Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis wrote in his diary on 14 Dec 1922, " One day Rathi Babu proposed me that let us try to form an organisation namely, " Viswa Bharati Bandhu Sabha". I agreed. We arranged "Barsha Mangal" ( First Year) and a " Satyer Ahban " in the last year from this organisation. But we did not arrange officially for publicly announcing the name of this organisation in any news paper or it was not seen in any book like the memoirs of Sita Devi. Before its formal inauguration in Jorasanko on 8th April ( 25th Chaitra), 1922, Rathindranath and Sita Devi introduced this organisation as " Viswa Bharati Sangha" ( vide " Punya Smriti", p-236-37). Though there was an active organisation in Santiniketan with the same name, the organisation of Calcutta became known with same name.Haraprasad Shastri (Bengali: হরপ্রসাদ শাস্ত্রী) (6 December 1853 – 17 November 1931), also known as Haraprasad Bhattacharya, was an Indian academic, Sanskrit scholar, archivist and historian of Bengali literature. He is most known for discovering the Charyapada, the earliest known examples of Bengali literature .
Rabindranath was felicitated by " Rabindra Mangal", an organisation developed for the purpose, at Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. The meeting was presided by Maharaja Jagadindranath Roy of Natore. (Maharaja JAGADINDRA NATH ROY Bahadur, Zamindar of Rajshahi, a great Patron of Cricket, making the first ever all Bengali Cricket Team in the British Raj, he was indispute with Rani Hemanta Kumari Devi of Puthia regarding territories in Pukhuria ; Member of Rangapur Sahitya Parisad; he was granted the title of Maharaja as a personal distinction on 1st Janaury 1877)
The programme started with an inaugural song written by the poet Satyendranath Dutta. The president of the Parishad HaraprasadShastriwas not present on the occasion.
He sent his blessings which was read by Khagendranath Chattopadhyay;Sreeman Rabindranath,
When you were a mere boy, the Bengalees were moved by your poetry. As you grew older, your genius began to blosom in your poems. Your genius gradually spread from your country to abroad encircling all the avenues literature. At first it was expressed only in poetry, then it gradually spread in Prose, Novel, Drama, short stories, long stories, criticisms, politics in all the avenues of human life. The branches of literature where you put your hand, you made it lively and flourishing. Because you possessed a life by yourselves in which there was softness as well as vigour, as it had hypnotic power so it had intoxicating power - as it had insight so it had farsight. Your genius were in all direction, in all embracing and in all fascinating. You had mixed up music with your literature and icreased glory of both of them which put you at the top of your fame.
Since the British empire was established, your ancestors occuppied greatest position in wealth and prestige, in knowledge and intelligence, and in courage of good qualities made r family to ascend a highest position is country. Your genius made it further enrichd and bright. Bengal is always moved with your qualities - India is glorified. Your genius and long life had thrown light to the east and the West. You had come back again to your country after visiting the world several times .Let you live for hundred years, thousand years in your life........."
Sree Haraprasad Shastri
President, Bengal Sahitya Parishad.
Two daughters Lila and Ila Devi of Jatindranath Bagchi, garlanded him satyendranath Dutta, Manilal Gangopadhyay, Kalidas Nag, Kumudranjan Mallik, Jatindramohan Bagchi, Karunanidhan Bandyopadhyay, and Mankumari Basu read poems before him. Hirendranath Dutta referred his his long service to the Parishad and said high of him.; He gifted cpies of books published by Parishad to him.
Rabidranath in reply to his felicitation said that he had come back to his country again though he was given highest order of honour in different countries. He also mentioned the felicitation he was given by Ramendra Sundar Trivedi for completing 50 years of his living on earth in this Parished.
