Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Mohammad Afzal hailing from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, a watch mechanic by profession, developed a passion for collecting old artifacts about 30 years ago. Afzal's passion for collecting vintage artifacts such as watches, furniture, radio, telephone, gramophones, glass and porcelain pots, cameras, as well as old vehicles — has now converted his home into a mini museum. Afzal's museum has 100 years old exhibits dating back to the British period.
He has set up his mini museum in the Vikasnagar locality of the city. Afzal's first subtle encounter with his passion happened while he was visiting far-off places for repairing assignments of old vehicles. Speaking about his hobby of collecting old stuff, Afzal said, "Those were the days when I was visiting far-flung areas for repairing old vehicles. I started collecting vintage vehicles that were more than 50 years old. Gradually, my treasure trove's range of collection widened."
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Elaborating further, Afzal, said, "My collection of exhibits kept expanding. More than 150 old clocks, dozens of paintings, gramophones, radios, glassware, utensils, cameras, telephones, decorative items, and furniture formed a part of the treasure trove. The good thing is that all collections are in working condition. All clocks were showing the correct time. Even if a clock developed a snag, I ensured to get it rectified. Besides, I also seek services from a carpenter for the upkeep of furniture."
"I have set up the mini-museum with my own money. I believe old artifacts have historical significance and should not be discarded. Instead, they should be preserved so that future generations get to know about the previous generation," said Afzal.
