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Literary landmarks

• POSTED ON: 24 Apr, 2024
• TOTAL VIEWS: 446 Views
• POSTED BY: Bhavya Venkatesh | Story: R. Krithika
• ARTICLE POINTS: 150 Points

With World Book and Copyright Day (April 23) just gone by, let’s wander through a few museums that were once homes of well-known authors.

As you read about each location, try and unravel their photos.

Located in Yadavagiri, Mysuru, this double-storeyed house was built by the author in 1952. Though roomy and airy, the house offers a rather austere appearance. The living room on the ground floor has a red-cemented floor, wide verandahs and a balcony. The walls are filled with photographs of Narayan at various stages of life and his awards, of which the most prominent is the Padma Vibhushan. There are two other rooms with various memorabilia such as his collection of ties and anecdotes from his life framed on the walls. One is about meeting and falling in love with Rajam in Coimbatore in 1933. Another about how the English author Graham Greene helped Narayan publish his books. More stories await in another room on the first floor. The author’s study, also on the first floor, contains a complete collection of his works in a no-fuss arrangement.

A fiery Tamil poet and patriot, Subramania Bharati’s songs continue to enthrall listeners even today. His house in Chennai’s Triplicane was renovated and renamed Mahakavi Bharathiyar Museum-cum-Research Centre in 2016. Located just behind the ancient Parthasarathy temple, the musuem showcases photographs, and letters, scripts and books written by the poet. The house has been renovated to look exactly as it would have when the poet lived there.

In Kolkata, the house where the famous Bengali author spent her last years has been converted into a museum. Displays include a collection of her personal letters to her friends and relatives and photographs. Urban legend has it that some parts of the house were left untouched because one can hear someone whispering. The outside wall features an excellent portrait of the writer.

Known as Jorasanko Thakur Bari, this is the house where India’s first Nobel Laureate for Literature was born. Renovated to look the way it did when the Tagore family lived there, the museum has a huge collection of memorabilia – more than 2000 books, over 750 journals, around 3000+ photographs and paintings, sculptures and furniture. Of the paintings, 40 are by Rabindranath Tagore. His notebooks are also showcased. Visitors can also view the poet-artist’s Humber car, which has been preserved there.