Karanth’s Balavana awaits inauguration in May

MANGALURU: Restoratin work on the original house of Jnanpith awardee late

Kota Shivaram Karanth

at

Balavana

in Puttur, about 50 km from here, is complete. An inaugural ceremony, however, will be held in May after completion of other development works. A banner at the entrance of the house conveys this clearly - Restoration work on the poet’s house is under way. People will be allowed entry after its dedication.

Puttur MLA Shakunthala T Shetty told TOI that the restoration work was completed through Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage two months ago. “However, the inaugural ceremony will be organized only after restoration of other buildings in the Balavana. All works are expected to be completed by May. We will invite minister for Kannada and culture Umashree and other dignitaries for the inaugural. A date will be fixed soon after all works are completed,” she said.

Dakshina Kannada

district administration had set up a committee to take up the second phase of restoration work on other buildings the writer built 80 years ago. The government had sanctioned Rs 29 lakh for the restoration of the poet’s house. The government in 2015 budget sanctioned Rs 1 crore for restoration of other structures used by the writer in Balavana through INTACH, the MLA, who is also a member of the development committee that includes Kannada and Culture department secretary, scholar B A Viveka Rai, writer’s daughter Kshama Rau and son Ullas

Karanth

as members, said.

The writer had built the house in 1930-32 and was living there till 1973. Intach conservation architects had taken up restoration of poet’s house by keeping most of the old materials intact. Old materials including stones, tiles, rafters, door frames and windows have been restored and cracks on walls are filled scientifically. Only those damaged materials are replaced with new ones.