Reliving 'Malgudi' memories

English teacher Krishna, who teaches King Lear to BA students at Albert Mission College in Malgudi, says, “...I could no longer stuff Shakespeare and Elizabethan metre and Romantic poetry for the hundredth time into young minds and feed them on the dead mutton of literary analysis and theories and histories, while what they needed was lessons in the fullest use of mind. This education had reduced us to a nation of morons; we were strangers to our own culture and camp followers of another culture, feeding on leavings and garbage.” But, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (R K Narayan), who created this character in his novel The English Teacher, published in 1945, is going the bard way this year. Narayan’s house in Mysuru has been developed into a museum on the lines of the bard’s memorial at Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire, United Kingdom.

The saved, acquired, strengthened and refurbished house of R K Narayan’s No 14, Vivekananda Road, Yadavgiri in Mysuru is ready as a memorial for the author, who was known for his simplistic style of writing, ability to juxtapose fiction with reality, and to subtly embed simple yet deep lessons in the minds of the readers. Even though Narayan spent a major part of his life in Mysuru, only a few old-time Mysureans could claim to have known him well. He knew every inch of the old Mysuru   and has described it in his autobiographies, My Dateless Diary (1960) and My Days (1974).

This museum in Mysuru is intended to introduce the celebrated author to his book lovers. The house has been renovated and restored by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) at a cost of over Rs 35 lakh. The bungalow, which was being demolished by a builder was acquired by the MCC, following public demand. It was later declared as a heritage property and purchased from Narayan’s grandchildren, Bhuvaneshwari and Srinivasan for Rs 2.4 crore.

Recreating the house
The house has been developed into a museum on the lines of Shakespeare’s memorial in the United Kingdom. Narayan’s family was initially residing in a house on Seshadri Iyer Road, in Lakshmipuram. However, Narayan started constructing the house at Yadavagiri in 1948 and it was completed in 1953. Later, he resided in this house for over two decades. Now, two cots, a table, a sofa, and the chair and desk used by Narayan, photographs, besides two cartons of books from his collection and other articles are on display at the museum. Different awards and honours received by him have also found a place here.

The MCC and the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage have acquired the furniture donated by his family members to recreate the setting in which Narayan lived. One of the rooms will be developed into a seminar hall, where literary discussions can be held. The space will be made available to research scholars. A signage is being prepared and a sales counter may come up as there are long-term plans to have a digital display of the writer’s life and works. Efforts are on to procure the original manuscripts from various publishers. Experts are divided on whether ‘Malgudi’, the fictional town created by Narayan, was inspired by Mysuru, but, Mysuru’s emotional connect with Narayan has been strengthened with the inauguration of the museum.

Narayan is regarded as one among the three leading first generation Indian English writers — with the two others being Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand — and is considered as the one who made India accessible to people abroad. He was born in Chennai on October 10, 1906. Even as a child he was interested in reading, and his reading habit further developed when he moved to Mysuru with his family. In 1926, he passed the university examination and joined the Maharaja’s College in Mysuru. After completing his graduation, Narayan took a job as a teacher, but, soon, he realised that he could be happy only if he takes up writing. His decision was supported by his family and in 1930, he wrote his first novel Swami and Friends, which was rejected by many publishers.

Career graph
After getting married in 1933, Narayan became a reporter for a newspaper called The Justice and he sent the manuscript of Swami and Friends to his friend at Oxford, who in turn showed it to Graham Greene, who later published it. His second novel, The Bachelor of Arts, was published in 1937. In 1938, he wrote his third novel The Dark Room. In 1939, his wife’s demise left Narayan saddened. But, he continued to write and came out with his fourth book The English Teacher.

Narayan authored several other books including Malgudi Days, Mr Sampath, The Financial Expert and Waiting for the Mahatma. With his growing success, he also started writing columns for different publications. Most of his books were illustrated by his younger brother R K Laxman, a famous cartoonist. In 1980, he was chosen as the member of Rajya Sabha. Narayan won numerous recognitions, including Sahitya Akademi Award, Padma Bhushan, AC Benson Medal by the British Royal Society of Literature and Padma
Vibhushan. He died in Chennai on May 13, 2001, but will live on through his books and the museum.