Fictional ‘Malgudi’ now a real entity
House rechristened
In its rebirth, noted writer R K Narayan’s bungalow in Mysore has a new name for itself. From here on, it will be simply called the ‘Malgudi’ house.
The building, located at Yadavagiri in the heritage city, was recently salvaged from being demolished. It will be thrown open for the student community and young writers. This apart, the government, which is yet to get possession of the house, is planning to set up a comparative literature library. The government has already declared the house a heritage building.
The English department of the University of Mysore will also be allowed to use the space for conducting seminars, etc.
Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar, who met the kin of Narayan in Bangalore on Wednesday, said that since both the government and the family members of the late writer had agreed upon this name, a decision was taken to formalise the christening.
He also said that the Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, the Mysore deputy commissioner and MUDA commissioner were holding negotiations with the family members to arrive at an agreeable sum of amount, for the purchase of the house.
The house has been willed by Narayan to his son-in-law C S Chandrashekaran, granddaughter Bhuvaneshwari and grandson Srinivas Chandrashekaran. The trio had entered into an agreement with Bangalore-based developer, Jagadish, to sell the house.
The developer had also begun demolishing the house, when the Mysore City Corporation entered the scene and stopped the destruction.
Narayan’s family, however, still has possession of the house. The minister said that while the guidance value of the property was Rs 1.8 crore, the market value was Rs 2.7 crore. “We are still holding negotiations with the family. We are yet to finalise the rate. We want to develop it into a place that can inspire young writers,” he added.
The government has, however, set aside Rs 50 lakh for restoration of the house, he added. Bhuvaneshwari’s husband K Sreenivasamurthy, who was present in the meeting, is said to have offered to facilitate contact between the State government and the Boston University, where Narayan’s memorabilia are displayed.
