Forget Taj Mahal, 65-year-old husband in Andhra builds desi escalators at home for wife suffering from severe knee pain
Why did he build the escalators?
Seeing his wife wince in pain every time she walked up the stairs spurred Reddy into action. Instead of going out and finding help or buying expensive equipment from abroad, he decided to produce the solution at home, with his own skills and knowledge.
A Farmer Without an Engineering Degree
Reddy studied only up to Class 5 because there was no school near his village. He has no formal engineering background. He has decades of experience repairing tractors, rice mills and agricultural machinery. He now owns four tractors, runs a rice mill and cultivates five acres of land in Arthamuru, a village near Mandapeta in the Godavari delta region. It is this practical knowledge acquired over a lifetime that makes this project possible.
How Does Desi Escalator Work?
Reddy completed the escalator in about 20 days, using a 1.5-horsepower engine and simple materials to build it. The machine moves smoothly through all 21 steps, carries loads of up to 300 kg and stops automatically for safety purposes. It even switches to inverter backup during power outages, a common problem in rural areas. Apart from helping Satyaveni, the family now uses him to carry heavy items like bags of rice and groceries upstairs with ease.
The Internet Can’t Stop Talking About It
Videos of Satyaveni smiling while boarding the escalator and Reddy calmly explaining his invention went viral on the internet. Viewers described it as evidence of true commitment, far from grand romantic gestures. One viewer summed it up this way: “It’s not just the stairs he fixes, it’s the daily struggle he takes out of his life.”
Love Is Built With Hands, Not Marble
While the Taj Mahal stands as history’s most famous monument to love, Reddy’s escalator tells a quieter, more personal story. Built without any formal training, with limited resources, and a great deal of patience, it does not seek the admiration of the world. This just makes a woman’s daily life easier and proves that sometimes the truest expressions of love are those that no one expects.
