Srikantha Singh and Rabindranath

This year [1873] a person known as Srikantha Singh of Raypur came to Jorasanko. He was the eldest uncle of Satyendra Prasad Singh from whom Debendranath got 20 bighas of land in Santiniketan. Srikantha became intimate follower of Debendranath. All the arrangements for his stay in Jorasanko were done. At this time Rabindranth was on tour with his father to Bolpur and Himalayas. After coming back he became friend with Rabindranath with their age apart from 1874 when he appeared on 18 Feb 1874 to fetch Rabindranath and others to Ballygunge. He again took them to Hadua. This shows that his intimacy with the boys developed and he was seen with them from north to south of Calcutta. Rabindranath had drawn paragraph on him so that we can get his  ins and outs vividly. ' This old man was just a ripe mango of Bombay full of sweet juice having no fiber '. he was completely balled headed, his mustache and beard were completely shaved , soft and sweet face, there was mo teeth in both the jaws. His two big eyes were were full of laughter. When he talked with his heavy voice , his hands , mouth and eyes began to talk.He had always a wooden pot for smoking as his regular companion. He had a Sitar on his lap and constant flow of songs.The above photograph was taken in 1874 and not in 1873 as mentioned in  Jibansmriti. One day he along with three boys companion went to a English photographer's shop. Sidhartha ghosh unearthed the actual story of the photography. The original photograph was kept in rabindrabhavan.This photograph was taken in Watrloo Street. Where there is a sign board  written as

Artists in Photography

Westfield and Coy

3. Waterloo st. 

Calcutta

Rabindranath was a favorite student of Srikantha Singh in vocal music. One of his favorite song was "Mnay chorno brajaki basari" . Srikantha took Rabindranath from door to door to listen the song above sung by Rabindranath. When the boy began to sing he used to play Violin and joined to sing the main words , "Mnay Charno".  He himself saw in appreciation and looked to others to follow him.

Dwijendranath in a letter wrote to Rabindranath when he was in London, " That he had seen the false attempt made by him to sing at that time. He had seen him trying utmost to sing  sitting on the lap  of Srikanthababu.  But Debendranath wrote srikantha in a letter that he was satisfied to know that he inspired Dwijendranath and Hemendranath