Mumbai: Secret stash of antiques lies in Vile Parle hotel. See photos

Restaurateur Vithal Kamat holds a 400yearold multipurpose coconut shredderPicsSayyed Sameer AbediLong before hotelier Vithal Venkatesh Kamat 65 became known for his eponymous chain of South Indian restaurant Kamats and his chain of ecotel hotels The Orchid he was growing an appetite for something else entirely art and history The man is a collector of fine art artefacts and antiquities which he has culled from across the countryWhile The Orchid in Vile Parle E has a small public showcase of antiques that he calls the Ai Museum what he hasnt told the world until now is that the real stash lies in four rooms tucked away on a floor of the hotelA peacock receptacleTaking midday on an exclusive tour of his secret treasure he mouths in jest Open Sesame before leading us into his storerooms Inside is an eyepopping array of antiques arranged on numbered racks He pegs the total number at close to 36500 There are utensils of all kind old style crockery and cutlery hanging lamps heavy receptacles boxes of all sizes and even some ancient weapons hung on the walls In fact the room is stuffed to the brim and a careless twist or turn could result in an object flying off the shelves Their value has not been calculated yet says Kamat as an expert will first have to check the collection While we tour a room we learn that there are at least three more storerooms that remain lockedHis first idol from the thousands he now has was of infant KrishnaChildhood collectorFor Kamat the collection begins at home His Churchgate residence has 10800 Ganesha status and 11000 turtle artefactsI began collecting when I was eight I still have a small statue of laddoo Gopal infant Krishna gifted by my mother says Kamat displaying the idol on his palm I also got a few coins from her which I put away as part of my collectionFrom eight years to 65 Kamat has gone on to collect during his travels across India People too started presenting me with valuables when they learnt of my passion They knew that I would not sell them They gave me their valuable old artefacts knowing they would be looked afterThe racks neatly numbered and sundry tables in the centre of the rooms hold everything from idols to unique storage boxes of all sizes weapons household and kitchen itemsWhy so secretWhen asked why he chose to keep his collection hidden from the public eye Kamat says This is a holding museum Just like a mother who carries a baby for nine months before it is brought into the world I am holding these before they can be shown to the world The artefacts await a home where they can be celebratedA set of ancient weighing scales hang from the ceilingKamat calls himself a mere custodian of the treasure not owner reeling off names of friends and collectors who have parted with their valuablesTelling a storyThe man who passed on his life story and philosophy in a book titled Idli Orchid and Will Power wants to hand over the collection to the next generation because I feel it is my duty to educate and propagate Indias rich heritage and cultureKamat says he is merely the custodian of this treasure which is waiting for a home where it can be showcasedHe rues how India although brimming with heritage rarely protects or celebrates it The West has little history but they know how to tell a story Not us he addsHe points to a collectors item a kitchen utensil from 400 years ago that is a coconut grater shredder smasher and cutter all in one Our people were geniuses he says of the craftsman who imagined the tool adding We know about Aryabhata and the origin of the zero in mathematics but do we know about all this