Summary: Horegallu
Sudha Murty's essay "Horegallu" beautifully connects childhood memories with life lessons about compassion and service. The story revolves around a stone bench (horegallu) in the author's village, placed under a large banyan tree where travelers would rest. Her grandfather, a retired schoolteacher, would sit there daily, listening patiently to weary villagers sharing their burdens and worries. Though he offered no solutions, his empathetic listening refreshed them enough to continue their journeys. Years later, working in Mumbai, the author encounters Ratna, a middle-aged colleague who similarly spends lunch hours listening to people's troubles without judgment or gossip. Ratna's approach mirrors the grandfather's wisdom that people need a safe space to unburden themselves temporarily before resuming life's journey. The essay highlights how simple acts of listening and providing emotional support constitute meaningful social service, even without wealth or recognition.
Summary Malayalam: Horegallu
സുധാമൂർത്തിയുടെ "ഹൊരെഗല്ലു" എന്ന ലേഖനം കുട്ടിക്കാലത്തെ ഓർമ്മകളെ ജീവിതപാഠങ്ങളുമായി മനോഹരമായി കൂട്ടിയിണക്കുന്നു. കഥ രചയിതാവിന്റെ ഗ്രാമത്തിലെ ഒരു കല്ല് ബെഞ്ചിനെ (ഹൊരെഗല്ലു) കേന്ദ്രീകരിച്ചാണ്. വലിയ ആലമരത്തിന്റെ ചുവട്ടിൽ യാത്രക്കാർ വിശ്രമിക്കുന്നതിനായി വച്ചിരുന്ന ഈ കല്ലിന് സമീപം അവളുടെ മുത്തച്ഛൻ, ഒരു വിരമിച്ച അദ്ധ്യാപകൻ, ദിവസവും ഇരുന്ന് ക്ഷീണിതരായ ഗ്രാമവാസികളുടെ ദുഃഖങ്ങളും വേവലാതികളും ക്ഷമയോടെ കേട്ടിരുന്നു. പരിഹാരങ്ങളൊന്നും നൽകാതെ തന്നെ, അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ സഹാനുഭൂതിയോടെയുള്ള ശ്രവണം അവരെ യാത്ര തുടരാൻ ഉത്സാഹിപ്പിച്ചു. വർഷങ്ങൾക്കുശേഷം മുംബൈയിൽ ജോലി ചെയ്യുമ്പോൾ, ഉച്ചഭക്ഷണ സമയത്ത് ആളുകളുടെ പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ വിധിയോ ഗോസിപ്പോ ഇല്ലാതെ കേൾക്കുന്ന രത്ന എന്ന സഹപ്രവർത്തകയെ അവൾ കണ്ടുമുട്ടുന്നു. രത്നയുടെ സമീപനം മുത്തച്ഛന്റെ ജ്ഞാനത്തെ പ്രതിഫലിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. സമ്പത്തോ അംഗീകാരമോ ഇല്ലാതെ പോലും, ശ്രവണവും വൈകാരിക പിന്തുണയും എന്നത് അർത്ഥവത്തായ സാമൂഹിക സേവനമാണെന്ന് ഈ ലേഖനം എടുത്തുകാട്ടുന്നു.
About Sudha Murty
- Sudha Murty is one of India's most celebrated authors and social workers.
- Born in 1950 in Shiggaon, North Karnataka, she has made significant contributions in multiple fields. She holds an M.Tech degree in Computer Science and has taught the subject to postgraduate students.
- As a prolific writer, she creates works in both English and Kannada, spanning various genres including novels, technical books, travelogues, short story collections, and non-fiction pieces.
- Her writing is known for its simplicity, warmth, and deep insights into human nature and Indian culture.
- She is also the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, through which she engages in extensive philanthropic work.
- "Horegallu" is taken from her book "The Old Man and His God: Discovering the Spirit of India" published by Penguin Books in 2006.
Questions and Answers
What is a "horegallu"? What is its purpose?
A horegallu literally means "a stone that can bear weight." It is a large flat stone placed horizontally over two vertical stones, creating a stone bench. The purpose of a horegallu is to provide a resting place for weary travelers. People could sit on it, rest for a while, chat with fellow travelers, exchange news, drink cool water kept nearby in earthen pots, and refresh themselves before continuing their journey. It serves as both a physical resting spot and a space for human connection and relief from life's burdens.
What are the special memories the author associates with "horegallu"?
The horegallu holds special memories for the author because it is inextricably linked with her grandfather. As a child during summer holidays, she would play under the large banyan tree in her village and sit next to her grandfather at the horegallu. She would observe him talking to travelers and listen to their conversations. Her grandfather, a retired schoolteacher, spent hours every day sitting under the tree, patiently listening to villagers who came there exhausted from their work in the fields. These moments of watching her grandfather provide comfort through simple listening left a lasting impression on her understanding of compassion and service.
How does the grandfather refresh the travellers?
The grandfather refreshes the travelers not by solving their problems or giving advice, but simply by listening to them with patience and sympathy. The tired villagers would come carrying heavy burdens, drink cool water, wash their faces, and talk to him about their daily lives and worries—the hot weather, difficult work, family concerns, and other hardships. He would listen attentively without judgment. Just the act of talking to him and sharing their burdens seemed to refresh them. After spending time with him, they would pick up their loads with renewed ease and continue their journey. His empathetic presence provided the emotional relief they needed.
Is "horegallu" essential in a journey? Why?
Yes, according to the grandfather, a horegallu is essential in any journey. He explains that we all carry burdens according to our situations and capacities, but every once in a while, we need to stop, put down that burden, and rest. Only then can we be refreshed enough to pick up the load once more. The horegallu gives everyone the opportunity to pause, rest, and regain their strength before continuing. It represents the necessary breaks we all need in life's journey to cope with our responsibilities and challenges. Without such pauses, we would be overwhelmed by the continuous weight of our burdens.
"Horegallu" gives everyone the opportunity to regain their strength. What does the author try to indicate here?
The author indicates that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, needs moments of respite in life. The horegallu symbolizes a safe space where people can temporarily set aside their physical and emotional burdens, refresh themselves, and gather strength to continue. This goes beyond physical rest—it represents the human need for emotional unburdening, for being heard without judgment, and for finding moments of relief in life's difficult journey. The author suggests that such opportunities for pause and renewal are not luxuries but necessities that help people cope with life's challenges and continue moving forward with renewed energy.
Bring out the symbolic significance of the word "burden."
The word "burden" has both literal and symbolic significance in the essay. Literally, it refers to the physical loads that villagers carried on their heads while walking long distances to work in the fields. Symbolically, it represents the emotional, psychological, and social weights that people carry in their lives—worries, troubles, responsibilities, fears, and difficulties. Just as the physical burdens tire the body, emotional burdens strain the mind and spirit. The essay suggests that while we cannot always remove these burdens entirely, we need places and people (like the horegallu and those who listen) where we can temporarily rest from them, talk about them, and find the strength to carry them again.
Comment on the expression "infectious cheerfulness."
The expression "infectious cheerfulness" describes Ratna's personality and demeanor at work. Despite doing repetitive and mundane work for twenty-five years, she maintains a constantly positive and joyful attitude. The word "infectious" suggests that her cheerfulness spreads to others around her, uplifting the workplace atmosphere. This quality is remarkable because it shows that genuine happiness and positivity can be contagious, affecting everyone in the environment. Her cheerfulness likely stems from the satisfaction she derives from helping others through listening, which gives her inner joy. This expression highlights how a person's positive energy can transform their surroundings and inspire others.
What does Ratna do during lunch hours?
During lunch hours, Ratna sits with different colleagues in one of the rooms and has long conversations with them. She listens to people who share their troubles and worries with her. She does not offer solutions or advice but simply provides a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear. She maintains complete confidentiality and never gossips or breaks anyone's trust. Through this patient listening, she helps relieve people's emotional burdens temporarily, allowing them to feel lighter and more capable of handling their problems. She considers this listening as a way of using the two ears God has given her to serve others.
What is Ratna's simplistic outlook?
Ratna's simplistic outlook is her belief in the healing power of listening. She understands that she cannot solve other people's problems for them and that each person must find their own solutions. However, she recognizes that when someone under strain or in trouble finds an outlet for their worries, it relieves half their burden. Her approach is simple: listen with sympathy, without judgment, and maintain absolute confidentiality. She doesn't claim to be a trained counselor or intellectual; she simply uses her natural compassion and the gift of attentive listening to help others. This seemingly simple act, according to her, provides significant relief to troubled people, helping them regain strength to face their challenges.
The author wishes there were many more of "horegallus" in the world. Comment.
When the author wishes for more "horegallus" in the world, she is expressing a desire for more people like her grandfather and Ratna—compassionate listeners who provide emotional support to others without seeking recognition or reward. In today's fast-paced, self-centered world, people are often too busy or indifferent to truly listen to others' problems. The author recognizes that both her grandfather and Ratna performed tremendous social service through simple acts of kindness that gave them joy. These "horegallus" represent safe spaces and empathetic individuals who allow people to unburden themselves temporarily. The world needs more such sanctuaries and compassionate souls who understand that sometimes the greatest help we can offer is a patient, non-judgmental ear and a caring presence.