MYSURU: When you pass by Thyagaraja Road in Agrahara in the mornings or in the evenings, you will see people of all age groups sitting in the shade of an Avenue tree (Honge) poring over Kannada books. And the place is aptly named— Idu Namma Odina Mane —which translates into ‘This is Our Reading House’. This exclusive open library in Mysuru has become synonymous with love for Kannada. For many of the visitors, the place has been a favourite haunt.
B Prabhakara is a sprightly man of 76, with one abiding passion: Kannada language. What better way than combining his love for the language and books and running a library house? The idea is simple: Lend books to people for a small fee and encourage reading and at the same time promote the language. In no time, the number of readers grew and so also his collection of books. Today, he has a collection of about 2,500 books.
Prabhakara, who has been an avid book reader from his childhood, has remained committed to his zeal to promote Kannada for over three decades. Remembering the joy that he felt when he read storybooks as a child, he decided one day to provide books in the language to other people to read and help them enjoy the beauty of Kannada literature. He launched the library in 1982, and later started a circulating library.
He expanded the collection, which includes Kannada newspapers, magazines, novels and newsletters, by first paying for them in instalments from known vendors. In due course, people started donating books to the library."I had collected about 150 books during the time,” Prabhakara tells The New Sunday Express. “I used to run a grocery shop and along with it I also lent books to people for a fee of 10 paise or 20 paise. Gradually the fee reached `1.”
Prabhakara invested the money that he earned to buy more books. He later came across some people who found it difficult to pay the fee. “That was when I decided to provide the books free of cost for interested readers,” he says.
Initially, he converted a portion of his house for the library, and ran it there for about two years. “Later, I rented a shop and kept the books there. Today, around 150 people visit the library every day to read newspapers, and 15 people borrow books. I feel very happy,” he beams.
Prabhakara charges `50 from interested readers who want to become lifetime members of the library, and they get to carry the books home. Non-members, on the other hand, can only read the books inside the library and have to return them before leaving.
Looking at his efforts for the promotion of Kannada, a group of readers has started paying Rs 5,000 every month for the maintenance and rent of the shop. Some of them also help him procure books. Prabhakara also teaches people how to read and write in Kannada, and requests visitors to put their signatures in Kannada in their daily correspondence. He believes the small initiatives will help in development of the language.
“In this age of mobile and internet, and rampant use of television, the number of readers is gradually dwindling,” he rues. “Also, the number of people penning novels has come down drastically compared to two decades ago. There is a need to engage young minds to read books in the native language, which helps them understand the content much better and improve their knowledge,” adds Prabhakara, whose needs are taken care of by his daughter.
The venture has turned many people into diehard patrons, and more women visit the library than men. Mala, who has been a frequent visitor for 11 years, exchanges two-three books a week. “I have learnt a lot about the rich history and culture of Karnataka from these books. The historical books on the Hoysala and Tipu Sultan are my favourite. I also enjoy reading magazines,” she says.
The library attracts readers from all walks of life. V Ravi Kumar, an auto driver, stops by it every day. “Instead of wasting time on the mobile, I love to read books. I pass by this stretch every day, and spend some time reading the newspaper,” he says.
Prabhakara feels books are there to be read and re-read. They open up a new world, waiting to be explored. You know what he means when you see people stopping by and browsing through his collection, and even take a book or two home to read and enjoy.
JOY OF READING
People of all age groups belonging to all walks of life visit the library to read newspapers and books. A cozy seating arrangement has been made for the readers. Of the books available are those written by famous Kannada litterateurs such as S L Bhyrappa, Triveni and U R Ananthamurthy. Besides fiction, and history books delving into freedom fighters and other iconic figures, the collection also includes epics like the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and Ramayana. The library is open from 8 am to 1 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm.
WRITE INITIATIVE
Prabhakara also teaches people how to read and write in Kannada, and requests visitors to put their signatures in Kannada in their daily correspondence. He believes the small initiatives will help in development of the language.