Thursday, November 25, 2010

Rabindranath and Jagadishchandra (contd-1)

The relation between Rabindranath and Jagadishchandra Bose was well expressed in the book of Selected Letters and the Poetry of Rabindranath Tagore addressed to Jagadish Chandra Bose on two occasions.  Prasanta Kumar Pal, in his book 'Rabijibani' (p.148-149) wrote that  Jagadishchndra recorded by phonograph the Brahmasangeet sung by Rabindranath at Presidency College in 1891 but the relation between Rabindranath and Jagadishchandra  became close from this time (from 1897). The biographer of Jagadish Chandra Bose, Patrick Geddes, described in his book : 'on the occasion of Bose's return (April 1897) from his successful visit in Europe in 1896, Tagore called to congratulate him and, not finding him at home, left on his work table a great blossom of magnolia, as a fitting and characteristic message of regard. Since that tme the two were increasingly together, each complementing and thereby widening and deepening the other's characteristic outlook on nature and life. Rabindranath himself recognised this.  On 2 November 1900, he wrote from London that though Jagadishchandra was practically an unknown to him three years ago, the latter's affection had made it impossible for Rabindranath not to reciprocate.