Businessman Jayaprakash Sarda’s house in Shanthinagar holds a special treasure trove unlike any other - invaluable items related to the Indian independence and freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and others.
Collected over three decades, he boasts of stamps issued by 125 countries around the world on Mahatma Gandhi, 10,000 newspapers and 1,000 magazines of pre-Independence on various issues, letters written by freedom fighters like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, Chowdary Charan Singh, Jairamdas Daulataram, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Jamnalal, Anugraha Sinha, and others. Things related to Gandhi and Bose are highest in number.
Mr. Sarda told to The Hindu, “I started collecting articles 35 years back with stamps. The passion kept on growing and in the late ‘90s, I started collecting medals, newspapers and photographs, and over a period of time, I developed the passion for India as a country and started collecting lot of things on Indian freedom fighters and Indian independence.”
This has resulted in a set of original newspapers from 1857, which tells us the history of the first war of Indian independence, a rare crockery set given to VIP members of All India Congress Committee (AICC) session where the flag with ‘charaka’ was adopted in 1930, more than 354 original photographs of Gandhi, 75 original photographs of Bose and other freedom fighters, among others.
Mr. Sarda says a ‘charaka’ used by Gandhi is a prized possession. A rare wall clock, which is in good condition even now and was manufactured around 1928 or 1930 with an image of Gandhi, Balagangadhar Tialk and vande mataram written on this, and a German-made Gandhi image torch manufactured in 1929 also make it to this list, among other things like a cheque leaf with an image of Gandhi, letter pads with images of Gandhi and Bose, key rings, lockets, buttons, etc..
Brand ambassador Bose
A rare possession in his collections is an item with Netaji Subash Chandra Bose as the brand ambassador of ‘Orient Fan’. Mr. Sarda has the original copy of Bose featuring in an advertisement of Orient Fan. He also has a full page advertisement of Sarojini Naidu.
He also has several silver coins with images of Gandhi, hats with images like Gandhi, Bose, Jai Hind, Nehru, Bharat Mata and Akhand Bharath slogans, a rare handkerchief with images of Gandhi, Churchill and Hitler, a biscuit box with Gandhi’s image, Gandhi’s hanging watch, Gandhi image hair pins produced in 1930, around 300 original paintings of different mood of Sabaramati Ashram, around 10 original newspapers announcing the death of Gandhi, King George one rupee note autographed by Gandhi, playing cards, sugar sachets, bear casters, cigar labels, locks, train tickets with Gandhi image, dip ink pen with the images of Gandhi, Bose, Nehru, among others.
He has exhibited over 150 times in many colleges in the State and he will exhibit them again on August 15 at Jain College, Jayanagar, as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.
“I want to set up a small museum which every one can visit and which will showcase the history of India. We have inherited a great culture. My elder brother has been very instrumental in helping me financially and otherwise. I will appeal to my daughter and my brother’s daughters to take care of it so that it remains for the future generations,” he said.
