FOR ANTIQUE LOVERS: RADIO FAIR WITH A DIFFERENCE

POST NEWS NETWORK
BHUBANESWAR: If you are a radio lover, visit the International Radio Fair that started at Bhanjakala Mandap here Monday. The fair, held to mark the World Radio Day, has a rare collection of vintage radios and gramo- phones since 1906. The two-day expo showcased old radio brands ranging from Murphy, Phillips, Garrard, Philco and Zenith among others. Interestingly, passionate ex-hibitors from Orissa have dedi- cated their lives to collecting vin- tage radios. Rajendra Sahu, a carpenter from Bhubaneswar, is not only popular for collecting vintage ra- dios but also for carving radios of varied shapes and sizes. Sahu has spent 15 years in collecting ra- dios and has about 150 old radios in his museum.

Speaking to Orissa POST, Rajendra said, “I used to listen to radio since I was a five-year-old boy. Eventually, my love for radios became possessive and I started collecting. I travel places to col- lect them. Mostly, I get old radios from Ganjam district. I have col- lections from 1957.” As a carpenter, Sahu decides to create radio cabinets during his leisure. “In 2009, I carved a first radio set which was sold for Rs 1000. After that I never turned back. I prepare the cabinet with plywood, sun mica and cane whereas the circuit board is af- fixed. I have built about 15 ra dios so far. But these are not for sale now.” He normally takes five days to assemble a radio. It is his mission to collect old radios and display them for the radio lovers.

Eighty-year-old Akshaya Patnaik from Bolagarh has a sim- ilar story. As an avid listener, he started collecting radios from 1975. He has about 400 radio col lections from 1918. Sanjib Kumar Manna, another antique radio collector, has brought gramophones of 1906 for display along with antique ra- dios.

“The Gramophone of 1906 is collected from Mumbai. It is a very rare piece to find in these days. I have collections of radios, gramophones, recordplayers, ra- diograms and old telephones. This year, I have displayed a bio- scope of 1950s collected form Jodhpur.” Sanjib started collecting major antique pieces from 2013. He trav- els across the country for col- lecting rare radio pieces. “Old gadgets are deeply con- nected with my heart. I collect because it is attached with my emotion. I also gather old vehi- cles,” said Manna. Organised by Outreach, the International Radio fair will con- clude February 13