The oval-shaped room with bay windows on the first floor of No.15, Vivekananda Road, Yadavgiri in Mysuru, will soon beckon book lovers of the creator of the fictional ‘Malgudi’ and ‘Swami and Friends’.
The memorial for the noted author R.K. Narayan — complete with furniture and the books he used — will be inaugurated by the end of this month. The bungalow has been renovated and completely restored by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) at a cost of nearly Rs. 35 lakh, and the furniture used by the author will be brought to the city on Tuesday. The bungalow was saved from demolition by the MCC, which declared it as a heritage property and purchased it from the family.
Items on display
What will be on display initially are two cots, a table, a sofa, and the chair and desk used by the writer, besides two cartons of books from his collection. MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath told The Hindu that a few personnel from the MCC and the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, visited Chennai to take custody of the furniture which has been donated by the family members.
“The furniture will be arranged to recreate the setting in which the writer lived. Narayan’s relative, who is familiar with the arrangements as it existed when the writer lived in this bungalow, will also come to Mysuru to assist in arranging the artefacts and books just the way the author did,” said Mr. Betsurmath.
Seminar hall
One of the rooms will be converted into a seminar hall for literary discussions, and will be available for research scholars. In addition, medallions received by Narayan will also find a place in the display section. Signage is being prepared and a sale counter may also come up while there are long-term plans to have a digital display of the writer and his works. However, the original manuscripts may not be available, though efforts will be made to procure them from various publishers.
While experts are divided on whether ‘Malgudi’ was inspired by the city, it is Mysuru’s emotional connect with the literary personality that will be resurrected with the inauguration of the memorial.
Two cots, a table, a sofa, and the chair and desk used by the writer will be arranged to recreate the original setting in which the writer lived.
C.G. Betsurmath,
MCC Commissioner
