Thursday, September 1, 2011

Again Santiniketan (contd-37)

After handing over the press copy of Gitanjali to the publisher Rabindranath again concentrated his mind on Santiniketan. The number of students in Santiniketan had increased much. He had to find suitable teachers for them. Ajit Kumar got Manchestor scholarship and was going for London from Colombo on 8th Sept. (23 Bhadra). In his marriage ceremony Rabindranath asked Nepal Chandra Roy to fill up the gaps of Ajit Kumar. Nepal Chandra also agreed.
His son Kalipada Roy informed,
"I still remember that on 27th June, 1910 (13 Asharh) I came to Santiniketan with my father Late Nepal Chandra Roy at dead of night, when I was 8 years old. My father came here for some time at the call of Rabindranath to teach the students for Matriculation Examination and preparatory lessons for English. At that time Rabindranath was not present in the Ashram. Though the last sentence was not correct. Rabindranath was present, at that time, at Santiniketan and he wrote Ramananda Chattopadhyay, 
"I became glad that Nepal Babu took the charge of teaching here for some time. It will be added more if he continues for some time more." Any way Nepal Babu continued his service there for some more time.
Rabindranath was searching for more teachers.
It gradually became a regular programme to stage a drama before Puja vacation since 1315. This year also there would be a stage performance. Rabindranath wrote to Gnanendranath Ghosh, 
" The boys are preparing themselves for staging a drama - though the actual date has not yet been fixed but it will be held some times before the vacation. May be, in the 2nd week of Aswin."
The stage performance in the school of Santiniketan drew spectators from Calcutta also because they had such reputations. This year it was arranged to stage two dramas, 1. Bisarjan, 2. Prayaschitta. Rabindranath invited Charuchandra, on 22 Bhadra, to came along with Satyendranath