Part of Karanth's house 'Balavana' restoration over

The first phase of the restoration work of the house of Jnanpith award winner K Shivaram Karanth at Balavana has been completed. 

Karanth had spent most of his life at Balavana. He had written a number of books inspired by nature here. Following his death, the whole area, including his house, was named Balavana. Without affecting the original structure, the restoration work has been taken up by the Bengaluru chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). 

The house was in a poor condition in last few years. With the completion of the first phase of the work, the roof of the house is free from the tarpaulin which was used in the past to check leakage during monsoon.  

According to the agreement, the INTACH should have completed the work on roof by March 31 and others works by May-end. The work, which was moving at a snail’s pace, has been accelerated after INTACH Coordinator Arvind and Pankaj Modi visited the spot and marked unwanted wooden pieces. The INTACH has been asked to repair the tiled roof, replace rafters, and strengthen the exterior.