The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Miniature cycle in gold

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Saturday, Sep 23, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Miniature cycle in gold

Staff Reporter

Artisan aims at entry into Limca Book of Records

The miniature cycle made of gold.

HYDERABAD: Honey, I shrunk the cycle. That too in gold!

Smaller than a fingernail, Memchand Soni's miniature cycle in gold was the centre of attraction at this year's Virat Vishwakarma exhibition held in the old city.

The glittering piece even has tiny pedals that revolve, handle that gives it direction and wheels with spokes.

A resident of Shakkar Kotta, Soni spent five hours at a go and moulded 125 small pieces of gold for his creation.

No mean task

"I wanted something different for this year's exhibition organised as part of Vishwakarma Puja," he says.

It was no mean task to solder so many small pieces of gold into a miniature cycle that weighs just about 100 milligrams. "A constant temperature has to be maintained throughout, else the structure goes out of shape," says Soni, who hails from Maidh Kshatriya community, famous for its workmanship in gold.

Aiming for record

Not satisfied with his golden contraption and its glitter, he is trying to improvise it further by putting an additional seat on the rear and also a cycle chain, golden of course.

"I hope no one else has taken up such a task of assembling a miniature cycle in gold," smiles the artiste, who plans to get his creation into the Limca Book of Records.

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