Antique collection. (By Arrangement)
Visakhapatnam: Korupolu Gangadhar, a 48-year-old primary school teacher from Anakapalle, has started a mini museum at his home.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, he explained, “As a teacher, I want to show my students currency from different eras, apart from other collector’s items. This commitment led me to start a humble coin collection, which has now grown into an antique collection of over 2,000 pieces.”
The school teacher’s house in Paravada resembles a mini museum, showcasing the artistic and functional craftsmanship of bygone eras dating back to more than 300 years.
Gangadhar shared with DC, “I visited the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. I identified in this world-famous museum some of the exhibits I myself possess.”
Among his rare and unique items are wooden and kerosene fans, Rukmani cookers, gramophones, punkah fans, and pre-Independence postcards from 1903. He has in his collection first-generation Telugu newspapers, radios along with their licenses, kerosene lamps of cycles and their licenses, lanterns, vintage utensils, coffee filters, and makeup kits—each piece a testament to the creativity and attention to detail of craft persons of the past.
“I started collecting coins and notes about 25 years ago. But I realised that there are many more objects from the past, which are fascinating. This inspired me to expand my collection. When visitors, especially school children, come to my house, they show a great deal of interest in the antiques they see,” the teacher stated.
One of his prized possessions is a fire-operated metal fan, which had been a status symbol of affluent families before the invention of electric fans.
Another highlight is the Rukmani cooker, a centuries’ old device that cooks and stores food over hot coals, keeping food warm for up to 10 hours. “This design is functional and efficient, commonly used when people travelled in the past,” Gangadhar explained.
As a teacher, he shared: “Students get excited when they see these items. It helps them understand the effort that went into making them. They realise how advanced people's thinking had been back then.”
Gangadhar credits his family, especially his wife, for supporting his passion. His wife Aruna states, “He hopes to open a museum, so that more people can learn about and appreciate our country’s rich history.”
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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