Sir,

At the time R.K. Narayan’s Museum was inaugurated in Yadavagiri, I had written about it in SOM, giving some suggestions of making it more tourist-friendly. Now it is in the news again for the same reason.

Why is it not attracting visitors?

1. For a long time, the approach road was a mess, but now it is taken care of. 2. Very little publicity. 3. No literary activity is conducted in the Museum premises. 4. Now, being summer vacation time, a reading camp, story-time, puppet show, etc., can be arranged. 5. All schools, government and private, should make it mandatory to include a visit to this Museum. 6. A book stall where RKN’s books are sold at reasonable rates should be an in-house facility. 7. The verandah can be used as an open house discussion area, where the interested tourist can clarify queries, doubts, etc., with a volunteer or facilitator.
2. Frequent orientation programmes should be held as even the local people forget that such a Museum exists in their locality, leave alone in their city.
3. One of the airy rooms could be used as a reading room, where children can squat on the floor and read. Even a page a day can spark one’s reading interest, thus keeping them away from their mobile or laptop for sometime. 10. Drinking water facilities and adequate rest-rooms should be provided.

The Museum needs to be brought to life quickly.

– Indira Ganapathy, Yadavagiri, 10.5.2017

Note: The Mysore Literary Association headed by Prof. K.C. Belliappa is holding Mysore Literary Festival on June 18 at Senate Bhavan in city. One or two programmes of the  event could be shifted to this Museum. —Editor