Rabindranath started for Selaidah for taking rest on 28th Dec.1921, via Calcutta. Spending for seven days in Selaidah, he came back to Shantiniketan on 6th Jan,1922. He wrote to Ranu Adhikari his journey by boat through the river; " I have started to write a small drama. If I can finish it earlier, it will be staged in Calcutta."
After many trials the title of the drama was given to be "Muktadhara" . The news was published in "Shantiniketan" in Falgun-issue in the following lines;
" After the celebration of 7th Paus Gurudev went to Selaidah on 28th Dec to spend some days on the river Padma. Spending one week there, he came back on 6th Jan and began to write a drama. Having finished his writing , he read it before the residents of the Ashramon 14th Jan,1922. After some correction and addition he read that twice "On 19th Jan, 1922, he wrote to Ranu;
" I was writing a drama through out this week - now, it is finished - today I am at rest. This drama is not the same as "Prayaschitta" - this is a "Path" In it , there is only the character "Dhananjoy Bairagi"- no other previous character - it is not an extension of the previous story - you will not get Surama here. "
He again added on 8th Feb (24th Magh);
"I was very busy in writing a drama and reading it before its listeners - it is appreciated by all.and asking me to stage it. But to organise rehearsal is more difficult than preparing lessons for examinations.Today i am going to Calcutta , there I shall read it before my friends "
in Calcutta he read in the house of Gaganendranath.
After coming back to Shantiniketan he again edited it thoroughly. and explained the inner meaning of it to Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis on 24th Feb,1922,
" The newly written drama have been edited to some extent. To my opinion it has taken a good shape - an eternal saying has been said by me. Everything is in the form of a passage. it is either open or closed - the sorrows of the passers by are expressed in their face - in between the movements and in between two dialogues the eternal voice is heard.. All the incidents and sorrows of this drama are fastened to a passage. Those who are simply listening from outside this passage they cannot follow the inner sense of it. They are trying to find Mahatma Gandhi, myself and the cutting of threads with the Charka."
The peaceful movement against the oppression of the ruling class and to undergo hardship for doing that is visible in the character of Dhananjoy Bairagi. One can find a similarity of this with Gandhi and his non-violent non cooperation movement. But his character was developed in 1909 since "Prayaschitta" was written. The non cooperation movement of Gandhiji in South Africa had not been publicized in India at that time..
He read it in Rammohan library on 21 July 1922 at the initiative of Viswa Bharati Sammilani. and explained its inner meaning;
" It is not necessary to take this drama in the form of an allegory.It is not my desire to give it a shape of allegory of. the flow of the movement that has been spread now a days through out India. Though the huge incident that is taking place in India gives some imprint on the environment of this drama. The main motto of this drama is to make free the passage- the passage of union of all human being which is the last word of all civilisation. This I have tried to show." .
