Friday, March 30, 2012

Rabindranath and South India (contd-1)


Gnan Saran Chakravarti wrote to Rabindranath;
" It is necessary for us to know how long you may stay in Mysore, we shall prepare a timetable when, where and how long you will stay, if we make arrangement for your stay in Mysore as per the following routine, will it be acceptable to you;
10th Jan-Friday-Reaching Bangalore, rest and sight seeing,
11th Jan-Saturday-get together with local litterateur, and Musicians,/ Evening lecture
12 Jan- Sunday- in the evening Play to be staged by Dramatic association,
13th Jan- Mon- Opening of At Exhibition/ conference in the afternoon,
14th Jan- Tuesday- To see Mysore and other important places.
You have informed us that you will not meet with General public or any  open meeting. We shall try our level best to fulfill  your feeling.
But we are not in a position  to obstruct all the approaches of the general people. But we shall surely look to the matter that you are not bored or it will hurt your feeling.
Moreover, arrangements had been made to provide him lodging with his company  in the building " Gnanalay". But the above  programme  was changed to some extent.
Having circulated the news of the visit of Rabindranath Tagore, invitation also came from Mysore.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the then Professor of Mysore Maharaja College. In Nov 1918, he published one of his research work " The Philosophy of Rabindanath Tagore" which had its second edition in 1919' He dedicated the in the name of Rabindranath Tagore and asked him to write the introduction of the book (2nd Edition). On receiving this Rabindranath wrote on 28th Dec, 1918,
" Your book has reached me and delighted me.When you sent me your proofs I felt greatly reluctant in going over them and I asked Mr. Andrews to do it for me. I cannot presume to have any definite opinion about the philosophy of my own writings, and even if I do, it is not unlikely be wrong. Therefore, I tried to keep, as much as was possible for me, a mood of detachment from the subject matter of your book and I read it as it dealt with another person than myself. And though my criticism of a book that concerns me may not be seriously accepted, I can say that it has surpassed my expectations. The earnestness of you endeavour and your penetration have amazed me in this book; and I am thankful to you for the literary grace of its language which is so beautifully free from all technical jargon and a mere display of scholarship."
Dr. radhakrishnan requested Rabindranath Tagore to deliver a lecture to the students of Maharajas College of Mysore.    
(Dr Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Telugu: సర్వేపల్లి రాధాకృష్ణ, Hindi: सर्वेप्पल्ली राधाकृष्णन; 5 September 1888, Tiruttani, Tamil Nadu – 17 April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He was the first Vice President of India (1952–1962) and subsequently the second President of India (1962–1967).
One of India's most influential scholars of comparative religion and philosophy)