Ranga’s Marriage

By: Masti Venkesha Iyengar

About the Writer
Introduction
Summary
Masti Venketsha Iyengar was a well known writer in
Kannada language.
He was the 4th among kananda writers who raised to the
highest literary honor conferred in India.
He was popularly referred to as Maasti Kannadaasti which
means ‘Maasti is kananada’s treasure’. He is known for his
short stories .  He wrote under the pen name Srinivasa. He
was honoured with the title Rajasevasakta by then
Maharaja of Mysore Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadeyar.
A prolific writer, he wrote more than 123 books in Kannada
and 17 in English, for over seventy years. He won the
Jnanpith Award in 1983 for his novel Chikkavira Rajendra.
• Introduction:
Ranga, hails from Hosahalli is one of the rare
breed among the village folk in Mysore. Like
many other cultural aspects artistically port
rayed by the author the custom of child
marriage too is typically to this village.
Ten years ago when the village accountant’s
sent his son Ranga, to Bangalore for studies,
the situation in the village was different. People
hardy used English words while they talked in
kannada, their mother tongue. But they do it in
abominable (awful) pride.
 People are so fond of the foreign language and
education that Ranga’s homecoming is made a big
affair. People crowd around his house to see if he has
changed. They return home on finding mo significant
change in him.
The narrator is particularly happy to find the boy still
quite cultured as he respectfully does ‘ ‘namaskara’.
The narrator spontaneously blesses him saying ‘May
you get married soon’. But the boy is not ready for the
marriage, he says. He is of the opinion that one should
better remain a bachelor than marry a young girl, as the
custom of the village is. The narrator is disappointed to
hear this but as he sincerely wants Ranga to get married
and settled, he takes a vow of getting hi married.
• He decides to get him married a young girl of 11
by the name Ratna, Rama Rao’s niece, who has of
late come to Hosahalli to stay for a few days.
• Now the narrator plans to make a prospective
bride and the bridegroom meet each other.
• He does by asking Rao’s wife to send Ratna to his
house to fetch buttermilk.
• As Ratna arrives she is asked to sing. As planned at
the very moment Ranga arrives and gets
mesmerized by Ratna’s singing and almost
instantly falls love with her being oblivious
(unconcious) purposely disappoints Ranga saying
that Ratna’s married.
• The next morning the narrator meticulously
plots with Shastri, the fortune teller to trap
Ranga and have him marry Ratna. He tutors
him what to be said and done when he brings
the boy.
• Shyama asks if there is any negotiation of
marriage with Ratna bearing any fruit, to
which Shastri answers in the affirmative. But
once again the narrator pours water on
Ranga’s hopes once again by saying that Ratna
is married.
• On the way the narrator enters Rama Rao’s house
and come out of the house and informs Ranga
that Ratna is unmarried and the previous
information about her was wrong.
• Now visibly elated Ranga’s joys have no limits.
• Ranga finally gets married to Ratna and fathers
two children; moreover Ratna is now eight
months pregnant. The narrator was invited to the
third birthday of Ranga’s child, who was named
after the narrator as ‘Shyama’. On finding this, the
narrator mildly chides Ranga saying that he knows
that it is the English custom the child after
someone one likes but it is not fair to name him
‘shyama’ because he is fair complexioned.
All said and done, it is interesting to find how
Ranga forgets what he learned about happy
marriages in cities and gives into the far
deeper influences that the village customs and
traditions have on him. And why not , it is easy
to do away with all that one learns so
unconsciously day and night in the society one
grows up in?
 Answer the following questions

1. Comment on the influence of English — the language and

the way of life — on Indian life as reflected in the story. What
is the narrator’s attitude to English?
2. Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and
conjecture than what they learn from the study of the stars.
Comment with reference to the story.
3. Indian society has moved a long way from the way the
marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
4.Indian society has moved a long way from the way the
marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
 Glossary and meaning
Vivaha- Marriage
Vijaya- Victory
Girija- female (here)
Kalyana- beautiful, lovely,auspicious in Sanskrit
Sahib- a polite title or form of address for a man
Like a flock of sheep- a group of people behaving in the same way or
following what others are doing
Cartographer- a person who draws or produces mapsBharatvarsha- India
Karigadabu- a South Indian fried sweet filled with coconut and sugar
Annayya- (in Kannada) a respectful term for an elder
Flea-pestered dog- A flea- pestered dog does not stick to one place but
keeps roaming everywhere.Flea-pestered means being infested by fleas
and ticks which can cause uncontrollable itching in animals
Behold- see or observe (someone or something, especially of remarkable
or impressive nature)
Rambling- (of writing or speech) lengthy and confused or inconsequential
Considerate- thoughtful, concerned
Troupe- a group of dancers, actors or other entertainers who tour
to different venues
Betray- portray (here)
Shrivelled- shrunken and wrinkled; especially as a result of loss of
moisture
Tutored- taught
Paraphernalia- trappings associated with a particular institution or
activity that are regarded as superfluous
Cowries- a marine mollusc which has a glossy, brightly patterned
domed shell with a long, narrow opening
Palmyra- palm tree
Harikatha- Story of Lord
Madhavacharya- an exponent of Vedantic philosophy from South
India
Marvellous- causing great wonder; extraordinary
 MCQ
1.What is the writing style of the author?
a. Persuasive b. Rambling c. Technical d. None of the above
2.The story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ is a village of
a. Madurai b. Bangalore c. Mysore d. Bhubaneswar
3. What is the name of the narrator’s village ?
a. Hasahalli b. Panchavalli c. Hadinary d. None of the above
4. How does the narrator speak of his village?
a. Passively b. vivdly c. Inadequately d. Both A & B
5. What does the narrator mention as a priceless commodity?
a. To his native language b. To mangoes of his village c To flowers of his village
d. To English language
6. Who was Ranga?
a. The narrator’s son b. The village accountant’s son c. The Doctor’s son
d. None of the above
7. Why was Ranga’s homecoming a big event?
a. Because he brought gifts for everyone
b.Because he was new in the village
c. Because he returned from Bangalore after
studying there for six months
d.All of the above
8. An old lady for Ranga’s _______
a. Birth mark b. sacred piercing c. sacred tattoo
d. sacred thread
9. After knowing that Ranga was the same the crowd
was ________
9. After knowing that Ranga was the same the
crowd was ________
a. Disappointed b. happy c. angry d. irritated
10. How does the narrator speak of Ranga’s
character?
a. Poorly b. highly c. manipulatively d. does not
speak of his chararcter.
 Answers for MCQ
1 b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5. d 6 .b 7.c 8. c 9. a 10. c
Thank you