gopal Das agarwal

when he was born, the then vice-president V.V. Giri sent his grandfather a letter, bearing his signature in blue ink. So it is hardly surprising that Gopal Das Agarwal would grow up to become an avid autograph-collector.

He has built up a collection that totals 1,100, ranging from Don Bradman to Mahatma Gandhi.

?A large chunk of my autographs came from my school days,? says the alumnus of Scindia School. Studying in Madhav Rao Scindia?s school had its benefits. ?Every year on Founder?s Day, there would be a match between Parliament XI and Scindia XI. Some celebrity was sure to attend as chief guest. From Rajiv Gandhi to Sunil Gavaskar, I have met all of them there.?

The hotelier, who spends hours waiting in queue whenever and wherever a celebrity puts in a public appearance, autograph book in hand and jostling with kids, recalls the surprise helicopter ride the late maharaja of Gwalior gave a handful of them when they were in Class IX.

If this was a happy memory, his face falls while recounting his biggest miss ? Atal Bihari Vajpayee. ?It was the day after the Parliament attack. The Prime Minister was here for a CII meet at Netaji Indoor Stadium. At the end of the programme, I mingled with industrialists and approached him. I had even bought a collection of his poems for him to sign on. But the moment I stepped forward, his guard gave me a stern look. So cold was the gaze that I lost my nerve.?

Agarwal is also a founder-member of The Autograph Collector?s Club of India. But what sets him apart is his curious collection of banknotes. He takes you through a trip down history lane as he turns the pages of his album full of Rs 10 notes (?I cannot afford to store notes of higher denomination?).

The numbers are what set them apart. ?Many people collect crazy numbers like 111111 or 123456. But I keep those that match with special dates like Independence Day, i.e. 150847.? But that is the simplest.

He has the full series of the birthdays of presidents of India. ?I could not get the birthdays of the viceroys, so I have stuck to the dates they took over,? says the father of one, who is thankful to his friend ND for making the numerous trips to the money-changers to fill in the gaps.

The collection spans other dates like birthdays of sportpersons and musicians, inauguration of significant monuments like all the high courts and the Reserve Bank of India.

Agarwal points out that the collection is a lesson in history. He is already co-authoring a book on autograph-collection tips. ?I hope to hold exhibitions so that children can benefit from my hobbies.?