Ardent devotional song lovers who seek songs from the 80s and 90s find a friend in Kundoor Balachandran, who assists in the works at the Durgadevi temple on S M Street. He collects old songs in whatever languages they are available, converts them into CDs and keeps them for song lovers/ devotees who come to the temple in search of such songs. After spending a few months collecting songs, Balachandran developed a kind of affinity towards radios and tape-recorders around 20 years ago, when he was assisting in the works at the temple. He started collecting rare songs from the temples he visited across the state and later, started collecting low-cost tape-recorders and radios from markets. “I collect cassettes of old devotional songs from the temples I visit and turn them into CDs and keep them for devotees who seek particular songs from the 80s and 90s,” says Balachandran, who hails from Malaparamba. He currently lives near the Thali Mahaganapathy temple. “People from faraway places come here seeking old devotional songs, once they hear them being played at the Durgadevi temple. I take copies of the songs and store them in CDs,” adds Balachandran. He not only collects radios, but repairs them and gifts them to his friends. He has got a regular mechanic friend along with him - Babu. He collects old tape-recorders and radios from Second Gate and Palayam and lets Babu repair them for him. At a time, he will have around 40 sets at his house. Old Sony and Philips sets are his favourites. Nowadays, he prefers to have only radios, as taperecorders get damaged easily. “Tapes get entangled often. Radios are better,” he says. Having spent a major part of his life collecting songs and tape-recorders, he says he forgot to find a life partner. During his leisure hours at home, he plays songs aloud.