Harshini Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Apr 3: People who recently have moved on the road between the city and Manipal would not have missed the glitter and radiance of some yellow objects placed on roadside. This is the new avatar of gramophone which had served our ancestors sincerely after Thomas Alva Edison invented the tin foil phonograph about 140 years ago. These gramophones, which takes us down memory lane, has been kept for sale by Mohammed Sameer, a Kerala-based businessman.

After Edison's phonogrpah, graphophone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Gramophone was invented by Emile Berliner, who also started a company for its manufacture.

Sameer has brought about eight gramophones with him and small telephone sets through train with the aim of selling them to the citizens here, as he says his friends had told him that the people from here like to buy such things. He waits for customers, and tries to skillfully convince those who approach him, with Hindi and English as he does not know Kannada.

Within sometime since he kept these antique pieces for sale, two were bought by locals. These items give a semblance of royal touch to new houses. People passing by this road get interested and eager, and question Sameer about them. Rarely customers buy the wares too.

The phone Sameer has kept for sale has more demand in Kerala. Although they are beyond the budgets of poor people, those who have interest in ancient styles tend to buy them. Some of them work, while others just serve as show pieces. Sameer is involved with marketting of these things since the last 15 years, and he says that Kerala has a shop where these things are re-conditioned. Sameer buys his stock from there and travels to places where he feels he can market his items.

Sameer and his friend, Mukhtar, stay in a lodge here. They say that it is difficult to stick to the calculation cost-profit analysis as people are in the habit of bargaining hard for things sold by the roadsides. They also agree that there are some who pay full price as demanded, and take the items away. The gramophone costs Rs 4,000, small landline phones cost Rs 2,000 and the price tag of wall clock is Rs 1,000.

Sameer, a tailor by profession, turned his attention towards cities after stitching work lost demand in Kerala. He rues that train travel, room rent, food, water, everything costs money and chance of making good profit is remote.

Although he is from Malappuram, Sameer says he likes people of this city very much as they treat him like their own friend. He says people here are good-natured and friendly. He reveals that with each of his visits to different districts and towns, he gets introduced to new kinds of culture, which brings him a sense of happiness and contentment. He reveals that he has two children, both of whom are studying.

Sameer says that he could do brisk business at Manipal during his previous visit. So,he hopes to get good customer response for his wares now.