I mentioned about this person in some thread recently. His name is M.V.Lakshminarayana (pronounced 'lucksh-mee-naa-raa-ya-na). He was a banker retired about a year ago. His son is working for 5 years somewhere in the US. This man's hobbies are unique. He collects coins, stamps, special medals, badges, radios, clocks and watches.... the list goes on. Nowadays we come across people who collect things with the intention of a 'resale' value. But not this man. He does it purely for the sake of the hobby and finds tremendous pleasure. Attaching monetary value is not his forte. He is always on the lookout for new issues of anything.
I have known him for the last 25 years. I befriended him on the street, by chance, since I too had been collecting coins and stamps. I saw this man inquiring with a pavement coin-seller about some coin. I was close by. I wanted to know friends who collected too. So, I introduced myself to him. At that time, I was in college and during the breaks, I'd come over to the market place on the lookout for a coin or two. That was one such day. Later I came to know that when he was very young, he was living in the same street as my mother used to (before her marriage), and their families knew each other. He was at that time itelf dreaming about a museum that he would build at the house that needed complete alteration. His dream came true early this month. One should see his collection. You will be amazed to know the volume of his collection and you will wonder how one man does all that!! He has conducted as many as 80+ solo exhibitions around the country just to educate people about the hobbies. Marvellous. He also plans to publish a book on his experiences. But now, short of Vitamin "F"! All his savings from his bank service has gone into his beloved museum. If you read the article, you will know more.
