Work on restoration of R K Narayan's house begins

Residence of the celebrated writer is declared as heritage structure

The residence of the celebrated writer R K Narayan will acquire a new hue in about four months. The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) on Saturday began the work on conserving the house on the lines of playwright William Shakespeare’s house at Stratford.

The MCC has taken up the restoration work at an estimated cost of Rs 29.50 lakh. Another Rs 5.40 lakh will be spent on developing a garden within the precincts of the house.

The works are taken up under the State Finance Commission (SFC) grants.
The work involves redoing of wall plasters and roof, fixing of Yelahanka tiles to the roof, fixing new doors and windows and relaying of floor with ceramic tiles. The water and underground drainage lines will be restored in the last phase. The 62-year-old building is spread over 421.53 square metres. 

R K Narayan of  ‘Malgudi Days’ fame lived in this house till 1990, the year he moved to Chennai to live with his only daughter.

He lived there till his demise on May 13, 2001. Following his death, owing to the difficulties in maintaining the house, Narayan’s legal heirs sold the property to a builder. The builder had started to demolish the house when alert locals tipped off mediapersons in September 2011.

Following the intervention of the Urban Development department, the building was declared as a heritage structure. The MCC purchased the property for Rs 2.40 crore. Eventually, on March 20, 2015, it took the property into its possession.

MCC Commissioner C G Betsurmath told Deccan Herald, “Plans are on the anvil to instal digital and audio-visual displays at the house on the lines of Shakespeare’s house in London. Besides, portraits of the writer and articles belonging to himwill be collected and displayed. Ticketing system will also be introduced,” he said.