The work of restoring the house of Jnanpith Award winner late K. Shivaram Karanth at Balavana in Puttur is likely to be completed in July.
The Dakshina Kannada district administration has set up a committee to suggest works to be taken up as a part of the second phase of restoration using Rs. 1 crore granted by the State government.
At a meeting held here on Friday, Aravind, coordinator of the Bengaluru chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which has been assigned the task, said they had restored the structure and the roof to the original form. They had now taken up the work of laying red oxide for the floor and electrical works. These works would be completed by July, he said. The government has sanctioned Rs. 28 lakh for the restoration work, he added.
Old structure
INTACH’s conservation architect Pankaj Modi said restoration was being done in way to retain the structure that was built in 1932. They had retained the old rafters, doorframes and roof tiles and had replaced only those that were damaged. The walls had been strengthened by filling the cracks with wooden pieces. The plastering of walls had been done in a traditional way, using a mixture of lime and jaggery. Workers involved the restoration were those who were well-versed in techniques used for building old houses, he said.
Danseuse Kshama Rao, daughter of Karanth, who fought for restoration of her father’s house, said the house would reflect the way her father lived. She has planned to have old furniture, utensils and other articles in the house.
In phase two, it had been proposed to take up work of restoring Natyashala where Karanth conducted classes in drama, dance and Yakshagana. The work of restoring the living room, which is adjoining the main house, would be taken up later, she said.
Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said the second phase of restoration would start after getting approval of the committee in which Ms. Rao is a member. “The government intends to restore the original grandeur of this place,” he said.
