London's Big Ben to ring in its 160th anniversary year

London, Dec 22 (IANS) London's Big Ben will chime at midnight on New Year's Eve with its iconic big bongs, the British Parliament has confirmed. The coming year will herald the 160th anniversary of one of the world's best known clocks.Exactly at midnight, the Big Ben will ring 12 times, replicating the usual strike rate of 4.5 seconds. For this, a bespoke electric mechanism has been built to power the 200 kg striking hammer, Xinhua news agency reported. The Elizabeth Tower, the formal name for the clock tower, is currently undergoing a conservation program to safeguard the 159-year-old iconic clock for generations to come.London's one of the most photographed attractions is now clad in scaffolding as part of a specialist task to restore the historic building to its former glory.
--IANS mag/vm