In ‘How I Taught My Grandmother To Read’, Sudha Murty tells the story of Krishtakka, an elderly woman who worked hard to learn how to read. She set herself the goal of reading a novel by herself and managed to do it within her own deadline, even though it seemed almost impossible. At sixty-two, she read the Kannada novel Kashi Yatre on her own, with help from her granddaughter, who became her teacher. Through her efforts, the grandmother showed that learning has no age limit.
Triveni’s Popular Novel—Kashi Yatre
The narrator, a twelve-year-old girl, lived with her grandparents in a village in north Karnataka. At that time, Triveni was a well-known Kannada writer whose stories were easy to read and focused on the real-life problems of ordinary people. One of her novels, Kashi Yatre, was published in parts in the magazine Karmaveera. The story is about an old woman who wants to visit Kashi to worship Lord Vishweshwara. There is also a young orphan girl who cannot get married because she has no money. In the end, the old woman gives all her savings to the girl instead of going to Kashi, believing the girl’s happiness is more important than her own wish to worship at Kashi.
Grandmother Krishtakka
The narrator’s grandmother never went to school, so she could not read or write. Every Wednesday, when the magazine Karmaveera arrived, she would ask her twelve-year-old granddaughter to read the next part of the story to her. She listened very carefully, forgetting all her other work, and could later repeat the story from memory. Like the heroine in the novel, the grandmother had never been to Kashi and felt a strong connection to her. After hearing each new episode, she would meet her friends at the temple courtyard to discuss the story.
Grandmother in Tears
Once, the narrator went with her cousins to a wedding in a nearby village. She planned to stay for a few days but ended up staying for a week. When she returned home, she found her grandmother crying, which surprised her because she had never seen her grandmother cry, even in tough times. The grandmother then shared her own story. She lost her mother when she was young and had no one to guide her. Her father remarried, and at that time, girls were not given an education, so she never went to school. She married young, had children, and later became a grandmother.
Regret for Not Going to School
The grandmother found great joy in cooking and caring for her children, but sometimes she regretted not having gone to school. She learned from her experience and made sure her children and grandchildren got a good education. While the narrator was away, the magazine Karmaveera arrived as usual. The grandmother opened it but could not understand anything inside. For the first time, she felt truly dependent and helpless.
Grandmother Takes a Decision
The grandmother decided to start learning the Kannada alphabet the next day and promised to work hard. She set Saraswati Pooja during Dassara as her deadline, hoping to read a novel by herself on that day. She wanted to be independent. The narrator noticed her grandmother’s determination but laughed at her decision and made fun of her. The grandmother only smiled and stayed quiet.
A Wonderful Student
From the next day, the narrator began teaching her grandmother. The grandmother turned out to be an excellent student, always doing her homework well. She would read, repeat, write, and recite her lessons. The narrator was her only teacher, and the grandmother was her first student.
Grandmother Reads Kashi Yatre on Her Own
When the Dassara festival arrived, the novel Kashi Yatre had already been published. The narrator secretly bought a copy. The grandmother called her granddaughter to the pooja area and asked her to sit on a stool. She gave her a gift of dress material. Then, in an unexpected gesture, the grandmother bent down and touched her granddaughter’s feet. The narrator was surprised. The grandmother explained that she was honoring her teacher, not just her granddaughter, because she had taught her so well that she could now read any novel with confidence. She said that a teacher deserves respect, no matter their age or gender. Then, the grandmother opened the novel and read the title, Kashi Yatre by Triveni. She had achieved her goal.