This is a true story written by Sudha Murthy. When she was 12 years old, she lived in a village in North Karnataka with her grandparents. Her grandmother never went to school and could not read. Sudha used to read a serial novel called Kashi Yatra from a weekly magazine to her grandmother every week. One day, Sudha went away for a wedding and her grandmother could not read the next episode on her own. This made her cry and she decided to learn to read. Sudha then taught her, and by Dasara, her grandmother could read independently.
Central Idea
The chapter shows us that the desire to learn has no age limit. A 62-year-old grandmother decided to become literate because she wanted to stop depending on others. The story also shows that a teacher deserves full respect, no matter how young that teacher is.
Section-wise Explanation
The Village Setting
When Sudha was 12, she lived with her grandparents in a village in North Karnataka. Transport was very poor in that area. The morning newspaper came only in the afternoon, and weekly magazines arrived one day late. Everyone in the village eagerly waited for the bus that brought newspapers, magazines, and letters.
The Novel Kashi Yatra
A famous Kannada writer named Triveni was very popular at that time. Her writing was simple, easy to follow, and felt very real. Her novel Kashi Yatra was being published as a serial story in a weekly magazine called Karmaveera. The novel was about an old woman who deeply wanted to visit Kashi to worship Lord Vishweshwara. There was also an orphan girl in the story who was in love but had no money for her wedding. In the end, the old woman gave all her savings for the girl’s wedding instead of going to Kashi, believing the girl’s happiness mattered more.
The Grandmother’s Problem
Sudha’s grandmother, Krishnakka, had never been to school and could not read. Every Wednesday, when the magazine arrived, Sudha would read the latest episode of Kashi Yatra aloud to her. The grandmother listened with complete attention, forgetting all her household work. She connected so deeply with the story that she could not wait for the next part every week.
The Turning Point
Once, Sudha went to a nearby village for a wedding and stayed away for a full week. When she returned, she found her grandmother in tears. This was surprising because her grandmother had never cried even in the hardest situations. That night, sitting on the open terrace under the full moon, the grandmother explained what had happened.
While Sudha was away, the magazine arrived as usual. The grandmother opened it and could see the pictures from Kashi Yatra but could not read a single word. She ran her hands over the page, wishing she could understand what was written. She felt helpless and ashamed to ask someone else in the village to read it for her. That was the moment she decided she would learn to read.
The Grandmother’s Decision
The grandmother told Sudha that she wanted to start learning the Kannada alphabet from the very next day. She set Saraswati Puja during Dasara as her deadline. By that day, she wanted to be able to read a novel on her own.
When Sudha giggled, saying her grandmother was 62 with grey hair and wrinkled hands, the grandmother smiled calmly and said: “For a good cause, if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. For learning, there is no age bar.”
Learning Begins
Sudha became her grandmother’s teacher the very next morning. The grandmother turned out to be a remarkably hardworking student. She read, repeated, wrote, and memorised every day without fail. She completed all the work Sudha gave her. By the time Dasara arrived, she could read on her own.
The Touching Ending
On the day of Saraswati Puja, the grandmother gave Sudha a gift of cloth material. Then she did something that completely surprised Sudha — she touched Sudha’s feet. In Indian tradition, younger people touch the feet of elders, never the other way around.
When Sudha asked why, the grandmother said: “I am not touching the feet of my granddaughter. I am touching the feet of my teacher — the teacher who taught me with so much love and patience that I can now read any novel confidently. A teacher must be respected regardless of age.”
Sudha then handed her a secret gift — the published novel Kashi Yatra by Triveni. The grandmother immediately read the title and the publisher’s name on her own. Sudha knew then that her student had truly passed with flying colours.
Important Questions and Answers
1. What is the chapter about?
The chapter is a true story by Sudha Murthy about how she taught her 62-year-old grandmother to read Kannada. Her grandmother had never gone to school and could not read. After feeling helpless when she could not read her favourite serial novel, she decided to learn and succeeded within a few months.
2. Why did the morning newspaper arrive only in the afternoon?
The village where Sudha lived had a very poor transport system. Because of this, the morning newspaper only reached the village in the afternoon, and weekly magazines arrived a full day late.
3. Who was Triveni? Why was she well-known?
Triveni was a famous Kannada writer whose stories were simple, convincing, and easy to connect with. She wrote about the real problems of everyday people. Even though she died at a young age, her novels were still appreciated by readers 40 years later.
4. What was the novel Kashi Yatra about?
The novel was about an old woman who had a strong wish to visit Kashi and worship Lord Vishweshwara. There was also an orphan girl in the story who had fallen in love but had no money for her wedding. In the end, the old woman gave away all her savings for the girl’s wedding, believing the girl’s happiness was a higher cause.
5. Why could Sudha’s grandmother not read?
In those days, education for girls was not considered important. Her mother passed away when she was young, her father remarried and was busy, and nobody encouraged her to go to school. She got married young and became occupied with family and household responsibilities. She simply never had the chance to learn.
6. Why was Sudha’s grandmother crying when Sudha returned?
While Sudha was away for a week, the magazine arrived with the next episode of Kashi Yatra. The grandmother opened it but could not read a single word. She felt helpless and was too embarrassed to ask anyone else to read it for her. This feeling of dependence made her very sad, and she cried.
7. What decision did the grandmother take and why?
The grandmother decided to learn the Kannada alphabet starting the very next day, with Saraswati Puja during Dasara as her deadline. She wanted to become independent — to be able to read on her own without relying on anyone else.
8. Why did Sudha laugh at her grandmother’s decision?
Sudha was only 12 and did not fully understand her grandmother’s pain. She found it funny that someone who was 62, had grey hair, wrinkled hands, and wore glasses wanted to start learning the alphabet.
9. How did the grandmother respond to being laughed at?
The grandmother did not get angry or feel hurt. She simply smiled and said that with determination, a person can overcome any obstacle for a good cause. She firmly believed that there is no age limit for learning.
10. How did the grandmother learn to read?
Sudha became her teacher the next day. The grandmother was an outstanding student — she read, wrote, repeated, and practised every day. She worked harder than anyone and completed all the work Sudha gave her. By Dasara, she could read independently.
11. Why did the grandmother touch Sudha’s feet?
She touched Sudha’s feet as a mark of respect for her teacher. In Indian tradition, touching someone’s feet shows deep gratitude and respect. She said she was not doing it as Sudha’s grandmother but as a student who was grateful to a teacher who had taught her with love and patience.
12. What gift did Sudha give her grandmother?
Sudha had secretly bought the published novel Kashi Yatra as a gift. When the grandmother received it, she immediately read the title and the publisher’s name on her own, proving she had truly learned to read.
13. What does “passed with flying colours” mean in the story?
“Passed with flying colours” is an idiom that means to succeed brilliantly. When the grandmother confidently read the title of the book without any help, Sudha felt proud and knew her grandmother had succeeded completely.
Long Answer Questions
What does the chapter tell us about the value of education and independence?
The chapter shows that education gives a person true independence. Sudha’s grandmother came from a well-off family, but even so, she felt completely helpless when she could not read. When she could not access the story she loved, she understood how much she had been depending on her granddaughter. She realised that having money was not enough — being able to read and understand things on your own was far more important. She said, “We are well off, but what use is money if I cannot be independent?” This tells us that real independence comes from knowledge and literacy, not from wealth alone. A person who can read and write has a freedom that no amount of money can replace.
Describe the character of Sudha’s grandmother.
Sudha’s grandmother Krishnakka was a strong, determined, and dignified woman. She was always smiling, warm, and caring. She had the inner strength to hold herself together even during difficult times. But the moment she could not read the magazine, she understood her limitation and chose to do something about it rather than accept defeat. At 62, she set a deadline, studied harder than anyone, and met her goal on time. She also had the humility to acknowledge her 12-year-old granddaughter as her teacher and touch her feet in gratitude. She proved through her actions that true strength is not about age — it is about the will to grow and the honesty to show respect where it is deserved.
How does the chapter show that a teacher must be respected regardless of age?
In Indian culture, students touch the feet of elders as a sign of respect. The grandmother reversed this tradition by touching the feet of her 12-year-old granddaughter. She explained clearly that she was not doing it as her grandmother but as her student. She said that the person who teaches with love, patience, and care deserves the highest respect, no matter how old or young they are. She reminded Sudha that the scriptures say a teacher must be honoured regardless of gender or age. This act showed that respect for a teacher should be based on what they have given you — their knowledge, time, and care — not on how many years they have lived.
Quick Revision Points
- Written by Sudha Murthy; true autobiographical story
- Set in a village in North Karnataka; Sudha is 12 years old
- Her grandmother Krishnakka could not read because she never went to school
- Triveni was a famous Kannada writer; her novel Kashi Yatra was serialised in Karmaveera magazine
- Sudha read each episode aloud to her grandmother every Wednesday
- When Sudha was away for a week, the magazine arrived but the grandmother could not read it
- She felt helpless and dependent — this made her cry and decide to learn
- She set Saraswati Puja during Dasara as her deadline
- The grandmother was a hardworking student — she read, wrote, and practised every day
- By Dasara, she could read a novel independently
- She touched Sudha’s feet as her teacher, not as her granddaughter
- Sudha gifted her the published novel Kashi Yatra; the grandmother read the title on her own
- Idiom: Passed with flying colours = did extremely well
- Key lesson: Learning has no age bar; a teacher must be respected regardless of age
Download Free Mind Map from the link below
This mind map contains all important topics of this chapter
Visit our Class 9 Kaveri page for free mind maps of all Chapters