya makona anayi, yokhala ndi wotchi pamwamba pake. Dipatimenti ya boma yoona za zomangamanga inalamula kuti wotchi imene apangeyo ikhale “wotchi yaikulu kwambiri padziko lonse.”

Wotchi imeneyi ndi imodzi mwa zinthu zotchuka kwambiri zimene anthu amaona akafika mumzinda wa London, ndipo anthu ambiri padziko lonse amadziwa mmene imalirira. Wotchiyi imatchedwa Ben Wamkulu, ngakhale kuti poyamba dzinali linali la belu lalikulu kwambiri la wotchiyi. Wotchiyi inapangidwa mwaluso kwambiri.

Sinali Ntchito Yamasewera

Ntchito yomanga nsanja ya wotchiyi, yomwe ndi yaitali mamita 96, inayamba mu 1843. Patatha zaka zitatu anayamba kufunafuna katswiri amene akanatha kupanga wotchi yolondola kwambiri, yoti isamataye kupitirira sekondi imodzi pa ola lililonse. Imeneyi sinali ntchito yamasewera. Popanga wotchiyi ankadziwa kuti izidzakhala pamwamba pa nsanja yaitali kwambiri komanso posatseka, pomwe mivi yake izidzawombedwa ndi mphepo, kukutidwa ndi chipale chofewa komanso madzi oundana. Ankadziwanso kuti pazidzatera nkhunda. Zinthu ngati zimenezi zikanatha kusokoneza kayendedwe ka chitsulo chothandiza kuti wotchi isamataye, chimene chimayenda uku ndi uku. Pamene akatswiri ankakambirana za vutoli, katswiri wina wodziwa za mmene mawotchi amayendera, dzina lake Edmund Beckett Denison anapereka pulani ya mmene wotchiyi ingapangidwire. Pulaniyo itavomerezedwa, ntchito yopanga wotchiyi  inaperekedwa kwa katswiri wina wotchuka wopanga mawotchi.

Patatha zaka ziwiri, wotchiyi inamalizidwa koma kwa zaka zinanso zisanu anangoisunga podikirira kuti amalize kumanga nsanja ija. Pa nthawiyi, Denison anapanga chipangizo chinachake choteteza chitsulo chimene chimayenda uku ndi uku chija ku zinthu zosiyanasiyana zimene ankaopa kuti zingawononge wotchiyo. Chipangizo chimenechi chinachititsa kuti wotchiyo izilondola kwambiri.

Pamene Panachokera Dzina Lakuti Ben Wamkulu

Atatha kukonza wotchiyo, ntchito imene inatsala inali yokonza mabelu ake. Belu loti lizilira ola lililonse linapangidwira pamalo enaake osulira zitsulo kumpoto chakum’mawa kwa dziko la England. Beluli linali lalikulu kwambiri kuposa mmene anthu ankayembekezera ndipo linkalemera matani oposa 16. Chifukwa cha kulemeraku, belulo linawononga sitima yapamadzi imene inkafunika kulinyamula kupita nalo ku London. Koma patapita nthawi sitimayo anaikonza ndipo inakwanitsa kunyamula belulo. Itafika nalo kumtunda, analikweza m’ngolo yopangidwa mwapadera yomwe inkakokedwa ndi mahatchi okwana 16. Kenako analipachika kutsogolo kwa Nyumba ya Malamulo kuti aliyese.

M’mayiko ena, mabelu akuluakulu amawapatsa mayina ndipo belu limeneli analipatsa dzina lakuti Ben Wamkulu. Chifukwa chiyani? Palibe akudziwa bwinobwino  chifukwa chake. Koma ena amanena kuti mwina analipatsa dzina limeneli pokumbukira Sir Benjamin Hall, munthu winawake wonenepa kwambiri yemwe ankagwira ntchito ku Nyumba ya Malamulo. Enanso amanena kuti dzinali linali la Benjamin Caunt, yemwe anali katswiri wankhonya wojintcha, wotchuka kwambiri nthawi imeneyo. Ngakhale kuti sitikudziwa bwinobwino kuti dzinali linayamba bwanji, poyamba linkaimira belu lokha koma panopa limaimira wotchiyo ndi nsanja yake yomwe.

Wotchiyi Inakumana ndi Zokhoma Kawiri Konse

Anthu opanga wotchiyi anaona kuti hamala yoyamba imene inkaliza belu la wotchiyo inali yopepuka, choncho anaganiza zopanga hamala yaikulu yolemera makilogalamu 660. Koma ataiyesera hamalayi kwa miyezi ingapo, belulo linakumana ndi zokhoma. Linasweka ndipo silikanathekanso kukonzedwa. Choncho, wotchi yonseyo anaiphwasula ndipo kenako anasungunula belu lija m’ng’anjo n’kupanga belu lina lolemera matani 13.7. Kachiwirinso, anthu ambirimbiri anaimaima mumsewu kuti aone ngolo imene inanyamula belulo pamene ankalipititsa ku Nyumba ya Malamulo.

Patapita miyezi yochepa, nsanja ija anaimaliza. Magulu osiyanasiyana a anthu anagwira ntchito mwakhama kwambiri popachika beluli pansanjapo. Pamapeto pake, anapachika beluli pamalo amene panalinso mabelu ena ang’onoang’ono anayi, omwe ankalira mphindi 15 zilizonse. Kenako anapachikapo wotchi yaikulu ija ndipo zonse zinali m’malo kuti “wotchi yaikulu kwambiri padziko lonse” iyambe kugwira ntchito. Koma zinthu sizinayende ngati mmene ankaganizira.

Mu July 1859, beluli linayamba kumalira pakatha ola lililonse. Koma zimenezi sizinachitike kwa nthawi yaitali. Chakumayambiriro kwa mwezi wa October, beluli linaswekanso. Ulendo uno sakanathanso kuchotsa belulo pansanjapo n’kukalikonza. M’malomwake anangolitembenuza pang’ono kuti hamala yake isamamenye poswekapo. Kenako anasintha hamala yake n’kuika yopepukirapo kuti belulo lisadzaswekenso. Patatha zaka zitatu, wotchiyi inayambiranso kulira. Malo oswekawo sanakonzedwebe mpaka pano ndipo n’chifukwa chake beluli limalira mosiyanako ndi mabelu ena.

Zochitika Zikuluzikulu M’mbiri ya Wotchiyi

Mu 1924, wailesi ya BBC inaika maikolofoni ake munsanja ija ndipo kuyambira nthawi imeneyi, beluli linayamba kumveka pa wailesi ya BBC pakatha ola lililonse ndipo ndi limene anthu a ku Britain ankadziwira nthawi. Patatha zaka 8, anthu omvera wailesi ya BBC m’mayiko onse olamulidwa ndi dziko la Britain, anayambanso kumva kulira kwa beluli. Panopa anthu padziko lonse angathe kumva kulira kwa beluli kudzera pa wailesi ya BBC.

Wotchiyi ndi mabelu ake sizinawonongedwe ndi mabomba amene ankaphulitsidwa pa nthawi ya nkhondo yachiwiri yapadziko lonse. Koma mu 1976 zitsulo zimene zinkapangitsa kuti mabelu ake azilira bwinobwino zinali zitadyekadyeka. Kuwonongeka kwa zitsulo zimenezi kunawonongetsanso zinthu zina zambiri zimene zinkathandizira kuti wotchiyi izigwira bwino ntchito. Koma belu lalikulu la wotchiyi silinawonongeke ndipo patangopita milungu yochepa, wotchiyi inayambiranso kulira pakatha ola lililonse. Ntchito yonse yokonza wotchiyo kuti izigwira ntchito bwinobwino inatenga miyezi 9.

Kwa nthawi ndithu, wotchiyi inali yaikulu kwambiri padziko lonse ndipo mpaka pano ndi wotchi yolondola kwambiri pa mawotchi onse opachikidwa pa nsanja. Masiku ano m’mayiko ambiri mwapangidwa mawotchi osiyanasiyana, aang’ono ndi aakulu, amene kalilidwe kake n’kofanana ndi ka wotchi imeneyi. Choncho, n’zosadabwitsa kuti Ben Wamkulu tsopano ali ngati chizindikiro cha dziko la England ndi likulu lake. Mpake kuti pa nthawi inayake wotchi imeneyi inali “wotchi yaikulu kwambiri padziko lonse.”

[Chithunzi patsamba 18]

ZIMENE AMACHITA KUTI ISAMATAYE NTHAWI

Katatu pa mlungu, munthu wodziwa zamawotchi amakwera masitepe 300 okhotakhota opangidwa ndi miyala, kuti akakokere wotchiyi. Pokokerapo, amakoka chingwe chimene anamangirirako zitsulo zolemera za wotchiyi. Munthuyo amaonanso ngati wotchiyo ikulondola. Chitsulo cha wotchiyi chimene chimapita uku ndi uku, n’chachitali mamita anayi ndipo chimayenda pakapita masekondi awiri alionse. Pamwamba pa chitsulochi pamakhala tindalama tachitsulo tiwiri takale kwambiri. Wotchiyi ikatsalira, munthuyo amawonjezerapo kandalama kamodzi. Ikatsogola, amachotsapo kandalama kamodzi.

[Chithunzi]

Tindalamati timathandiza kuti wotchiyi isamataye

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Winding clock: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis; coins on ledge: Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

[Chithunzi patsamba 19]

Belu lolemera matani 13.7 limeneli (Ben Wamkulu) limalira pakatha ola lililonse

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Popperfoto/Getty Images