Sunday, March 4, 2012

Rabindranath in America - New York City (contd-30)

On 18th Nov Rabindranath reached New York City. This news was descried by New York City World
on 19th nov ;
" Travelers in the Grand Central Terminal late Yesterday afternoon stopped in astonishment to watch the unusual sight of a tall, dignified man, dressed in a long dark Red gown and square turban, who came from one of the trains. it was Sir Rabindranath Tagore." Rabindranath Here Rabindranath did not took any Hotel, he got 535 Park Avenue, the house of Dr. E.W.Paterson, the accomodation arranged by Mes. Moody.. She wrote Paterson on 31 Oct from this place;
" I want you and him to feel absolutely free to do whatever you think is best, even if it should involve the decision to go to a hotel instead of coming to us..  I promised you not not make any social engagements of any kind for Sir Rabindranath without his express permission, and I shall not. Before your letter came, I had already arranged a complete separate household for you. You are to have all your meals, including dinner, in your own apartment, coming to dinner with us only occasionally, and when you feel like it. There will be many an evening when the poet will long for solitude after the crowded days he is sure to have in New York. I have an excellent woman who is a good cook and a good manager, who is to devote all her time to you. It will be as if you had taken a furnished apartment and a servant of your own for the time of your visit here. I suggest that any rate you come and try it, and if you still find yourselves hampered in any way, you can always make some new arrangement. I think you know that Dr. Paterson and I both understand entirely, how much the freedom solitude is necessary to a sensitive being like the one for whose comfort we are trying to provide. The little flat does not look as unattractive as I thought it would. There is room enough for Mukul too, if you like to bring him and you need have no anxieties about the vegetarian diet, that will be easily arranged."
Mrs. Moody had done everything for Rabindranath's comfort as she had said in her letter.
Mukul Chandra remained in Chicago for his lesson in Art
Having reached New York,Rabindranath met with some reporters in the house of Dr. Paterson where he took his accommodation. The papers published in the next two days the excerpts of their interview in different titles
" India will be free / Tagore. Poet says/Sees in Nationalism and Colonial Systems impediments to W//orld's Progress/Hopes the allies Win/ Arriving in New York , declares His Mission is to bring Ideals of the East to the West....etc.