During autumn Rabindranath came back from Madras (Pithapuram) keeping his tour programme unfinished, but his invitation remained as it was. He wrote to James H. Cousins on 24th Dec. 1918;
. But my Heart quakes to imagine what is awaiting me at your Presidency, and I hope I shall be able to keep up my courage up to the last moment and take the final desperate step towards the south. Death's door is called the southern door in Bengal and I won't claim me as a duly consecrated victim sacrificed to the myriad-tongued divinity of the public meeting. However, it ill not be possible for me to be present at your art Exhibition and I shall not be free to move before the last week of January.But should I not warn you not to put too implicit a faith upon my promises? Chanakya advices never to trust women and kings, but I think poet should top the list of all unreliable."
He wrote Ranu in the first week of January ;
" I will be going to Mysore, Madras, Madurai, and Madanpalle on the day after tomorrow, on 3rd Jan., 1919 and shall come back after Jan. , may be in Feb. " But he came back in the month of March. " As south India is known to him, Nagendranath accompanied him. It may be that he took the advantage of becoming close with Rabindranath for his promotion in his career. The Artist Surendra Nath Kar too was with Rabindranath. The background of his visit to South India was explained by Rathindranath;
" After he came back [from South] there were pressing invitation from many places in the South, specially Bangalore,Mysore, and Madura, which father could not very well refuse. In Bangalore Mr.[Gnan Saran] Chakravarti had arranged to open an Art Exhibition, and he wanted father to open it. Then the Maharaja of Mysore, and afterwards the Principal of the American College at Madurai, requested hi to give a course of three lectures, at his College, in consideration of which he would pay all travelling expenses as well as contribute a decent sum of money to the funds of the Santiniketan School. All these made him decide going down to South after the Pous Utsab was over."
Rabindranath, too, explained the reason of his tour programme in the essay ' Maisur Katha";
" There is an Association in Bangalore, named Bangalore Dramatic Association.The competent secretary of
the king of Mysore Sree Gnan Saran Chakravarti was its President. I got an invitation in its half yearly meeting in the last year. The reasons are, 1.I had a desire to visit Mysore for many days, 2. it is the high time to discuss with different persons about the Education, I want to implement, and I thought that Mysore is one of the desired place." Gnan Saran Chakravarti made a communication through letters with Rabindranathin the last X-mas vacation. The date was not finalized which will be settled in consultation with Rabindranath.'
