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This is an archive article published on May 26, 1998

A gem of a collection

PUNE, May 25: The stone his hand caresses is no diamond or even a ruby. It is a modest agate. Yet Captain retd P S Chandiok would not trad...

PUNE, May 25: The stone his hand caresses is no diamond or even a ruby. It is a modest agate. Yet Captain retd P S Chandiok would not trade it for all the diamonds in the world. For what makes the little grey-coloured stone almost priceless is the tiny Om etched on its surface, which is supposedly the result of a natural phenomenon.

8220;It was given to me by a Muslim saint and ever since it came into my life, my fortunes have multiplied,8221; reveals the 62-year-old captain even as he carefully unveils other invaluable pieces in his collection 8211; each more rare and unusual than the last.

Thus you see an amber with a cockroach embedded inside it. 8220;Experts say that the cockroach is probably 40 million years old,8221; he claims. 8220;It has been proved that it was only then that certain trees produced the raisins in which these insects would get trapped. The sticky discharge of the raisins would then, over the years, solidify into such ambers.8221; There is also another amber in his collection 8211; with a mosquito inside, apparently dating back to the same era.

Chandiok then dangles a rudraksha bead at the end of a gold chain. Rather than the usual round shape, this bead has three heads on the side, like a trident that is supposed to represent Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. 8220;This is the rarest of beads and comes once in thousands of years. It8217;s an ekmukhi and I challenge anyone in the world to come up with a similar one,8221; he asserts.

The pieces de resistance of his collection, however, are the three conches that occupy the place of pride in his home. 8220;Some years ago, a conch was discovered in the South, which was described as a very rare maritime phenomenon.8217; Called the Dakshinavrutha Sankha, it is used today for the milk abhishekam to Lord Venkateshwara at the Tirumala temple in Tirupathi every Friday. At its discovery, a great deal was written and there were also plans to stud this conch with semi-precious stones as a tribute to its sanctity.

What was so unusual about it was that its whorl was to the right, not the left,8221; states Chandiok even as he uncovers three huge conches, streaked with vermillion, and places them on the table. And immediately you notice that just like the Tirumala conch, these three also have their whorls to the right! Putting the conches to the ear, one is quite taken aback by the roaring sound emanating from their hollow.

8220;Listen carefully and you8217;ll find out that the sound is like an Om,8221; smiles Chandiok. 8220;All three have come to me from different sources 8211; through a friend or a saint 8211; and are bigger than the Tirumala one.8221;

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The enthusiastic collector then goes on to elaborate on how many a pious have dropped in at his place unannounced, and sans any knowledge of the conches, claimed to have felt certain vibrations in the house. In some cases, they have even marched directly into the little mandir to have a darshan of the sacred shells. I have had the shells for almost 20 years now and even saints like Karve Guruji come here to perform their puja.8221;

While it is uncanny how all these semi-precious stones and conches have made their way to the Chandiok home as gifts or lucky buys, it is also amazing to note Chandiok8217;s keen eye, that seems to equip him with an ability to see things in a stone that would not be apparent to anyone else. 8220;He sees faces, figures, outlines that I would never notice. What8217;s more, he then makes you see them and convinces you that there is Lakshmi8217;s face in one or Ganpati8217;s profile in another,8221; exclaims wife Harjeet.

With the fabulously-hued and -patterned semi-precious stones laid out before you, Chandiok explains how most of them are inexpensive but possess unique individual characteristics. A businessman now, his passion for collecting these stones with a difference goes back some 20 years, much after he took premature retirement from the army. As his collection grew, so did his faith in the healing powers of the stones.

In fact, on any given day, Chandiok sports at least three to four rings with studded stones on each hand. 8220;I also change the rings almost everyday, in accordance to what I am going to do that day,8221; he adds.

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Despite the Chandioks8217; best attempts to eschew publicity about their collection, there are many who end up at their Salunke Vihar residence to have a darshan. Many also make desperate offers to buy the items.

8220;I have had people offer me any amount of money for the stones and the conches but there is no question of my parting with them. They will remain in the family and will pass down from generation to generation. However, we do intend to make a small temple here in the future, where these stones and conches would be kept for public darshan,8221; he reveals8230;

8230;By which time he would have undoubtedly collected many more items to add to his already glittering and fascinating collection.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More

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