Odisha teacher turns home into museum after collecting 1,000 old objects

A gramophone that once filled a room with music, a camera from another era, a pocket watch that has long stopped ticking and newspapers that recorded moments from India's past. These objects may look like forgotten belongings to some, but for 61-year-old Abdul Wadood Khan, each one carries a story worth preserving. Known as Raja Sir, the retired Urdu teacher from Cuttack, Odisha, has spent 14 years collecting more than 1,000 old and rare objects.

Instead of keeping them packed away in boxes or cupboards, he has turned part of his home into a museum called Ama Sangrahalaya, meaning 'Our Museum'.The collection brings together objects from everyday life, education, communication, transport, agriculture and culture. For students and visitors, it offers something that textbooks cannot always provide: a chance to see and understand the objects people once used in their homes and workplaces.

What makes his effort particularly personal is that the museum has been built with his own savings, time and space, along with help from former students, family members and friends, according to the reports by The New Indian Express.A teacher's interest grows into a mission to preserve the pastKhan began his teaching career as an Urdu teacher at Naiguan Daudpur High School in 1985.

His interest in collecting old objects developed through his involvement with Bharat Scouts and Guides and Red Cross exhibitions. A turning point came in 2012, when he was selected as a Scouts Master. His participation in exhibitions gave him more opportunities to explore historical objects and understand their value. He began collecting with greater dedication, gradually building a collection that covered both pre-Independence and post-Independence periods.His former students became an important part of this journey.

Some helped him find old objects, while others joined him in exhibitions. Khan has recalled the encouragement he received from former headmaster Ashok Kumar Swain and Scouts leader trainer Bipin Bihari Kar. Over the years, what began as a personal interest developed into a home-based museum. The name Ama Sangrahalaya reflects the idea that the collection is not only his personal treasure but also a place where others can connect with the past.Gramophones, coins and newspapers bring history to lifeWalking through the museum is like moving through different chapters of everyday history.

More than 100 old Odia newspapers and hundreds of books preserve the printed record of earlier decades. The collection also includes fountain pens from India and abroad, inkpots, nib pens and traditional writing instruments. For visitors interested in how people communicated and entertained themselves before smartphones and digital devices, there are gramophones from the 1950s and 1960s, old telephones, radios, tape recorders, record players, cameras and projectors.Other objects include railway signal lamps, torchlights, Petromax lights, lanterns, traditional lamps and stoves.

The collection of clocks and watches features pocket watches, wristwatches, table clocks and wall clocks. There is also a large section devoted to currency and correspondence. It contains British-era postcards, envelopes, postage stamps, first-day covers, matchboxes, glass bottles and lighters. Coins made of copper and silver from different kingdoms and the British period are displayed alongside Indian currency from different eras.

Khan has also collected coins and notes from more than 150 countries.The museum does not stop at objects associated with cities and modern technology. Traditional household and agricultural tools, wooden artefacts, locks, weighing instruments, coal irons, utensils, ploughs, bullock bells and musical instruments offer a glimpse into rural life. One of the most unusual pieces is a tiny holy Quran, measuring around 1.5 inches wide and half an inch high.

It was donated by retired teacher Azad Hussein Khan and is so small that it can be read only with a magnifying glass. It is kept inside a small ivory box that Raja Sir purchased in Saudi Arabia. He says the item holds special religious significance for him.The collection continues even after retirementKhan retired from regular teaching in 2023, but he has not stepped away from education.

He continues to work as a guest teacher, earning a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. Collecting and preserving old objects remains an important part of his life. Inside his home, the artefacts are arranged in glass-fronted cabinets, shelves and racks across exhibition rooms. His son, daughter-in-law and friends help him maintain the collection.His efforts have also received recognition at Bharat Scouts and Guides Jamboree exhibitions.

Between 2015 and 2026, he secured first place at the Cuttack district-level exhibition and won first prize four times in state-level competitions held every three years. Building the collection has required considerable spending, although some objects have also been donated. Khan has said he welcomes people who have old and rare items and are willing to donate them or offer them at a reasonable price.For Raja Sir, the value of an old object goes beyond its age or appearance.

A newspaper, a coin, a radio or a farming tool can help younger generations understand how people lived, worked and communicated in the past. At a time when many everyday objects are quickly replaced by newer technology, his home museum gives them a place to be remembered. Through Ama Sangrahalaya, one teacher is showing that preserving history does not always require a grand building.

Sometimes, it begins with a person who chooses not to throw the past away.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ testGet the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.