Surya Bhakta Nakarmi
is the owner, designer and technical officer of Funny Temple, an amusement ride
in the Central Zoo, Jawalakhel. With just a certificate degree from Thapathali
Technical Institute, Nakarmi built the ride from scratch, based on “trial and
error” method. He expounds on his rollercoaster journey.
How did you get the
idea to make Funny Temple?
I was employed at the
airport, and frequently went on foreign trips. In Bangkok, I rode a ride and it
inspired me to make one. I went to Bangkok several times to study the design.
Did you talk to the
ride engineer?
No, I simply observed.
I’m of the Nakarmi caste, ironsmith by birth. Perhaps that helped. Also, at the
airport I worked in airplane maintenance. That gave me technical knowledge.
Where do you find
the parts for your products?
That’s a major
challenge. We can’t get things like hydraulic cylinders, but there are
specialized shops in India. I buy them there and cart them all the way up here.
How did you
transport Funny Temple to the zoo?
A crane put it on a
truck at my workshop, and the crane again offloaded it at the zoo. We pulled the
crane, it has wheels. I built the crane myself, which is one of the reasons
Funny Temple took ten years to assemble. First I had to make the equipment to
make it.
How did you manage
your finances during the ten years?
I had a job at the
airport. Bitten by the invention bug, I took leave for one and a half years. After the leave expired, my boss told
me to either come back or quit. I chose to quit and continue inventing.
I took loans from a
bank, Rs. 500,000 initially. I allotted half of it to household expenses and the
rest to invention. The loan later grew to Rs. two million. Ultimately, I sold my
land of 101 annas (about 97 ropanis) to pay the loan. From the sale, I had
surplus money which I invested in further inventions.
What are they?
I made another ride
for the zoo: an advanced helicopter ride. While the helicopters are controlled
by the operator, each child riding can press a button and steer the helicopter
up and down. This gives the child control.
Also, I am developing
an automated seesaw. I’ve completed a model which seats one person. But what I
really want to do is make a 20-foot seesaw that can accommodate many people.
I also plan to make a
rollercoaster, an aero-car, and a rocket. The rocket should shoot up and give
the rider the impression of being in space. Up there, we can have a mini
planetarium where the rider can see heavenly objects, and then ride down.
Is the sale from
the land providing you enough for these experiments?
On the contrary, the
money ran out long ago. I took further loans from banks, which now amount to
Rs. 15 million. Funny Temple earns more than Rs. 4.5 million per year, but I
pay almost Rs. 200,000 in interest every month and Rs. 80,000 as rent to the
zoo. When you factor in the salary to operators and my helpers at the workshop,
I hardly get any profit.
And in all this time,
I have only managed to pay the interest on my loan, haven’t even touched the principal.
My contract at the zoo runs out in a couple months, and I don’t know if I’ll
get the next contract. I have even no idea how I’ll manage my finances if I
don’t the contract extended. If only there was financial help for inventors
like me, I could work without worrying.
Who helps you in
your workshop?
Relatives, cousins and
nephews. I can’t pay them much. Nor can I hand out pocket money to my daughters
when they ask for it. But still my brother put up our ancestral land as
collateral for my loan. They all tolerate me because they know I’m selfless.
What challenges do
you face in your work?
Each of my products is
huge. How often can you make and break iron? If I change the cylinder from an 8-foot
to a 6-foot, do I know it’ll work? What do I do with the 8-foot one? For Funny
Temple, I kept experimenting until I got the exact unbalanced swing of the ride
in Bangkok, I didn’t want one of those high-speed Indian rides that make you
dizzy. Can I afford the same time and effort to every piece?
Would it have
helped if you were an engineer?
No. I would probably
be busy as a professional engineer and may never have invented.
Are you satisfied
with the choice of becoming an inventor?
I am 55 years old, and
have spent most of my life inventing. There’s nothing I like doing more. I just
want people to have fun. If anyone wants to copy my designs and build their own
rides, they are welcome too. My work is about development as well as
entertainment.
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