Rabindranath had started village reconstruction programme in Selaidah sometimes in the first decade of twetieth century. The school at Santiniketan was closed for Puja vacation. But he was feeling unwell. He wrote to Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar in recognition to his gift of 'Thakurdar Jhuli' when he was having fever, and not feeling well. He came back to Calcutta on 4th Nov, 1907, with all his children from Selaidah cutting short of his programme due to his illness. He expressed his helplessness in a letter to Ajit Chakraborty.
From now on, he became introspective, introvert and devotee and his mind gradually became ready for writing songs for Gitanjali. He wrote, " (Ogo tumi) Naba naba rupe eso prane.."-Gitanjali-11, Mishra -Ramkeli -- published in Bharati in Kartick issue, 1908.
On 11 Magh (24 Jan, 1908) in the hall of Adi Brahmo Samaj Rasbindranath and Priyanath Shastri took their seats on the dais. Rabindranath inaugurated the occasion and Priyanath Shastri offered prayer. At the end, Rabindranath delivered a spirited lecture with vivid language so that all the audience became spell-bound to his lecture which was rich in content. Tears came out automatically and continuously through the eyes of the whole audience. This lecture was published in Tattwabodhini (page-167-71), Bharati (page-510-514), and Bangadarshan (page 539-544). But the lecture was not included in any printed book.
In this essay the main theme of Gitanjali was clearly explained. He described this Brahmotsab as the union of two unions. Primarily,an union between oneself and the supreme , and secondly, an union of oneself with the humanity in the universe .
In the morning prayer four Brahmasangeet were sung of which two had been taken in Gitanjali.
1. Gunakelii-Nabapanchatal. 'Janani, tomar karuna charanakhani ...'Gitanjali-11, swara-26.
2. Torhi- Nabatal. ' Preme prane Gane gandhe aloke pulake...'Gitanjali-11/9.Swara-26. Manuscriot not available.
Gitanjali Offerings of Song and Art
by Rabindranath Tagore; paintings by Mark W. McGinnis
Poet, playwright, and novelist Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was one of the towering cultural figures of modern India, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Of his many works, the most enduringly popular has been Gitanjali, or Song Offerings, likely due to the honesty with which these verses articulate the poet’s personal, and humanity’s eternal, spiritual quest. Although steeped in Hindu roots, the poems are universal in their appeal, reflecting an ecumenical passion for and joy in a union with the divine; they have the capability of bringing together compassionate, seeking minds of all faiths. Certainly they are worth reading and rereading in these times of troubling religious strife.
When artist Mark W. McGinnis came to read Gitanjali in the summer of 2001, he immediately dropped what he was working on and began a series of paintings inspired by the work. The results are 103 exquisite nine-by-nine-inch paintings, after the fashion of Indian Kangra style paintings of the late 18th century. During the course of the project McGinnis submerged himself in Tagore’s world, reading widely in and studying all areas of the poet’s diverse and creative career. His paintings are intended not simply to be illustrations of Tagore’s verses but images inspired by them and the artist’s understanding of the creative mind behind them. Both songs and paintings are here brought together in a deluxe gift edition, with hand-made Indian endpapers and ribbon marker. It is the artist’s hope that this work will help more people to know the work of one of the great minds of the modern era.
Rabindranath Tagore, through his multi-faceted cultural activities, has become for the world the voice of India's spiritual heritage. Mark W. McGinnis is an artist and educator whose interdisciplinary projects have been featured in over 110 solo exhibitions nationwide. His previous publications include Buddhist Animal Wisdom Stories, Lakota and Dakota Animal Wisdom Stories, and Elders of the Benedictines.
