Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Rabindranath and son of Patrick Geddes

His name was Patrick Geddes, and he was born in 1854, in Scotland. After making a considerable reputation as a town planner in Europe, he came to India in 1914, at the age of 60. For the next eight years, Geddes was based in the sub-continent, studying and writing about the culture and ecology of the Indian city.
When Rabindranath was travelling through different cities of south of India, Patrick Geddes came to Santiniketan for two days with his son Arthur on 3rd Nov. This news was reported in Santiniketan in Kartik-issue. It said;
"  Patrick Geddes had visited Ashram, Surul, and near by villages and suggested several reforms on construction of houses, purification of ponds, eradication of malaria and other aspects.
Dr. Geddes wanted that his son Arthur be engaged in the works of Surul. Knowing this Rabindranath became very pleased and wrote in a letter on 22nd Dec, welcoming Arthur to Surul;
" Your idea of the graphic representation of the growth of human life and mind, the cycle of their activities and varied manifestations has strongly captured my mind.I wish we could make a place for it in our institution. It is not  in our power to collect at once all the materials necessary for it, but we can make a start if we have an efficient guidance. Will Arthur be able to help us if it becomes possible for him to come? I hope someday some of your students may take up this work here."