Mumbai: When history finds a home in Dombivli East

For over 35 years Atish Kulkarni from Dombivli East has been quietly building one of the most diverse and extensive private collections of rare and antique items in Maharashtra What began as a childhood passion has grown into a veritable treasure trove of history culture and craftsmanship curated with the help of his wife and daughterKulkarnis collection includes everything from centuriesold coins and notes vintage cameras and clocks to rare brass artefacts Britishera postal memorabilia and international currencies Among the most striking pieces is a stillfunctioning vintage wall clock that chimes every hour and an intricately crafted brass chunapaan box once used by eldersSignal from the pastOne of the rarest items in his possession is a glassbodied kerosene railway signal lamp used to show red and green signals to train drivers This 100yearold lamp Austrian in design was gifted to him by anticorruption officer Sanjay Govilkar a key member of the team that arrested terrorist Ajmal KasabA rare collection of coins including ancient onesldquoThese are not things easily found I travel personally to collect such items Sometimes people call me up saying lsquoWe have something old please come and take itrsquordquo said Atish To sustain this passion he sets aside Rs 2000 every month exclusively to acquire rare itemsHow it beganThe spark for collecting was lit in childhood when Atish asked his grandfather for some old coins and two ancestral swords Recognising the boys genuine interest his grandfather gave them to him and the journey began Even while still studying he kept the hobby alive But it was only after he started earning that he began buying highvalue items like vintage cameras brass showpieces and rare currencyRare coinsKulkarnirsquos coin collection is staggering in depth and variety It includesVintage brass items and cameras showcased at Kulkarnirsquos homeAncient coins Kushan Satavahana Mauryan punchmarked coins Chola NagaPadmavati Chalukya Mughal and coins from Sultanates like Bahmani Ahmadnagar and DelhiBritishEra coins Victoria Empress silver coins 1887 East India Companyrsquos 1840 rupee coins from princely states like Gwalior Junagadh and HyderabadForeign coins From the USA Germany Japan France Portugal and as far as East Africa and LatviaNotable pieces A 1937 silver quarter from America Food For All silver coins 1970 1974 10 Deutschemark 1988 and commemorative Mahatma Gandhi silver coinsNotes and stampsHis paper currency collection spans over 65 countries including Bhutan Tanzania China Saudi Arabia USA Korea Iran and many African nations He has denominations ranging from 2 paise Indian notes to 10000 West African francsHis stamp collection is equally aweinspiring featuring postal issues from over 70 countries including Bhutan UAE Malaysia Germany Iraq Yugoslavia and even rare editions from the princely statesVintage brass artefactsBrass lovers will marvel at his collection of Uniquely shaped paan boxes duck peacock beetlestyle Tiered lamps Moor Deep Elephant lamps Ashtadevi Deep Betelnut cutters traditional weight measures bottle openers spice boxes and Britishera cigarette cases Oldfashioned coal irons and toy brass vehiclesEach item is preserved in pristine condition with some passed down for generationsPostcards envelopesFrom British India postcards with oneanna stamps to rare princely court documents between 1887ndash1947 his postal memorabilia includes100 First Day Covers FDCs of historic events like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs coronation Mahatma Gandhirsquos death Jawaharlal Nehrus anniversaries Independence Day 1948 and Sachin Tendulkarrsquos 200th Test match as well as envelopes and inland letters from Nizamera Hyderabad and international air letters from England and preindependence IndiaFuture plansAtishrsquos daughter Kumari Gatha who studies in Std VIII regularly helps him organise the coins and notes in a systematic way ldquoItrsquos more than a hobby itrsquos a mission to preserve what the world is forgettingrdquo Atish said Now with increasing awareness schools corporate training groups and police academies are inviting him to showcase his collection and inspire the youth