Bright Lamps on Tall Lampposts

Janardhanam and his carpenter friend Brahmam opened a small workshop in Dondaparthi in Visakhapatnam district. They had friends in Visakhapatnam harbour who used to sell them refined tools for carpentry and masonry imported from Germany and Rangoon. Those were the times for skilled artisans to migrate to Rangoon to make fast money. Carpenters were in good demand in Rangoon. Rangoon was the capital of Burma and it was the place where the entire world looked for quality furniture made to suite different tastes. Brahmam started saving money for his voyage to Burma, and asked Janardhanam to save money too. Janardhanam was not averse to this plan but he was inclined to erect tall buildings. He had a curious fascination to work on scaffolds. He saw people working on risky fearsome scaffolds in Visakhapatnam. Those peoples were heroes to Janardhanam.

He asked his friend Brahmam whether they could build tall buildings with stone and mortar in Rangoon. Brahmam did not know. They asked people who went to Rangoon earlier. They told them that such tall buildings were not preferred in Rangoon. They told them that they had to save quite a large amount to reach Rangoon. Janardhanam did not show much interest in Rangoon. They gave up their plans to go to Rangoon for the time being. They did not have sufficient money to cross the ocean and reach the shores of Burma.

The forthcoming bridge on river Godavari filled Janardhanam’s heart and soul. The workshop in Dondaparthi fetched them good money and they renovated their workshop into a good dwelling place. The house had two portions to be shared by them. They were bachelors and their parents died long ago. Elders of their trade developed a soft corner for the hard-working upright young men, and offered to choose brides for them. Janardhanam was already in love with Ramanujamma, and his marriage took place in Dondaparthi. The marriage of carpenter Brahmam had to wait since he had ambitions to go to Rangoon.

Bicycles and human-drawn rickshaws were popular in those days. So were kerosene lamps. A bright kerosene lamp in the house was a sign of prestige in those times. Electricity was unknown to all. Janardhanam and Brahmam together made huge kerosene lamps that could brighten large areas during night time. They displayed tall lampposts in front of their workshop and lit them with their lamps in night time. The bright lamps on tall lampposts became a wonder of Visakhapatanam. The two imaginative friends became famous overnight. Most of the offices in Visakhapatnam wanted those lampposts in front of their offices. The two friends worked hard and made good money. Their zeal to reach Rangoon reappeared, and they were in Rangoon a few weeks later. Janardhanam left his wife in Visakhapatnam as he was trying to test his fortunes in a foreign land.