Renovated house of R K Narayan to open this month

The renovated house of Indian-English writer R K Narayan of ‘Malgudi Days’ fame, at Yadavagiri in the city, will be inaugurated as a heritage building this month end.

The monument would be a 110th birth anniversary gift for the writer, who made Mysuru his home, even though he was born in Tamil Nadu and died in Chennai. The works on the house, which was partially demolished by a builder five years back, is almost over and needs finishing touches. The demolition was stalled by writers and activists of the city, who urged the Mysuru City Corporation and the state government to take over the structure and develop it into a memorial. Even though the works were delayed for a long time, it was launched last December. Earlier, a compensation of Rs 2.4 crore was paid to Bhuvaneshwari, a granddaughter of Narayan, to part with the building.

MCC Commissioner C G Betsurmath, who is also the Heritage Commissioner, said that the monument was being developed on the lines of Shakespeare’s memorial in the United Kingdom. The 421-square metre structure on 1003.48-square metre land has been renovated from where its demolition was stalled. It has cost Rs 29.50 lakh, while the garden will be developed at a cost of Rs 5.40 lakh.

Narayan’s father Krishnaswamy migrated to Mysuru and thus Narayan completed his degree from Maharaja’s College in 1930. Then, he took to writing, and went on to become a celebrated writer.

His family was residing in a house in Lakshmipuram, but Narayan started constructing the present house in 1948 and it was completed in 1953. Later, he resided in this house for over two decades.