Rabindranath and Leonard Elmhirst (contd-1)

Leonard observed that Rabindranath was addressed by others as Gurudev and everyone having seen him used take dust from his feet and touch it in his head. Pearson informed him that there was nothing wrong in showing respect to the respected person.. Alternatively, one might salute him with folded hands. Leonard wrote this to Dorothy who in turn replied on 11 Jan, 1922,  protesting  vehemently ;
" Your letter....I love it all myself - every bit of it - except the obeisance to Tagore - brushing dust from his feet !   I don't see how he can set himself above the others, in this way; and accept their marks of reverence.."  
Leonard wrote to Dorothy to remove her wrong idea about Rabindranath;
" Now let me correct you on the matter of obeisance to Tagore. It shocked me at first but now I see it is all very different from what I thought...It is politeness mingled with respect....No, I have never seen him set himself above others. I know he has his faults , but I believe the world outside has never yet been introduced to the greatness of the man.It is partly his fault, partly others."
Before receiving this letter Dorothy wrote in a letter dated 19.2.1921, about her changed opinion ;
" All your friends are fast becoming my friends and soon I shall be metaphysically brushing the dust from Tagore's feet and begging your pardon for ever having risen in rebellion...I am at last beginning to see it as the centre of which Tagore himself spoke, though at the time it seemed to my unenlightened eyes, merely fanciful." She also added that though she could not follow the meaning of "Gurudev" but she could understand the resonance of the word with its significance and she liked it,  though, a few  months back, she was unwilling to contribute to the fund of Viswa Bharati for " the wooliness of the poet's ideas and the phoney business of his dress and play acting.Now she requested Leonard to contribute as large amount as necessary for purchasing equipments and books for Sriniketan. Leonard cabled for sending  $ 25,000.00 which Dorothy obliged immediately.

Rabindranath and Leonard Elmhirst

On 25th Oct,1921, in a Japanese ship , Kleist, Leonard Elmhirst and Pearson started for India in a cabin from the port Marcellis of France. From the Diary of Leonard it was learnt, "They were co-passenger upto to port Eden." Later on Pearson informed Leonard that the Police was after him from Bombay port." Probably he came to Shantiniketan at the middle of Nov. He became  a companion of Rabindranath in his journey to japan and America in 1916. He stayed in Japan when they were returning to India. now, after about half  past five years he returned to India.  He constructed a house while he was in Ashram . But in his absence the house named "Dwarik" was made a two storied building . At first it was by Rabindranath and others and later on it was used as the centre of Kalabhavan.  This time he constucted a house in Shantiniketan by the

 side of Konark with mud, termed "Mrinmayee"      

Leonard Knight Elmhirst (6 June 1893 – 16 April 1974) was a philanthropist and agronomist who worked extensively in India. He was co-founder with his wife Dorothy of the Dartington Hall project in progressive education and rural reconstruction
Elmhirst reached Calcutta on 20th Nov, earlier than Pearson did.He wanted to start for Shantiniketan on the same date. But as because Dorothy had an appointment with a journalist, Gertrude Emerson of the paper Asia of which she was the editor. 
He wrote to Dorothy on 24th Nov that he had met Gurle,  the Private Secretary of the Governor of Bengal. "He is trusted by Indians and loved by them.. is a great friend of Tagore's and Shantiniketan. he was of opinion that one can keep good relation with the English even maintaining his freedom to work. Then the plan of reconstruction of villages would be easier. He wanted to maintain good relation with Gurle and other Englishmen and there was difficulty in obtaining cooperation from Govt. in the work of Sriniketan.
Having reached Bolpur station at 10 pm , he found that Pearson and Rathindranath were waiting for him. They came to Shantiniketan by motor and he began to stay at the 2nd floor of the guest house of Shantiniketan.
 On the next day, 28. Nov, Pearson came and fetched him to Rabindranath. Under a tree both of them had some talks.Rabindranath cordially greeted him and took him to Uttarayan.Sitting on a wall made of earth, Rabindranath and Leonard began to talk about the planning of reconstruction of villages. Leonard wrote in his Diary named "Sriniketan", " At each point in my sketch he would interrupt. 'That is just what I had in my mind', or 'for years have been waiting and hoping for something like this. After some time Rabindranath made him acquainted with Santosh Chandra and asked him to work with Rathindranath and Santosh Chandra.         

Rabindranath and Female Education

A Lady put a question in a letter written by her to Rabindranath about the method of female education to be followed in India. Rabindranath in reply to that letter wrote to her on 24th Nov,1921;

" I think there is no line of demarcation of  education, in its true sense of term, between East and West.The sun rises and we gets its benefit whether we live in East or in West. It is the property of human beings as a whole.There is difference about social customs, religious behaviours  in East and West. There is difference even in the system of development of art, literature and music. I don't say that we have to remove all these differences by force and it is not also justifiable to protect them by force. If I say that we have to preserve our truth by enclosing them with superstition, I have to say that those great men of the West who are intensely doing research work on Veda, Vedanta or Budhism, are committing blunder. Similarly, I cannot accept the idea that it is only the West who have rights to discuss about  any art, music and literature where the men of letters of our country have no right to say anything of the west. I cannot imagine to accept such injustice and unworthy actions. In fact, the defect of our modern education is, we learn  foreign knowledge and not our own learning. Though we can't  neglect foreign knowledge and foreign education.A  great object of education every human being must have access to all the knowidges acquired so far human beings of the world. The truth invented by any person of any country is the asset of all the human being. That is why-I think that the truth discovered by the people of India will be open to all, so also the discoveries done by the people of West will have access to the people of our country. The man of any country can form his own ideal after knowing the all the knowledges of the world.This is true in the case of all female persons of our countries also. If the learning is not good for human being, whether it is East or West, this is to be given up.

Rabindranath tried to implement his ideals in Shantiniketan.         

Rabindranath and Jagadish Chandra Bose

The collection of twenty essays in Bengali written by Jagadish Chandra Bose in the form of a book was published in the name "Abyakta". He sent a copy of the above book  to Rabindranath on 19th Nov., 1921 and wrote ;" I remember the days we have passed in joy and grief  Sometimes I miss those days. I beg to send the glow-light to the dazzling sun." This presentation to Rabindranath showed that though Rabindranath had some difference of opinion with Mrs. Abala Bose ( wife of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose) with reference to Arabinda Bose but their sweet relation did not blur.Rabindranath, too, wrote on 24th Nov ; " Many articles of your book "Abyakta" I read earlier......"

Rabindranath and Sylvain Levi (contd-1)

Rabindranath requested madam Levi to take French language classes.From the next day she started taking classes under the treemorris was her first student and dinendranath and other teachers got admitted later on. Prof Syvain levi began to deliver lectures in serial from 20th Nov on the Relation of India with foreign countries.Madam Laevi described in her book the First day lectutre of Prof. Levi; "In the class there were 42 male students took their seats on the floor with their legs folded and Amongst them there was a Budhist monk. At the backside of the male students from a safedistance the female students took their seats with legs folded. They were four in number.
Rabindranath sitting on a low stage was taking the notes of the lecture of Prof. Levi which he would translte and narrate the gist in Bengali.  Dr. Probodh Chandra Bagchi [1898-1956] was one of the students of Levi.The mouthpiece of Viswa Bharati the "Viswa Bharati'  published lectures of Levi titled " Indology" in France", " Early European Travellers in Nepal" and "A Artist in China".
Before this, on 14th Nov in the evening 10th Annual session of Viswa Bharati was held in the hall of the Kala Bhanan. In that meeting the students felicitated Levi which was presided by Rabindranath.  The inaugural song  was sung by Anadi Kumar Dastidar and on behalf of the students Satyendranath Basu read the felicitation paper. Then Rabindranath narrated the aims and objects of the Ashram in English.Syvain Levi gave the vote of thanks to the chair and others.at the end Rama Majumdar sung a song.
On 15th Nov , on the occasion of full moon conference an open meeting was held in the evening. Dinendranath and the students sung a chorus song.Madam Levi wtote, " A recently written song by Rabindranath was sung.the song was, " Purna chander Mayay Aaji Bhabna aamar Path Bhole'.
Simultaneously along with Levi's lecture, Rabindranath began to read and explain the poems of "Balaka' to the postgraduate students of Viswa Bharati. The class notes of explanation given by Rabindranath of the poems of Balaka taken by Prodyot Kumar Sen was published in Santiniketan in 1329-30 issues .        

Rabindranath and Sylvain Levi

Rathindranath greeted Prof. Sylvain Lavi and his wife Desiree  and fetched them to  Maharshi Bhavan at Calcutta. When Prof. Levi and his wife reached Ashram in Santiniketan on 9th Nov, they were greeted at the Mango-garden.They took their seats and a sanskrit sloka written by Bidhushekhar Shastri, was sung . The  Persian Prof  Hidjibhai Morris delivered a small lecture in French,  Rabindranath garlanded them with flowers and Candan and said; " Dear Acharya, On behalf of our Shantiniketan Ahsram , I offer you a hearty welcome. You know the wisdom which flowed in ancient India had its source in the depth of the "Tapovana". It was there, that our seers had their communion of soul with the infinite. being in the peace of nature, in the heart of boundless spaceand limitless light.Though the time has changed and pursuit of material power is ever ready everywhere to laugh and to scorn the majestic meaning of this great Universe, we have tried to invoke in this place the spirit of "Tapasya" of strenuous endeavour and sacrifice for the purity of disinterested knowledge and work and for the fulfillment of soul which once belonged to India. Whenwe offer you our homage due to an honoured guest, who himself is a "Tapaswi" of truth.I hope you feel in your heart some touch of that old time in Bharatbarsha with which you are deeply familiar and which, though in external appearence has vanished from our land , can never be dead. We thank you for having so generously accepted our invitation for bringing sympathy and fellowship from the west for the cause which our institution represents, cause of the spiritual union of races.    

In reply to his welcome address Sylvain congratulating everybody said; " It was long since the learned people are working being confined to their own country. But the days have come to work along with other persons of the world. Only for this reason he has come to Shantiniketan for doing some work to open new avenues   of research facilities. The doors for the ideals of human resources  will open. And bowing to the poet, he concluded, " here indeed we have not the east and the west."

It was informed in the press that Prof. Levi  will start taking classes from coming sunday, 20th Nov. Arrangements were made so that he could take his M.A. class in Calcutta University on every Sunday which would help the other students also.

Rabindranath requested Madam Levi to take  French classes and she started taking classes from next day. Morris, Dinendranath, d other teachers were her first batch of students. Prof. Levi staryed to learn Bengali from Rabindranath and was taking classes of Chinese and Tibbetee. Bidhushekhar Shastri, Dharmadhar Rajguru Mahasthabir, Pravat Kumar Mukhopadhyay  and other teachers were his students.        

  

Rabindranath and Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay

Rabindranath wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay on 20th Oct, 1921;

I got a letter from Prof. Levi who is coming to our Ashram and is going to join the post of professor in Santiniketan. He also mentioned in this letter that he has received your letter inviting him. I have discussed the matter with you earlier and you have kindly agreed to bear from the fund of Calcutta University 50% of the expenditure we have given him as his conveyance. We have sent him Rs. 6000/- as conveyance for him and his wife. We shall be glad  if you would kindly pay Rs.3000/- only as his conveyance.
In reply to the letter Ashutosh Mukhopadhya wrote him from Madhupore where he has gone ;

" I shall come back to Calcutta within a few days and discuss about your letter in the next meeting of the Syndicate of Calcutta University. I am sure I can arrange money as said by you.I don't find any posibility of any objection from any quarter. I shall be obliged if I can do any thing for the development of Santiniketan."

Sylvain Levi wrote to Rathindranath on 19th July proposing to serve in Santiniketan against a salary of Rs. 900/- only and he will start for Colombo from Marseillis (Marseille ( /mɑrˈseɪ/; also Marseilles  CboOct Oct English; French: [maʁsɛj], locally: [mɑχˈsɛjə]; Occitan: Marselha [maʀˈsejɔ, maʀˈsijɔ]), known in antiquity as Massilia orMassalia (from Greek: Μασσαλία), is the second largest city in France, afterParis, )  

on 4th Oct but he started on 14th Oct. and reached Colombo  on 1st Nov and Calcutta 8th Nov. 

Madam Levi  Deiree Sylvain -Levi] . She described in detail in her book Dans L'Inde [1925] the whole story of their stay in India.. written in the form of letters which in the name of " Madam Levi's Diary", Namda Dulal De translated in Bengali and published in serial in "Desh". Later on [Apr 2000] it was published, after editting, in form of a book. This book also included many incidents of Santiniketan.