A few years back Rabindranath had some trouble at the left of his countenance and at the neuralgia of his ear which had elapsed recently. He was facing this trouble off and on. He informed Rathindranath about his health. Previously he had his treatment and was relieved of his pain. But due to the side effects of the medicine he got some new problems in his nervous system. Rabindranath, himself, was also a good physician and practiced Homeopathy and so knew the cause and side-effects of a disease. Quoting from the Materia Medica he wrote Rathindranath his present state of depression of his mind. This was clearly expressed in his songs and poetries published in Gitali.
He wrote poems in Gitali about his mental depression, his trouble out of it and way of attaining higher stage of mind. He wrote to Kshitimohan Sen at the crossing point of his recovery on 2nd Oct 1914;" I'm passing through a stage of separation and union - after finishing my lyrics, I shall get a way out of it. Now I should keep mum"
But he again wrote to Andrews on 4th Oct;
" It seems as though I am coming out of the mist once more, and I am trying to throw off my shoulders the burden that has been oppressing me all these days. As my mind feels lighter, I have rightly earned my freedom./We have all come to Santiniketan from Surul; and this change has done me good. "
He again wrote on 7th Oct ;
" My period of darkness is over once again. It has been a time of very great trial to me, and I believe it absolutely necessary for my emancipation. I know that I am being lifted from the sphere
where I was before ; and it is the loneliness of the new situation and and the cry of the old life that is still troubling me. But I have glimpses of the ineffable light of joy, which I am sure will not fail me."
While Rabindranath was in London in 1912, he purchased the Kuthibari and garden house of Surul with a sum of Rs.8000.00 by a hand note and started remodelling it very soon. In 26 Aug 1914 the payment of the same was completed. But before that on 14th April in Bengali new year day the ceremony of formal entry into the house took place.In front of Rabindranath Rathindranath and Pratima took their seat on the sacred stage and Kshitimohan Sen recited Vedic hymn. All the teachers and the students were present as guests but the ceremony was not finished due to rain.
Rabindranath had a dream that Rathindranath would construct a laboratory here on agricultural science. Rathindranath and Pratima began to stay here but after some time both of them were attacked with Malaria. As a result they had to leave the idea of permanently staying there. After passing several years by doing this and that, a centre for village culture, Sriniketan, had been developed here.
Rabindranath was a Nobel Laureate. But he was not in the habit of staying at a particular place and remained absorbed in his own writing. Rathindranath said that he was a born-traveller. When he was young he could not stay at home for long time. He moved from this place to that within the country. He also went twice in England for a short period.The first time he went to England before his (Rathindranath's) birth. Second time he went to England in 1890, when he was a mere child. Third time when he went to Europe and America, Rathindranath and his wife accompanied him. Rathindranath said, so far he could remember, Rabindranath had journey to foreign in 1912, 1920, 1924, 1926, 1930 and in all these times Rathindranath and Pratima accompanied him. In 1932, Rabindranath went to Iran and Mesopatemia by plane - Rathindranath could not accompany due his ailment and only Pratima accompanied him. Rabindranath went several times to different places of far-east and North and South America taking others as his accompaniment.When he went to Russia , Rathi and Pratima could not accompany.
