R. K. Narayan
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"Malgudi Home"
[ From the archives of the Times of India]
R K Narayan’s abode now ‘Malgudi Home’
Writer R K Narayan’s Mysore home will now be called ‘Malgudi Home’ after the author’s famous titles.
Karnataka urban development minister S Suresh Kumar on Wednesday announced that House No 15, Vivekananda Road, Yadavagiri, Mysore, will be acquired by the government from a builder, to whom it had been sold by the writer’s family for about Rs 1.8 crore. Prior to this, he met officials, experts and Narayan’s grand-daughter Bhuvaneshwari Devi. The action came after TOI’s reports about the demolition of the house. After the acquisition, the government plans to spend Rs 50 lakh to restore it. The minister said that a committee would be constituted to draw up a plan. The government wants to have a library and a seminar hall for young writers of Mysore University. The house, built in 1951, has been lying vacant after Narayan’s death on May, 13, 2001 in Chennai. It has with six bedrooms. Though it was not occupied till 1966 as Narayan was living with his joint family on Seshadri Iyer Road, he used the place daily to write.
R. K. Narayan's museum inaugrated: July 2016
The Hindu, July 24, 2016
Formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in July 2016, visitors can get a glimpse of Mr. Narayan’s early life by way of rare photographs some of which were taken by his friend and another resident of the city of equal fame late T.S. Satyan.
The structure houses the writer’s memorabilia complete with various awards, citations, university doctorates, besides his personal belongings, like his collection of books, coats, watch and spectacles.
The bay room on the first floor where the creator of Malgudi drew inspiration for many of his famed works, including Swami and Friends , has coloured stills from the TV serial Malgudi Days. Kannada actor and director of Malgudi Days, Shankar Nag, had visited the house several times to discuss the story with Mr. Narayan.
A rare photograph of Mr. Narayan in his childhood playing cricket, a family portrait with his parents in 1925, photograph of the writer receiving the literary award at Leeds, U.K., and a still rarer photograph of the writer with the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru adorn the rooms. But a photograph of Mr. Narayan in the studios of All India Radio, Mysuru, with Jnanpith awardee U.R. Ananthamurthy (taken in 1986) and another of him with author Graham Greene in the BBC studios shores up the heritage value of the collections on display.
The personal belongings of Mr. Narayan were handed over by the family members to the Mysuru City Corporation which took the lead four years ago to save the building from demolition. The corporation had purchased the property from the family and spent around Rs. 30 lakh for the renovation besides Rs.5 lakh for landscaping.
“This the house where novelist R.K. Narayan lived for almost four decades in Mysuru and it will be developed on the lines of Shakespeare’s residence in England,” said MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath.
Besides exhibits, there are quotes expressed by Mr. Narayan’s contemporaries about his literary works on display. There is another write-up tracing the restoration efforts of the “home of one of India’s most beloved writers.”
The museum is open to public free of cost all days except Mondays till the corporation decides on levying a fee. “It will be maintained by MCC for the present … though a trust may be constituted to oversee its regular upkeep,” Mr. Betsurmath added.
