Seetha Phone Company on Avenue Road is where collectors and vinyl record lovers flock to source gramophones and rare LPs at bargain prices. Seetha Phone Company is one of the most sought-after brass (and gramophone) shops on Avenue Road. At the entrance, you’ll be greeted by large statues of Ganesha, Nataraja and Nandi. Inside, on the overcrowded shelves and floor, you’ll bump into figurines of all sizes. Think miniature figurines and lucky charms like owls and tortoises that fit in the palm of your hand.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. The shop owner, Venkatesh, told us that it was his grandfather, DN Seetharama Setty, who first ventured into the gramophone business all the way back in 1924. When the 80s rolled in, gramophones were things of the past, and Seetha Phone Company had moved on to selling sound equipment. When the electronic market shifted to nearby SP Road in the 90s, the store was revamped again and started selling brass figurines.
The gramophone business, however, still exists. It’s only that the business has been relegated to a crowded room on top of the brass shop. There, you’ll discover replicas of antique gramophones and vinyl records. Scour through the stacks of records and find Diana Ross and M.S. Subbulakshmi along with Italian albums and Glenn Miller concerts at Carnegie Hall. The best part is that they come at throwaway prices (INR 350 upwards). While you’re at it, check out their replicas of age-old gramophones and restored record players. Venkatesh also does repairs at INR 1,000 upwards for both hand-winding gramophones and electrical record players.