MEERUT: Ram Singh Bouddh, 68, a resident of Amroha’s Gajraula, achieved his long-awaited dream of being recognised by Guinness World Records for possessing the largest collection of radios. After a year of correspondence, Guinness record keepers confirmed that “the largest collection of radios is 1,257 and was achieved by Ram Singh Bouddh”, listing his name on their website.Although Bouddh owns 1,400 radios, Guinness guidelines mandated that each radio be unique, resulting in the exclusion of “duplicates”. The previous record was held by M Prakash, who had a collection of 625 different radios in July 2005.
In April 2023, Bouddh’s passion for radios and his collection was highlighted by TOI, which led to a mention in PM Modi’s radio programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat‘.
Talking about Singh’s efforts, Modi had said, “One of the achievements of Mann Ki Baat is that it has made radio more popular. I received a letter from Ram Singh Bouddh ji from Amroha on ‘MyGov’. He has been collecting radios for many decades. He says after Mann Ki Baat, curiosity about his museum increased among the public…” This acknowledgement earned Bouddh a special invitation to attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi this year.
As Bouddh, who retired as a supervisor at Warehouse Corporation of India, awaits the physical memento from Guinness World Records, his most recent achievement has rekindled hope of establishing a museum dedicated to radios in his hometown.
“I hope my efforts to build a museum will help future generations learn about the impact of radio on our society, from its early days as a communication tool to its modern forms,” Singh told TOI.
In March, Bouddh submitted a request to Moradabad authorities for the establishment of a radio museum, followed by an inquiry conducted through the office of Amroha district magistrate.
Over the years, he has invested lakhs at various junk markets in Delhi, Meerut, and other towns to pursue his passion for collecting radios. The oldest radio in his collection dates back to 1920.