VELLORE: When a younger cousin of his dropped by a few days ago, 14-year-old K Sabarivasan had a surprise waiting. Sitting down instead for the usual games, the Class 10 student of Vani Vidyalaya in Katpadi showed him something he had built - a four-wheeler cycle made entirely from discarded materials, replete with a steering system and two pedals.
The cousins are now the talk of Arumparuthy as they rode around together on the unusual vehicle, which can carry two persons.
“My son made it entirely from scratch,” said a proud Kathirvel, Sabari’s father, who works with a crane operator.
Sabari says his fascination with vehicles began at a younger age. Cars especially caught his attention. Curious about how they worked, he said he would keenly observe their design and the functioning of different parts.
His curiosity subsequently led him to YouTube, where he watched videos of people building vehicles from scrap. That was when the idea struck him - why not try making one himself?
“I started collecting items that could be reused, like broken chairs, old tyres and spare tubes,” Sabari said. With help from his friends in the village, he spent about a month assembling the vehicle.
These days, evenings in Arumparuthy often feature Sabari and his friends taking the cycle out for a spin around the village, catching the attraction of one too several passersby.
If you happen to be passing through Katpadi, you just might spot Sabari’s creation rolling by — and perhaps even try a ride?
The story is reported by Nimisha S Pradeep of The New Indian Express
