Rabindranath, Balaka O Jnanadanandini (contd-1)

Parthajit Gangopadhyaya in his editorial introduction discussed in detail, since 1818, the publication of literature for children. He mentioned that Khagendra Mitra described 'Digdarshan' by John Clerk as the pioneering magazine for children. Then several magazines came into being. Starting  from Pashwabali  came Jnanoday, Bidyadarpan, Satyapradip etc.In 1866 Abodhbandhu and in 1878 Balaka Bandhu were published. Parthajit in his collection of the issues of Balakas also introduced the writers by their photograph and short bio-data. The total number of writers participating in Balaka was 28.

Rabindranath, Balaka O Jnadanandini

In April 1885 (Baishakh 1292), the monthly magazine Balaka, edited by Jnanadanandini (wife of Satyendranath), was being published regulraly. She was staying in Calcutta for her children's education. Thakurbari was full of boys and girls growning  up together, such as Sudhindranath, the fourth son of Dwijendranath, Balendranath, son of Birendranath, Hitendranath, son of Hemendranath and of the house no.5, Gaganendranath, Samarendranath, Abanindranath, the three brothers. Jnanadanandini knew Rabindranath was to be given the charge of managing the magazine Balaka, though she was at that time editing it. Rabindranath took the responsibility of writing many articles for the magazine. He wrote poetry, essay, letters, comics, a novel in the name of  Mukut, and a big novel Rajarshi within a year.   

Thakur Barir Balaka was first published in April 1885 (1292 Bangabde), edited by Jnanadanndini, with the support of Rabindranath. But it did not live long. After publishing only 11 issues it was amalgamated with 8 years old (29th July 1877) "Bharati", edited by Dwijendranath of which Swarnakumari was the then editor. For six years ( 1293-1299) the magazine was published in the name Bharati O Balaka. In 1300 Bangabda the magazine began to be published, as before, as Bharati. After amalgamation with Bharati Balaka lost its identity, but after 1300 Bangabda it vanished totally.

Parthajit Gangopadhyaya published a collection of these eleven issues, in 22 Shraban, 1415  with his own  introduction. 

Rabindranath at twenty four (1885)

At the beginning of the year, on 19 January, Rabindranath read out an essay on Rammohan Roy at City College Hall on Mirzapur Street. In his lecture he described the utility of  discussing the life of a great man like Rammohan Roy. Most people remember Raja Ram Mohan Roy as the   man who fought to abolish Sati (the practice of a wife immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre) and also founded the Brahmo Samaj. But his contribution was a great deal more than that. Born in Radhanagar, a village in Hooghly District, on 22 May 1772 in a conservative Bengali Brahmin family, he had his elementary education in a village school and studied from the age 12 in a Muslim seminary in Patna where he mastered Persian and Arabic. His knowledge of Arabic enabled him to read the Koran in the original, as well as the works of Sufi saints. He also devoured Arabic translations of the works of Aristotle and Plato.When he was 16, Roy clashed with his orthodox father on the issue of idol worship and laft home. For the next three years he travelled through north India and Tibet to learn about Buddhism. He then visited Varanasi where he learnt Sanskrit and and studied ancient Hindu scriptures. In 1803, he secured a job with with the East India Company and in 1809 he was posted to Rangpur . There he learnt about Jainism and studied the Jain texts. He was drawn to certain aspects of Christianity. The knowledge of different religion helped him to compare these with Vedantic philosophy. He resigned from East India Company and came to Calcutta in 1815. Along with a group of like-minded people, he founded the Atmiya Sabha in 1815. He proved that the practice of Sati did not confer "moksha" (salvation) for the husband as each man was responsible for his own destiny. His relentless effort in the form petitions and writings ultimately led William Bentick to pass an order of banning the practice of Sati. He alsdo published a newspaper in Persian called Miratul-Akbar and a Begali weekly "Sambad Kumudi". Founding of Brahmo Samaj was one of the most important contribution of Ram Mohan Roy. He was close friend of Dwarakanath Tagore and the Tagore family.      

  

   

After being  the Secretary of Adi Brahmo Samaj, Rabindranath wrote 32 Brahmo Sangeet in four months before the ceremony of Magh Utsab. At his initiative a Reading Room was opened at the Brahmo Samaj Building at Chitpore Road.   Rabindranath made many friends in the Brahmo Samaj: other than Akshoy Choudhury, Jyotirindranath, Probodh Chandra Ghosh he was associated with  Priya Nath Sen, Shrish Chandra Majumdar, Kaliprasanna Kabya Bisharad, Ashutosh Choudhury, Jogendranarayan Mitra etc.Jogendranarayan Mitra printed a collection of songs of Rabindranath (1292)-Rabichchaya- the title of which was given by him .He published jointly a book Padaratnabali with Shrish Chandra; Ashutosh Choudhury arranged the poems of Kadi O Komal for printing. Once rabindranath thought that he would print the padabali of Bidyapati, but on hearing that the project was going to be done by Kaliprasanna, he submitted his collected materials to Kaliprasanna Kabyabisharad. Ashutosh choudhury was a brilliant student. He was scholar both of Calcutta and Cambridge University and had a taste for literature.  He married Prativa Devi, daughter of Hemendranath. Rabindranath used to consult him about foreign literature. Priya Nath Sen with knowledge of foreign literature, was at that time very close to Rabindranath, who wrote about this time in his life, "Jiban achilo laghu pratham bayase" 

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The Year 1884

The year 1884 was a remarkable year in Tagore family.  The family lost three important members. Rabindranath's creativity was in full spate. In "Rabindra Jiban Katha" Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyaya said that, sometimes, the mind of Rabindranath became peculiarly detached from the earthly feelings. He himself said that "forgetfulness is one of the motive force of livelihood".  He wrote in a poetry,
"Hetha hote jao puratan,
Hethay Natun Khela Arambha hoyeche".
Many times he welcomed the new, bidding good bye to the old. In reply to a question from someone, he said - if I did not forget, how would I set a new tune to a different song? All the songs would appear with the same tune as in 'Ramprasadi'.
In this year, he started Kadi O Komal (Sharps and Flats). Asutosh Choudhuri, with whom Rabindranath tried to go to England for the second time but changed his mind, came back to India after becoming a  barristor with knowledge of French. Ashu could discern resemblances between many of the poems of Kadi O Komal and old French poems he knew. According to him the common element in all these poems was the attraction which the play of world life had for the poet and this had found varied expression in each and every one of them. The unfulfilled desire to  enter into this larger life was the fundamental motive throughout. "I would arrange and publish these poems for you", said Ashu, and accordingly that task was entrusted to him. The poem beginning  This World is sweet was the one he considered to be the keynote of the whole series and so he placed it at the begining of the volume.
Rabindranath wrote Nalini, the first prose drama and 8 Brahma Sangeet for Magh Utsab. It was decided that the lyrical drama 'Bibaha Utsab" written by Rabindranath will be staged at the wedding of Hiranmayee, the eldest daughter of Swarna Kumari. Jyotirindranath, Akshoy Choudhury and Rabindranath would take part in the play. Out of 45 songs of the drama 28 were constructed by Rabindranath of which 18 songs were constructed recently.
He read an eassay, "Akalkushmanda", written by him, at Sabitri Library.
Poems 'Dukha diyecho, kshati nei', 'Chaliachi grihapane, kheladhula abasan'   were written in Kadi O Komal.
Rabindranath had a journey by steamer and wrote 'Sarojini Prayan' .
He became the Secretary of Adi Brahma Samaj in Sept 1884 and continued in the post for many years. Some essays and some parodies were also written by Rabindranath which was published in "Sanjibani".

There were eassays of Rabindranath in the magazine Nabajiban edited by Akshoy chandra Sarkar and in the magazine "Prachar" edited by Rakhalchandra Bandyopadhyaya..

Kadambari Devi

Krishna Kripalani, who married Tagore's granddaughter, writes in his own biography of Tagore, the futility of speculating on the causes of the suicide by Kadambari Devi.
The effect of Kadambari Devi's death on the mind of Rabindranath can readily be established from Tagore's own words expressed in  a correspondence to a young Amiya Chakraborty of about 16, who would, a decade or so later, become Tagore's literary secretary for a period of time. Tagore wrote to him in 1917 (Kripalani's translation):

Once, when I was about your age, I suffered a devastating sorrow, similar to yours now. A very close relative  of mine committed suicide, and she had been my life's total support, right from childhood onward. And so with her unexpected death it was as if the earth itself receded from beneath my feet, as though the skies above me all went dark. My universe turned empty, my zest for life departed.

In 1884, there were three sad deaths: On 8 January, Keshab Chandra Sen, on  19 April, Kadambari Devi (an unnatural death), and on 5 June,  Hemendranath Tagore. This was a great loss to the Tagore family, specially the untimely death of Hemendranath Tagore at the age of 40 years. In his reminiscences, Rabindranath spent more than 2,500 words to explain the loss of Kadambari Devi. He wrote that his mother's death did not affect him so strongly for  he was too young ( 14 years old) and Kadambari Devi, aged 16, assumed the role of a surrogate maternal figure. Tagore's biographer, Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyaya, writes that she was more a playmate.  A number of poems written by Rabindranath at different times expresses his deep sorrow.  He dedicated four books to her before her death and two more after. In 1901, he portrayed her as Charu in Nashtanir.  Mr. Krishna Kripalini concluded that

"I have nothing more to add to this controversy. I, personally, believe that, with my little knowledge of Rabindranath Tagore and his family life, Kadambari Devi was in love with him, and when his marriage was organised by  his family she was heartbroken and committed suicide. (http:// forums.sulekha.com/forums/coffeehouse/kadambari-devi-rabindranath-tagore) 

(Quote From Reminiscences of Tagore)

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"Suicide of a star" is a poem full of obscure anguish and was probably written in the villa of Chandannagar (1881). Not long before this, Kadambari was said to have attempted suicide; there is no evidence, only the statement of a Bengali Biographer who new Tagore. Were it not for the repeated use of the word Jyoti (light lustre), the poem could be dismissed as the product of an overwrought twenty-year old's imagination, the 'light of the Moonless night'. But would Rabindranath have made such a pun on Jyotirindranath's name when writing about such a serious subject as suicide ?       Was he trying to jolt his maverick brother, his favourite, into an awareness of future danger?
In early 1879 , while Rabi was enduring in London winter, Atmaram Turkhud, social reformer  of Bombay visited Calcutta with his two younger daughters, one of them Ana. It seems highly likely that marriage between Ana and Rabi was mooted by Atmaram- and rejected by Debendranath. Ana's own feelings may be gauged from the fact that after her marriage  (to a Scotsman), she continued to use Nalini, the name Rabindranath had given her , as a literary name and that one of her nephews was named Rabindranath.Ana died young in Edinburgh in obscurity. Just before  marriage  Rabindranath published 'Chabi o Gan' (Pictures and songs) and dedicated it to Kadambari. One of the poem was 'Rahur Prem'. Two months after publication, Kadambari Devi committed suicide, aged about 25, ...The police report appears to have been destroyed, along with a rumoured letter in which Kadambari explained her reasons for suicide, and all her other letters - presumably by the orders of Debendranath , to avoid scandal. There was no report  in the newspaper, in the family account book there was an entry, 'Expenses towards  suppresing the news of the death to the press Rs. 52. From June 1883, Kadambari Devi was suffering from an unspecified illness. There is no firm evidence that it was a mental illness.However there was considerable mental illness in the Jorasanko mansion (Tagore house). and one or two other cases of suicide in the family. Thirty years later, Rabindranath himself had a period of suicidal depression. His faith in his powers  as an artist seems to have pulled him through.But Kadambari was denied of any out let for intense emotions as a woman in a patriarchal society.   

"The First Sorrow", a poem by Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath was married to Bhabatarini (renamed Mrinalini) on 9 December 1883. Kadambari (originally Kadambini) was born in 1859 and at the age 9 was married to Jyotirindranath, aged 19,  on 5 July 1868 when Rabindranath was 7 and was admitted to Oriental Seminary and subsequently to Normal School. Kadambari Devi was the first lady to go to maidan on horse back from Jorasanko.She died after committing suicide on 19 April, 1884, the cause of which is unknown. After 4+ months of Rabindranath's marriage the whole family got a rude shock due to the sudden death of Kadambari. Some presumed that there might have been a misunderstanding between Kadambari and Jyotirindranath. She was affectionate to Rabindranath from the very begining and in return Rabindranath paid sufficient respect to her which was revealed in "Pushpanjali", written by Rabindranath. Moreover he wrote many songs and dedicated many books in remembrance to Kadambari. Maitrayee Devi having learnt from Rabindranath at his old age about Kadambari Devi commented that she (Kadambari Devi) had a strong and lasting influence on the mind of Rabindranath which showed her talent. After the death of Kadambari, many gossips, many speculations took place in and around Kolakata which still persist. The basis of much of this was some creations of Rabindranath before and after the sad happening. An article was published by Trinity from a web site on "Tagore's relationship with Kadambari and his own wife".   A book named "Rabindranath Tagore"  written by Krishna Dutta and Andrew Robinson may also be referred to here. "Bhagna Hriday" (The Broken Heart) was Tagore's first published book. "Its dedication , translated from Bengali it meant 'for Lady He'. In later life Rabindranath  admitted  in a conversaion that 'He' stood for Hecate, the name he had given to Kadambari. Convention permitted an intimacy not allowed between other in-laws, with an element of danger, 'the possibility that a relationship of a rather deep in nature might develop' in the words of Satyajit Ray . His film Charulata based on Rabindranath's own relationship with Kadambari, caught the nuances of this unwestern bond; unmistakably erotic and passionate, but not consciously physical.            

Rabindranath and Brahmo Samaj

The  year 1884 is  remarkable in the history of Tagore family. Firstly, due to the death of Keshab Chandra Sen, Brahmo Samaj faced an organisational setback. To cope with the situation and to reorganize the Brahmo Samaj, Debendranath selected Rabindranath as its Secretary and Dwijendranath as the editor of "Tattwabodhini Patrika".
In the meantime, many learned persons were attracted to Ramkrishna Paramhangsa's devotion to God. Shashadhar Tarkachuramoni and other Pandits, at that time,  began to explain some of the tenets and practices of Hinduism with the help of scientific postulates to half-learned people. Two monthly magazines, Nabajiban and Prachar, came to light  to explain the greatness of Hinduism in place of Brahmoism. Bankim Chandra, Chandranath Basu etc were amongst the contributors.
Rabindranath criticized severely some of the essays in these magazines and he had some heated exchanges in with Bankimchandra, who ultimtely took a cordial view of their differences on the ground that Rabindrababu was talented, learned and an influential person, who deserved affection and importance, specially as he was young.  He considered Rabindranath's arguments to be exaggerated but was, nevertheless, eager to hear his views.
Rabindranath too wrote in his "Jibansmriti" that his mis-understanding with Bankimchandra was cleared by a the latter's letter (which is lost) in which he forgave Rabindranath completely.  The acrimonious past was erased.        

Keshab Chander Sen and Tagore family (contd-1)

In 1857, Keshab Sen took up a clerkship, this time as a private secretary to Dwijendranath Tagore and joined the Brahmo Samaj. In 1859, Sen dedicated himself to the Acharya, organisational work of the Brahmo Samaj, and in 1862 was assigned, by Hemendranath Tagore, a stipendiary ministry (Acharya) of one of its Worship Houses despite being a non-Brahmin (previously a Shudra, untouchable, had been made an Acharya by Debendranath Tagore).
In 1858, he left his home in Colootola and took refuge in the Jorasanko House of the Tagore family when the patriarch of the family was then away. In 1862, Sen helped in the founding of  Albert College and wrote articles for the Indian Mirror,    a weekly journal of the Calcutta Brahmo Samaj in which social and moral subjects were debated.
In 1863, he wrote the Brahmo Samaj Vindicated. He strongly criticised Christianity and travelled about the country lecturing and preaching that the Brahmo Samaj was intended to revitalize Hindu religion through use of ancient Hindu sources and the authority of the Vedas. By 1865, however, Sen was convinced that only Christian doctrine could bring new life to Hindu Society.
In 1865, he left the Brahmo Samaj after "an open break with its founder Debendranath Tagore" over Christian practices in Brahmoism, and the next year (1866) with encouragement of the Unitarian Preacher, Charles Dall, he joined another new  organisation Bharatbarshiya Brahmo Samaj as its secretary (president being god). Tagore's Brahmo Samaj then quickly purged itself of Sen's Christian teaching and encouraged being described as Adi Brahmo Samaj to distinguish it from Sen's deliberately eponymous version.

Keshab Chandra Sen and Tagore family

Keshab Chandra Sen died on 8 January 1884. He was a Bengali Scholar, an orator, and a religious leader. He was trying to envision and establish a syncretic-synthetic religion with amalgamation of the best principles of Christianity and Hinduism. However his Brahmo Samaj was against idol or image worship. Their faith was in "Saguna Nirakar" aspect of god. God without form but with benevolent attributes- if one may say so. Quite a few bright and young college students came under the influence of this seemingly new, progressive and liberal reformist religious movemnt. He was the third chief of Brahmo Samaj and his service book for Samaj meetings, the slokasangraha, was a collection of texts from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Chinese scriptures. It was a movement brought to birth by the conflict of East and West in the realm of intellect, and an attempt by educated Hindus to find relief from the impossibilities of the faith of their childhood. Pandit Sivanath Shastri gives an insider's view of history of the Brahma Samaj.  Incidentally, despite the differences in ideals, he and Sri Ramkrishna became friends.

Keshab Chandra Sen was born to an affluent Hindu family in Calcutta on 19 November 1838. Originally they belonged to Garifa village on the banks of the river Hooghly.  His grandfather was Ramkamal Sen (1783-1844), a wellknown pro-sati Hindu activist and a lifelong opponent of Rammohan Roy. His father Peary Mohan Sen died when he was ten, and he was brought up by his uncle. As a boy, he attended the Bengali Patshala elementary school and later attended Hindu College in 1845 and Metropolitan College.

In 1855 he founded an evening school for the children of working men, which continued through 1858. In 1855 he became Secretary to the Goodwill Fraternity, a masonic lodge associated with the Unitarian Rev. Charles Dall and a Christian missionary Rev. James Long who also helped Sen. Sen established a British Indian Association in the same year.

Keshab Chunder Sen was also briefly appointed as Secretary of the Asiatic Society in 1854. For a short time thereafter Sen was also a clerk in the Bank of Bengal but resigned his post to devote himself exclusively to literature and philosophy.     .    

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-9)

After leaving Karwar, Jyotirindranath, his wife and Rabindranath, came to a garden house on the Circular Road, near Chowrangee. To the south there was a large basti visible from Rabindranath's room. Rabindranath would often sit near the window and watch the sights of the people of the basti, their comings and goings. It seemed to be a living story to him. His first book, "Morning Songs", came to an end. .He painted the pictures he saw around him in the book, "Pictures and Songs." (Chabi o Gaan).

He wrote many essays at this stage, the titles of which were, Lekha Kumari o Chapa Sundari, Gnop o Dim, Chnechiye Bala, Jihba Asphalan, National Fund, Akal Kushmanda, Hate Kalame. All eassays were satires. He wrote, in an eassay, about the spread of education in Bengali medium. In his opinion education in English medium would not spread throughout Bengal.
On 9 December 1883, Rabindranath was married to Bhabatarini, daughter of Benimadhab Roychoudury of Jessore, a pirali Brahmin. Her name was changed to Mrinalini.  Under the instruction of Debendranath through a letter, she was admitted to Loreto School. Rabindranath was affectionate and caring to his wife..

Rabindranath's Creativity (cont-8)-Karwar

Karwar is the administrative headquarters of  Uttara Kannada district in Karnatak, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The Karwar is derived from a nearby village called Kadwad (as the British could not pronounce "d" and replaced r for d.)
Karwar was an ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later the British. The Sadashivgad fort is of historical importance situated by the Kali river bridge. Karwar was a part of the Maratha empire during the 18th century. After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third war of Anglo-Maratha, it became a part of the British territory. 
Here Rabindranath wrote many articles, drama, song, poetry and short essays. His best creation in this period was "Prakritir Pratishod". This drama was not in the background of songs. Only the monk's dialogue was in the verse.

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-7), Karwar

Karwar was the headquarter of the Kannara district in the southern portion of the Bombay Presidency. Satyendranath was posted there as a judge.The little harbour, ringed round with the Malaya hills. Its crescent shaped beach throws out its arms to the shoreless open sea like the very image of an eager striving to embrace the infinite. The edge of the broad sandy beach was fringed with a forest of casuarinas, broken at one end by the "Kala nadi" or Kali river into the sea after passing through a gorge flanked by rows of hills on either side. In one moonlit evening Rabindranath and others went up this river in a little boat and stopped at one of Shivaji's old hill forts. They sat on a spot where moonbeams fell glancing off the top of the outer enclosure, and there ate the food they had brought with them.The night brooded over the motionless hills and forests, and on the silent flowing stream of this little Kalanadi throwing over all its moonlight spell. It took a good time to reach the mouth of the river. The deep silence of this illimitable whiteness they  walked along with their shadows , without a word. The sleep came over their eyes when they reached home..

Shivaji's Pratapgad Fort

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-6), Sandhya Sangeet and Pravat Sangeet

In 1881-1882, amongst other things Rabindranath finished  3 important projects, 1. Bauthakuranir Hat, a novel, 2. Sandhya Sangeet, comprising 26 poems and, 3. Pravat Sangeet, comprising 16 poems. Some poems published in Sandhya Sangeet had been placed in Hriday Aranya.
Jyotidada and his wife went out trvelling and  Rabindranath was left alone. He passed his time alone in the vacant rooms and the roof of second floor. Rabindranath felt freed of all bondage and his creativity flowed freely. The poetry which he wrote then was purely of his own, even though they may not have been superlative. This was the first time that the poetry bore Rabindranath's own style and he was pleased about this. The honing of his poetic techniques came later. Some of this poetry were pessimistic. Pravat Sangeet was alive with passion, of course. In Nirjharer Swapna Bhagna, one of the most famous of its poems, he celebrates and exults in the new.
While compiling for printing, Rabindranath discarded many poems, excepting those that were to later become Bhanu Singher Padabali. In his old age, he wanted to discard Sandhya Sangeet also but he disisted because of the objections raised by many.
In 1882, Kamala, the daughter of Ramesh Chandra Dutta was married to P. N. Basu. BankimChandra and Rabindranath both were present on the occasion. Bankim Chandra was so pleased with Sandhya Sangeet that he offered the garland, offered to  him, to Rabindranath Tagore as a mark of recognition of the book, Sandhya Sangeet.
In autumn (1882) Rabindranath went to Darjeeling with Jyotidada and Kadambari. He thought that the feelings of Pravat Sangeet would jump to a height in Darjeeling but nothing  remarkable happened. Only he was able to create another Kabya "Pratidhwani".
In this year Kalmrigaya was staged on the occasion of Biddwatjana Samagama.
Jyotirindranath was a very good organiser. He was good at choosing the right person for the right posts. He wanted to start a Literary Academy by bringing together all the men of letters of repute. The object of this Literary Academy was to find authoritative technical terms for the Bengali language and to assist its growth. Dr. Rajendrahal Mitra took up the idea of this Academy with enthusiasm, and he was eventually its president for the short time it lasted. Rabindranath went to Pandit Vidyasagar and request him to join. Vidyasagar gave patient hearing to Rabindranath's explanation of its objects and the list of names proposed for the academy and said that his suggestion was to leave them out of the list for nothing could be achieved with big wigs because they would never agree with one another. Bankim Babu became a member but did not take much interest in it. So long as Rajendrahal Mitra took the chair, he did everything single handed.
Pandit Vidyasagar's prophecy was fulfilled and the academy withered away shortly after sprouting.  

(Video) Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-5), Sundaro Lagori Hai -Sandhya Mukherjee -Rare Song -Classical (Rabindra Sa...

The writing of Bauthakuranir Hat started when Rabindranath was at Chandannagar and it was finished when he was in Kolkata in a rented house at Sadar Street. It was serialiased in Bharati. One day in the morning at Sadar Street Rabindranath had a joyful feeling. His sorrows had been totally removed by the morning sun rays coming from all the directions. In his excitement he created Nirjharer Swapnabhagna. "Aji e provate rabir kar ...". which was incorporated in Prabhat Sangeet.
This year, in the Biddwatjana Samagama, Kalmrigaya of Rabindranath was to be staged. Rabindranath acted as the blind rishi and Jyotirindranath as Dasharatha. Kalmrigaya was being staged in Shishu Mahal and was appreciated.

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-4)

Valmiki Prativa was one of Tagore's major early creations. Valmiki Pratibha was not a composition which will bear being read. Its significance is lost if it is not heard sung and seen acted. After Valmiki Prativba, Rabindranath wrote  two other musical plays of the same type: Kal mrigaya and Mayar Khela.
In  1881, Rabindranath wrote two Kabyas -Rudrachanda and Bhagnahriday. Rudrachanda was just a reprint of Prithwiraj Parajoy, a lyric drama written on his first visit of Santiniketan in 1873, the manuscript of which was lost. It earned fame in those days from literary persons. Rabindranath said like Goethe that he was eighteen. Once Goethe said, "when I was eighteen all my country was eighteen".
Bhagna Hriday was a large lyric written in the form of a drama (34 sarga). Maharaja Birchandra Manikya of Tripura sent his personal clerk, Radharaman Ghosh, to express the Maharaja's appreciation.
A meeting was arranged in Kolkata Medical College by Bethune Society. Rabindranath gave his first lecture on "Sangeet O Bhab" with example in that meeting.
He wrote many small essays while staying with Jyotirindranath in Chandannagar in the same year and a novel- "Bauthakuranir Hat"   and a series of poetry, published in Sandhya Sangeet.
The daughter, Lila, of Rajnarayan Basu ,was married with Krishnakumar Mitra. Rabindranath sung many songs written by him on that occasion. The songs were published in Tattwabodhini Patrika in Bhadra,1803. These were the first songs of marriage. The songs were, "Dui hridayer nadi", " Jagater Purohit", "Subhodin Eseche Dnohe" . The books published in this year were Valmiki Pratbha, Bhagna Hriday, Rudrachanda, Europe Prabasir Patra.
The material for Bauthakuranir Hat was taken from the life of Pratapaditya taken from the book Bangadhipaparajay (1869) of Pratap Chandra Ghosh. Rabindranath also collected some stories from different sources. Durgeshnandini was the first novel  written by Bankimchandra in Bengali in 1865.
Rabindranath said, later, that his mind had emerged into an open field after leaving the four walls of the house begun to roam through an unknown world.
After about thirty years, the poet wrote a drama (1909)- Prayashchittya,  based on the story of this novel. After 20 years of this date (1929)  he wrote "Paritran" and in the middle (1922)  - Muktadhara.
He also wrote some critical essays on Meghnad Badh Kabya. and Baul Sangeet which attracted the minds of the then literary persons.
"Bharati" was reorganised at this stage and a costitution was forrmed . As per constitution, Rajendralal Mitra was elected as President and Krishna Behari Sen, the brother of Keshab Chandra Sen, and Rabindranath was elected joint Secretaries.  Rabindranath felt that Vidyasagar's advice of not going to big personalities for help had been further endorsed. He wrote his experience in an essay. However, Rabindranath took much interest when after some time in Bangiya Sahitya Parishad an attempt was made to find out similar words in Bengali of English words.