RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Love does not always find expression through grand monuments. Sometimes it quietly takes the shape of a simple machine built with care, determination and imagination. That is exactly what 65-year-old farmer Satti Siva Narayana Reddy of Arthamuru village in East Godavari district, about 35 kilometres from Rajamahendravaram, has done for his wife Satyaveni, 58, who has been suffering from severe knee pain.
Without any engineering degree or formal technical training, Reddy designed and built a homemade escalator to help his wife climb the 21 steps to the first floor of their house. The project took just 20 days to complete and cost only Rs 70,000.
Arthamuru, located near Mandapeta in the fertile Godavari delta, is surrounded by green paddy fields and irrigation canals. Reddy studied up to Class V because the nearest school was too far from his village.
His fascination with machines began in childhood, and years of working with agricultural equipment helped him develop skills. Today he owns four tractors and a rice mill, cultivates five acres of farm, and repairs tractors, rice mill machine and agricultural equipment on his own.
Speaking to TNIE, Reddy recalled how his wife’s daily struggle to climb the staircase affected him. “We live on the first floor because Vastu experts advised that the house owner should stay upstairs. Every day, I watched my wife suffer while climbing the steps. One day, she said, ‘You are a technician. Why don’t you make something like a lift for our house?’ Those words stayed with me,” he said.
Determined to ease her pain, Reddy spent several months studying different technologies. He purchased a motor, electrical wiring and other components before assembling a compact escalator powered by a 1.5 HP motor. The system consumes little electricity, can safely carry up to 300 kilograms and is equipped with automatic stop mechanisms for safety. During power outages, it operates with a 1400 VA inverter. Today not only Satyaveni but also Reddy and their children use the escalator.
His innovation has attracted attention from people across the country, many of whom have contacted him to understand the design. “If you have determination, practical knowledge and the willingness to solve a problem, you can create something meaningful,” he said.
Apart from his mechanical skills, Reddy is well known in the region for his charitable work. He has contributed to the construction of several temples and is an expert in installing Dwaja Stambhams or temple flagpoles. Blessed with a son and a daughter who are well settled.
“My message to the youth is simple. Do not waste your time. Invest your mind in innovation. Believe in yourself, work hard and turn your ideas into reality. Self-confidence is the first step toward success,” he said. “You do not have to be Emperor Shah Jahan or build a Taj Mahal to prove your love. True love is expressed not through grand monuments but through thoughtful actions that ease the everyday struggles of those we cherish.”