The Magic of the Lost Temple
by Sudha Murthy and illustrated by Priyankar Gupta
“The Magic of the Lost Temple” by Sudha Murthy and illustrated by Priyankar Gupta. Published by Penguin. A charming story of little Nooni who has an adventure of a lifetime in her grandparents’ village Somanahalli in Karnataka.
Nooni is twelve years old and lives with her parents in Bengaluru. She finds her everyday routine quite boring and is looking forward to her summer vacations eagerly. She is in for a surprise when her mother, Usha, announces that she has a six week training in Delhi and will not be able to take Nooni with her. Nooni’s father, Shekhar, says that he cannot take care of her by himself. So they wonder where to leave Nooni. When Shekhar’s parents who live in the small sleepy village of Somanahalli in north Karnataka offer to take care of Nooni, she readily agrees. Though her father is not sure that she will like staying there, Nooni is eager and happy to go.
Nooni is surprised by the pace of life in Somanahalli. She starts enjoying her stay with her grandparents. She gets adjusted to their routine and makes friends with Amit, Medha, Anand and Mahadeva. She learns cycling, goes on a riverside picnic, visits her ajja’s farm, attends a wedding, gets involved in papad making and many other activities which are new for her. Ajji’s story of a buried stepwell in their village piques her curiosity and she can’t stop thinking about it. Things get exciting when she actually stumbles upon some ancient ruins in the middle of the forest with her friends. Read the book to experience the joy this incident brings to Nooni and the villagers of Somanahalli.
My 8.5 year old loved reading this simple and beautiful story with me. He was thrilled to know that Nooni also lived in Bengaluru, our city. He could relate a lot more to the story given that it is set in Karnataka which is our state. Surprisingly we have read very few books which are set in Karnataka. Something that I am looking forward to change. The rustic charm of the village and the simple straightforward writing made us feel very comfortable. This should work well with most children. Nooni’s joy and curiosity were very infectious. We felt like we were on the journey with Nooni! It was a delight to see how her grandparents let her experience whatever she wanted to with the right kind of support and love. Their generosity, kindness, co-operation, teamwork as well as the slow pace of life with no malice or jealousy towards anyone were such a contrast to what we get to see in cities. The sequel to this book has already come out and we have started reading it :)
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 8 and above.
Reasons to Read
For a simple, heartwarming and delightful book showcasing the joy of living with grandparents in a rural setting, getting to experience new things and adventures which cannot happen in cities given our busy lives.
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.