South Western Railway Zone Develops Arasalu Station In Karnataka As ‘Malgudi Museum’

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone’s Mysuru Division has created a museum themed on ‘Malgudi Days’ at one of its stations, recreating scenes and ambience from the famous television serial, an official said on Saturday.

“The old dilapidated station (Arasulu) building which is a few meters away from present station building has been restored and recreated as Museum Malgudi,” told an official to IANS.

“It is to be recalled that the famous Television serial ‘Malgudi Days’ was filmed in these environs during the 80’s,” said the official.

As part of the museum, the railway zone has created neighbourhoods similar to the ones featured in the famous serial.

One of the houses features an elephant shaped skeleton gate with a compound wall made out of metal bars salvaged from railway tracks.

Likewise, another structure in the museum sports paintings of the main characters from the serial, along with the images of a peacock and a life sized tiger replica.

A kitchen from the Malgudi Days has been created for the museum, including a street and neighbouring houses.

A makeshift railway coach named as Malgudi Chai has also been arranged, including some more images of animals.

Elements and themes from the Indian Railways have a major influence on the entire museum.

Malgudi Days is the screen adaptation of R. K. Narayan’s famous novel by the same name, set in the fictional town of Malgudi in South India.

In the 1980’s Shankar Nag and John Devraj made the television serial based on Narayan’s novel.

Source : Swarjya magazine