Rathindranath and Shantiniketan(contd-7)

Rabindranath was of the opinion that Jagadananda Roy was not fit to look after the zamindari work at Shelaidah and  appointed him as a teacher in Shantiniketan. He was ready to devote his life to this work and had a deep sympathy for the students. He could not bear the sorrow of a student even when he was punished.  Rathindranath mentioned how he could explain difficult science topics in a simple manner in the form of a story. 

From Rathindranath one gets many important information about  Shantiniketan. He wrote about Rebachand that he was an honest person and could teach English well but was strict in his attitude. He insisted on rules and regulations very strictly. He was a very good cricket player. He wanted to introduce the rules of cricket games in all affairs though Rabindranath did not like it.

The life of Brahmacharyashram without any amenities was very hard. The building proposed by Balendranath and constructed later on was the only accomodations for teachers, students and for holding classes. That one-storied building was divided into three portions. One portion was meant for teacher's residence, the second portion  was for the class-rooms and the third portion was kept as a students' hostel.

Early in the morning at fifteen minutes past five,  students had to get up from their bed and complete their ablutions. Since there was no sanitory toilet they had to go to the 'Bhubandanga Dam' to answer nature's call which was popularly known as "Math kara". Even today this business is termed as 'Math kara'. They used to finish their morning bath in the Bhubandanga Dam. At that time there was classifiaction of dress among the students of different castes. For Brahmins, the colour of the dress was white, for Baidya or Kayastha, it was red and for lower castes, it was yellow. They had to put on a long apron over their normal dress. After  a few days, the sartorial distinction of castes was removed and everybody used deep orange (gerua) coloured aprons. Rathindranath wrote that this system was advantageous to them as they could use dirty or torn clothes under their aprons. Wearing their dress, they took their seat under the trees. Each one had to sit under a separate tree for their prayers. They had to utter sacred text in sanskrit. Then they used to take their breakfast with Haluya made up from suji. Half an hour was alloted for exercise when they dug earth  before the mass-prayer at which when both students and teachers would participate. Then they started their classes.    

At 10 a.m., after the study hour, there was time for play as you like, singing with the harmonium or for reading. At half past 11, a vegetarian lunch was served. Only the Brahmin boys used to sit in a separate line. At half past 12, the  study hour resumed and continued upto half past four with a 15 minutes break at 3 p.m.

Then came the games hour. Rathindranath wrote that as football was less costly, it was loved by all and played by all. Once the Maharaja of Nator gifted enough playing materials to the boys but everyone wanted to play football. At half past 6, the evening prayer started. At 9 p.m., after dinner, everybody went to sleep. At half past 6 in the evening, Rabindranath used to meet the boys when he remained in Shantiniketan. This was the daily routine of the boys of Shantiniketan where Rathindranath amongst others was being brought up.     

Rabindranath's family life

Immediately after Mrinalini's death, even when Renuka, his second daughter was seriously ill and he had taken her for a change of scene to Almorah via Hazaribagh and Giridi, and he felt restless and anxious, he never became too perturbed by worldly disturbances. Bangadarshan ran on schedule. But his mind was filled up with publishing his Kabya Granthas.
Sishu was prepared at this time with the help of Mohit Chandra Sen.  After reading the volume, Sen's wife, Shusila Devi, asked Rabindranath to explain why Khoka was so ubiquitous and there was no Khuki. Shusila Devi had two daughters and no son.
Rabindranath replied that at that time the sweet memory of  his wife and his son inspired him to write the poems.     

(Horisan) First Japanese Student in Santiniketan (Contd-6)

A Japanese Budhist monk named Okakura came to Surendranath when Rabindranath was with him at his Ballygunge home. Horisan, a Japanese student of 25 years, came with him to India to learn Sanskrit. He too was a Budhist priest. After travelling through different places like Bodhgaya and Banaras he came to Belur Math to learn sanskrit. But as he was not keeping well there, Surendranath, on 10 June 1902, sent him to Santiniketan. Rabindranath was happy to receive a foreign student in Santiniketan. He wanted to make Santiniketan a global institution and this was the first step. Rabindranath wrote to Jagadish Chandra on 20 June giving him the good news:
'A Japanese student was admitted in my School at Santiniketan' . He wanted to get the whole world in his nest and this was the beginning and he added, 'The boy is good. He has become close to us. Your friend Mira made him her fan by supplying a cup of flowers everyday and learning a Japanese word every day from him.'
The letter written to Brajendra Kishore by Rabindranath was a bit longer. He wrote, 'A Japanese student got admitted here. His name was Hori but he gave his name as Chidananda. He was very polite and calm. He was so attentive in his lesson that it surprised everybody because he came here from a long distance, leaving all his near and dear ones to live in a so lonely a place. The servants living here are also moved at his polite behavior. His main aim was to study Tripitak, the Budhist religious book,  in sanskrit. He would take much time in learning Sanskrit because he could not pronounce a single sanskrit word. He faltered every time. Once he became ill, but his eagerness to learn did not decrease.'
Rabindranath was also taking care of him. He wrote to Manoranjan Bandyopadhyay 'employ Rathi or someone to look after Hori. Hori might be busy during his Entrance Examination so some senior student should look after his food timely  etc'.
Jagadish chandra became acquianted with Hori after coming from London. He prepared a long programme  on how Hory should complete his study. 

Brahmabandhab Upadhyay-School at Shantiniketan (contd-5)

Brahmabandhab Upadhyay (born Bhabanicharan Bandyopadhtay, 1861-1907) was a complicated, rebellious, and seemingly contradictory man in a turbulent period of colonial  history of Bengal. Inspired from an early life with a patriotic zeal for freeing his motherland from the British, at the age seventeen i.e. in the seventees of the ninetieth century, he decided  not to complete his education or to marry but to devote himself to the struggle for independence as a celibate journalist. In time, as a young adult, he became increasingly attracted to the Brahmo teachings of Keshab Chandra Sen.

But gradually he developed a love for Jesus, which led to his conversion to Roman Catholicism in the mid 1890s. Taking the saffron robes of a Hindu renouncer, going barefoot and wearing a cross, he changed his last name from Bandyopadhyay (venerated teacher) to the simpler Upadhyay (teacher).

Influenced by Swami Vivekananda he retraced his steps back to Hinduism. In 1902, he gave a series of lectures in Europe.  He left Shantiniketan within 4/5 months. 

A young graduate, Monaranjan Bhattacharya, became the Headmaster of Santiniketan after the summer vacation. At first the school was free but when Rabindranath observed that his countrymen did not come forward with financial help on the basis of idealism, he began collecting fees from the boarders since July 1902. The vision of an Ashram free of cost ended in no time.   

School at Shantiniketan (contd-4)

Rabindranath was searching for some dedicated teachers for his School at Shantiniketan. He came across two such persons-- Brahmabandhab and Rebachand (full name was Gnanchand Makhijani who took the name of Animananda).
Brahmabandhab was starting a Math along with Rebachand and another student. But because of  the opposition of the authorities of the Catholic Mission the Math could not function. Brahmabandhab lived in a rented house at Beadon Street, Calcutta. Within a short distance was Bethune Row, where he had established his office to run his weekly magazine Sophia. Rebachand was a born teacher. In Sophia, Brahmabandha wrote an essay, namely, "The world Poet of Bengal", where he acknowledged the poetry of Rabindtanath, and thus Rabindranath came to know him.
Rabindranath was thinking of opening a residential school at Santiniketan for some time. Three years earlier Balendranath had constructed a building for opening a 'Brahma Vidyalaya'  there. Now the residential school was established at this place. Viswabharati Library had its office in the building for a long time. Three rooms and an attached verandah were its earlier shape.
Maharshi Debendranath established in Shantiniketan a temple and an Ashram. But at that time there were no activity there. The school was opened formally on 7th Paush with only 5 students. Rabindranath appointed Brahmabandhab Upadhyaya as an organiser. He was contemporary to Rabindranath. His original name was Bhabani Charan Bandyopadyay. He was the son of Kalicharan Bandyopadhyay's brother. Kalicharan was a follower of Jesus Christ .
Rabindranath wrote in Bangadarshan that he gradually grew close to Brahmabandhab who came to understand that Rabindranath ran the school with his father's consent.
Brahmabandhab joined the school along with some of his disciples. Brahmabandhab began to address Rabindranath as "Gurudev" and the name stuck. In such an address, there was much respect but not unmixed with fear. Brahmabandhab was looked upon as a close relative, but he could never influence the Thakur family.
The residential school  was oriented as a "Brahmaacharyashram" by Brahmabandhab. Rabindranath always tried to explain, in his written letters and essays, the importance of the methods of teaching in the preceptor's house in ancient India. But it was not possible for him to stay in Shantiniketan regularly and conduct the school.  That was done by Brahmabandhab. He stayed there for four months. It was impossible for him also to stay in a fixed place for a long time because he was a patriot who was called by the people of his country.
Brahmabandhab could not take classes regularly. He frequently came from Calcutta and advised Rabindranath about the rules and regulations to be introduced in the school. Rabindranath remembered later that during the formation of the school, Brahmabandhab was with him. Brahmabandhab and he discussed many things while walking through the lanes of the villages. He had tremendous strength in his body and once he defeated a Punjabi wrestler.  In the book 'Ashramer roop o bikash' Rabindranath spoke at length of his association with Brahmabandhab.

Mrinalini Devi (contd-8)

Rabindranath's wife died after a brief illness in 1902. He wrote the smaran poems to enshrine her memory. "Mrinalini Devi loved to live a joyful life with her relatives", wrote Prafullamayee Devi, the mother of Balendranath.  

In 1903, Renuka (Rani) died, nine month's after her mother's death. In 1907, the same fate befell his youngest child Samindranath (Sami). Sami was then only eleven years old and died of Cholera while on a visit to Monghyr in Bihar. While nursing Rani in Almora in her last days, Rabindranath wrote the 'Sisu' poems to amuse Sami who had to be left with relatives. Bela died in 1918. The only two children who lived were his elder son, Rathindranath (Rathi), and his youngest daughter, Mira. In 1906, Rathindranath was sent to the University of Illinois at Urbana to study agriculture so that he would have the expertise on his return to work for the improvement of rural life. The following year, Mira was married to Nagendranath Ganguli, who too was sent to Urbana to study agriculture. The marriage did not last, and Rabindranath did not compel Mira to return to her husband. If anything, as is evident from his letters in this context, he blamed himself for Mira not marrying again. He worried about Mira and was heartbroken when her son Nitindranath (Nitu), his only grandson, died at the prime of his life in 1932, aged  twenty-one. During 30 years from 1902 to 1932, Rabindranath lost  five important lives in his life; his wife, his three children, and one grandson.

Rabindranath once suffered a nervous breakdown of which the only record is a letter he wrote to Rathi, very probably in 1915. Inspite of all that went wrong in his life, he continued with every activity and kept his personal pain to himself.        

Mrinalini Devi (contd-7)

He wrote to Mrinalini from Shelaidah in June 1901,

"I have arrived here  after quite a dangerous journey. There were whirlwinds during the first three days which made it  impossible for the boat to move. When we finally but slowly started again we fell into a beel.  As you know, a beel is like a sea, everywhere there is lot of water. All one could see was submerged grain peeping out above the water, or villages looking like small islands as they tried to stay afloat. The cows cannot graze, the people have no ground to walk on. They move from village to village by boat.You cannot imagine such a scene from Bolpur. Every where there is moss floating on the waters, the lotus, the blue flower, also black weed - all producing such a rotten smell. I see kites floating over our heads to catch fish. My mind turns wistful in the evenings on these endless still waters. Things are much more varied when one is on the sea. Also, the sea makes a noise- that is not so here. It is absolutely quite all around. Just the sound of the water from the passing ferry boat.

When the faint moonlight falls on the scene, I really wonder if I am in the world of the dead. I switch off my light, draw my armchair out near the window, and sit absolutely still in the moonlight.The peace of this massive water touches my heart fully. Day before yesterday, there was a storm over this beel from clouds gathering from the western sky.Luckily for us, our boat was floating on a rice field so that we could drop an anchor quickly and somehow manage to cling to the earth below. We started out as soon as the storm was over. But as our luck would have it there was another storm suddenly. This time, too, we  found a safe place by God's grace. Or else there was no knowing where the storm would have taken us.

On arrival here I was informed that I shall have to appear in court this coming Monday. So I must set out tomorrow. I may not get the time to write to you while  I am in Calcutta,  given that there is always so much going on there. That is why I am writing from here. I feel better for having lived on the waters these few days in absolute quite and peace. if I want to recover my broken health , the only way for me is to surrender to these waters. Yet another storm has risen while I am writing to you. Topsi is dropping anchor . I hope to get news from you once I am in Calcutta."

This letter was written by Rabindranath from Kaligram in 1901.     

Mrinalini Devi (contd-6)

After Bela's marriage,  Rabindranath had to take her to her father-in-law's house and informed his wife,

"I have left Bela at her husband's home. Things are not what you imagine them to be from far away. Bela seems to be quite happy there. I believe she is enjoying the new life. She does not need us in the same way now. It is important for a newly married girl to be away from her parents so that she gets time and space to feel comfortable in her new home. The proximity of parents can hinder this process because the two families are inevitably different in habit and taste. Even in little ways with parents around, it is difficult for a girl to forget her earlier life. If she must be given away, why cling on? It is her happiness and peace we must ensure, not ours. If that is more important, why must we burden her with more attachment. 

       

Believe me, Bela is all right . We should find peace in the thought that she is happy. Things would not have been good if we had not let go of her and her husband.  We will continue to love her as before, even more, now that she is far away. We shall enjoy a new and expectant love when they come to us for the pujas, or when we visit them on occasion. Distance is important in all love. Simply surrounding each other may not necessarily be for the good. We will do the same for Rani after her marriage. She must of course stay with us for the first couple of years but when the time is right she must be sent away for her own well-being.

Our family is very different from other Bengali families in culture and taste, language, and neutrality. That is all the more why our girls must stay away from us after they are married. Otherwise, small matters about the husband's family will begin to  tell on their nerves and weaken respect and feeling. We must be particularly mindful about Rani, given her temperament. She will change once she leaves us behind.

Just think back about yourself. If I had stayed on at Phultala ( Mrinalini Devi's home town in the Jessore district  of East Bengal)."                      

Mrinalini Devi (cond-5)

Rabindranath wrote letters regularly to his wife but he only occasionally received letters from her. He was delighted when he got a reply from his wife. One day he got two replies at a time. He wrote,
" I am so delighted to get all of two letters from you today. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond... because I must go to Bolpur today.  I have read out to father my address for the Seventh of Poush
celebrations (Seventh of Poush was the foundation day of Santiniketan Ashram). He has asked me to expand it a bit here and there. I have to get down to that now. There is only an hour left to finish it."
"Please don't work any harder for my happiness. Your love is enough. But it would be very nice if you and I could work together and think together with one mind. I know that cannot always happen even if we wish it. It will make me happy if you could join me in all that we do - and give me much joy if you agree to learn what I want to be learnt... It is easier to move forward if we are so united. I don't wish to leave  you out of anything  I do, but I hesitate to thrust my will on you. Everyone has  the right to do things their way, as they would like to. It may not be possible for you to agree with my wishes and inclinations every time -- I would not worry about it. It is good enough if you agree with my life the way you do with your love."
In another letter he wrote,
" I am back to my writing at the end of the festivities. I am just like a fish back in its own habitat when I can return to my writing. The solitude of this place has given me perfect shelter; none of the trivialities of daily life can touch me any more, so I am able to forgive ny enemies easily. I can well understand how this solitude may not appeal to you. I would have been so happy  if only I could have given you even a portion of my feeling for solitude. But such things can not be given. I can understand how you would miss the hustle and bustle of Calcutta in the first few days when you came here. I can also imagine that it may not be easy for you to cope with so much quiet even after you get used to it.
But when can I do if I can't stand the atmosphere of our Calcutta household any better? When I am there I feel a continuous irritation over every little thing , and lose my peace of mind. Besides, I know that Rathi will not get an adequate education there since everybody around is so restless. You will, therefore, have to accept this exile till I am able to move you to a better place. I cannot surrender my inherent nature to live in Calcutta.
The whole sky is thick with clouds and it has just began to rain. I have closed the glass windows in my room and I am enjoying the rain while I sit and write to you. You don't have this grand view from your room on the second storey.It is so beautiful to see this new rain falling on the rice fields on all sides, I am writing an essay on Meghdut...." ( This letter was written by Rabindranath to Mrinalini Devi in June 1901.)            

Mrinalini Devi (contd-4)

Rabindrnath was caring to his wife and children and kept himself updated writing letters to his wife.
"Yesterday, I received from Dickinson's a bill for Rs. 182, together with a reminder for payment. I shall have to borrow from Satya (his nephew and a finance manager of sorts for the Jorasanko household) again. I shall then owe him nine hundred rupees. Has he given you four hundred rupees? He has not written to me about it yet. There is news of you in Bibi's (his niece Indira Devi Choudhurani) letter today. She writes that you often visit them- that our little one makes all kinds of gestures and sounds in mejo-bouthan's lap. I so long to see her. She will have changed a lot if I spend the whole month of Ashar in the country . Is Khoka also learning to sing along with Beli? Is his voice shaping well? He should be taught not just the sa re ga ma  for voice training but also a song as a start. Otherwise, he soon will lose interest. When I was a boy, I disliked being taught sa re ga ma by Bishnu. I used to be so happy on the days he taught me a song. Why don't you also learn singing with the children? You and I can sit together on a rainy day and talk of music when I am back home. What do you feel?"
He wrote another day,
"You know from my letter to Beli that I was not able to come today. I have stayed home. The post arrived, there were three letters but none from you . I did not expect one but wondered if by divine chance you could have written one by mistake! The joy of living separately is in writing letters to one another. It can be more rewarding than being together. When we write letters we can come closer to each other with only a few words and get as much of each other as possible by way of those few words. What we say to each other when we meet can fade away in the instant excitement of meeting each other. Really and truly, writing letters can become a deeper and more intimate experience of  knowing ourselves than just seeing each other. Don't you agree?"
" I do constantly try not to worry about our children. It is our duty to see to it that they are well behaved and that they get a good education Beyond that it is a mistake to dwel on them. They will grow up to do their life's work in their own way be it good , bad, or indifferent. It is, of course, true that they are our children, but they are also individuals in their own right. We will not have much control over the way they live their lives.Let us do our duty by them but let us not expect too much from them. It is God's hands how they turn out as human beings. It is from a certain vanity that we expect the best from our own progeny. We have no right to do that. After all, are we all that concerned about other children who had hard lives?"
" The future is uncertain no matter how we live. Therefore, it is only sensible that we should simply do our duty and not think of the outcome . We have to forever learn to take both good and bad -- and we must restrain ourselves every time there is an urge to deviate from that path. We have our past, and we can have no prior knowledge about our future . Therefore, all that is possible is to do our work diligently, wherever we are and  whatever the work is . We must also try to be happy and make others happy. If after that we fail it should no matter to us. We must accept and remember that the results are in God's hands once we have done our part. We must at least try to free our minds from expectations."
       

Mrinalini Devi (contd-3)

Rabindranath was given the charge of looking after the zamindari of Debendranath as there was no one else in the Tagore family capable of doing the job after the death of Hemendranath. At the begining he was trained in the office. Then he was asked to go to Shelaidah in North Bengal (at present Bangladesh) to visit the place of work. He wrote to his wife,

'I got your letter just as I was leaving Shelaidah this morning. It made me sad. But the thought of your returning to Calcutta cheered me up. Otherwise I would not have come to  Calcutta now.I am not feeling too well either and wishing that you were with me. I was sure in my mind that it would be for the best that all of you stay in Sholapur for as long as possible.I had hoped that the children would study well there and grow up healthy. Anyway not everything can be in one's control. We have to make do with what comes our way and dutifully do the best we can under these circumstances.That is all that is humanly possible. 

Please don't nurse any discontent within yourself, choto-bou; that does more harm than good. Let us just carry on resolutely with contentment and a smile.With my brooding temperament I know that I suffer unnecessarily. I want you to stay happy, otherwise our prospect looks bleak.You know, my dear, how intense I am by nature. But you don't know how hard I work to keep calm. Please help me overcome my discontent, and please never join me in it.

If you are already on your way, I shall see you when I am in Calcutta this time. I shall try to arrange for you to come with me to Orissa. It is a very healthy place. I have already told father what I want to do, I think he understands. I may get my way if I talk to him once or twice more still it is best not to raise our hopes. I have a feeling this letter may reach you while you are still in Solapur. It may be eight or ten days more  you can start. Let's see.

My boat is slowly moving along the whole day . It is already evening but we have not yet made it to Pabna. Once we are  there we shall have to go on for many more miles by palanquin."

Rabindrnath wrote to Mrinalini from Shelaidah in 1892.       

Mrinalini Devi (contd-2)

Sometmes Rabindranath wrote to his wife that he felt very restless when his mind turned to Beli (affectionate derivative of Bela) and Khoka (common Bengali name for a male child). He further added that probably, Beli was not taking her food regularly and was afraid that Khoka might forget him . Rabindranath called his wife Choto Bau and wrote to her,

" Did you think of me when I was ill on the ship?  I was dying to return home to you. These days I am convinced there is no place like home.I am not going anywhere after I get back from this trip. I have taken a bath today after a whole week. It is no fun to bathe in salty water. One's hair gets all knotted and the body feels sticky. I have decided not to bathe again till I leave the ship."

"We have one more week to reach Europe. It will be such a relief to be  on land again. I am tired of being on the sea day and night."

"I wrote to you day before yesterday, I am writing to you again today. You may get both the letters on the same day, what is the harm? We shall be landing tomorow - all the more reason for writing you today. I will be writing to you again on reaching England."

Rabindranath wrote to his wife in detail of his journey to England and came  back home after one month.