Mandla (Madhya Pradesh): Balmukund Chaukse's dream to make a museum of coins has got new wings after the Archaeological department has taken an initiative to conserve his collection of around 45,000 ancient coins.
Balmukund, a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district, has been nurturing his passion from past 30 years and he has set an example of extraordinary dedication towards his interest.
Whether he goes on a trip with family or for work, his hunt for ancient coins has transformed his collection into a ‘priceless heritage’.
Recalling his early days, Balmukund revealed that his passion to collect coin was developed by his grandmother after she started giving him old coins to make a collection.
With time, his hobby turned into a passion and he started meeting different sections of people including underwater divers, jewellery merchants, temple priests and rag-sellers during his trips to purchase the old coins irrespective of the cost.
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After years of untiring hard work and dedication, his timeless collection includes a huge range of over 45,000 coins from the Mughal era, Kalchuri era, and the period of Prithviraj Chauhan.
In the beginning, his family opposed his dedication towards his hobby as they felt that it was time and money-wasting but later they started supporting him by contributing to his collection.
Gaining knowledge about Balmukund's priceless collection, ETV Bharat reached his home along with the district Archaeological Officer, Hemantika Shukla.
The Archaeological Officer also applauded Balmukund for his unique collection and assured that his dream to make a museum of his ancient coins will be backed by the department.
After conservation of these coins, the collection will be made available for the public so that people can stay connected with the ancient history and rich culture of India.
