CROSS ROAD OF TAGORE"S LIFE
EPISODE OF WINNING NOBEL PRIZE
EPISODE OF WINNING NOBEL PRIZE
Rabindranath returned to London on 19th April 1314. He got Norfolk Hotel situated at Harrington Road of South Kensington.He met here son of his brother Surendranath (left).
Rabindranath was shifted to a boarding house run by two sisters.- When Rabindranath came to London 10 months earlier, most of the London citizens excepting Bengalees, [specially members of India Society,] was not acquainted with Rabindranath.
Learning that Rabindranath was coming to London very soon Rothenstein wrote on 27 Mar, "When you last came , you were a stranger , with only our unworthy selves to offer our friendship :now you come as a widely recognised poet & seer, with friends known and unknown , in a hundred homes...." On 10th Mar Sukumar Roy (Top right))wrote to his mother , "Rabibabu will come to London from America . Huge arrangements were made to welcome him. at Essex Hall
But when Rabindranath reached London , there were no friends of him. Rothenstien was at his home [Iles Farm] Faroakridge in Glastershear. Not only friends were there , nature was not in his favor..
Rabindranath sent an essay , The relation of the Universe to the Universe". to Modern Review.The Hibbert Journal and The Quest journal published two essays of Rabindranath, 1. The problem of Evil, 2. the Realization of Brahma.
A crowd was gradually thronged round Rabindranath after he came to London. Rabindranath got three invitations.
1. W. Copeland Bowie, secretary of British & Foreign Unitarian Association situated at Essex Hall, wrote to Rabindranath on 25th April, "The president will be glad if you kindly respond to a resolution of welcome and greetings to the Theists of India at the Luncheon on Wednesday 14 th May. 2. . J. Estlin Carpenter, Prof. of Manchester College of Oxford, wrote on 2 May , " if he stays upto the beginning of Winter , they are interested to invite him from 12 Oct to read the four lectures delivered at Harvard for which we shall pay him they can pay 25 pound to his Brahmashram..Rabindranath accepted the last portion of the proposal.
From the beginning of May persons known to Rabindranath began to come in London to keep him free from loneliness.
E rnest Rhys was known to Rabindranath but this time he became very close to him. Rabindranath dedicated his book Sadhana to him.
Rothenstien came back to London before 7th May.
Kalimohan Ghosh reportd that Lady Hardinge liked Gitanjali.
Rabindranath read translated version of "Raja" in English at the house of lady power situated in 26 Gilbert Streetat 8 pm n 7th May.This was a private drawing room . Many persons were not invited.Among the audience there were Mr. & Mrs Rhys., Mr. & .Mead , Lady Law .
Evelyn Underhill [Mrs. Stuart Moore] was among the audience.She wrote to Rabindranath on 9 May "It was a great privilege & joy to be allowed to hear your wonderful play last night. .
Rabindranath has done major correction to the Drama Raja, "The king of the Dark Chamber". This drama was published in May 1914 [no. 14 ] issue in an article written by Alice Corbin Henderson titled Rabindranath Tagore this drama [ The King of the Dark Chamber ] . Thee were 19 scenery and seven songs.
Today is 25th Baishakh, (8th May 1913), Rabindranath stepped in 53 yrs of age. Foreigners do not know the lifestyle of Rabindranath Tagore. But no reports were received of celebration of the day in his country. Remembering the day Rabindranath wrote letter to Ajit kumar,
"My birth day is tomorrow.This time I am thinking of stepping in some new road to my growth.May be some petals unfolding in me...."
Really it became true.So far Rabindranath was gradually crossing the limit of the boundary of his family, his religion, his nation , his country and stepping the jurisdiction of world citizenship after winning the Nobel prize.
On 9th May Rabindranath read his un-published drama Chitra at North Brook Society Hall situated in 21 Cromwell Road organised by The Indian Art Dramatic and Friendly Society..
This day Sukumar Roy wrote to his father, "Rabibabu came back from America and rented a house near ours. Within a few moments he will deliver lecture here - not exactly a lecture-he will read one of his translated drama namely Chitra, Many people will assemble -Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will preside.
But the meeting was presided by Sir Richard Stapley.
After few days of the reading of Chitra in Lodon the translated for of Dakghar [The Post Office] was staged in Abbey Theater of Dablin in Ireland.on 17th May.
A charity show was arranged to construct building for St.Enda's Cllege The Post Office and An Ri of P.H.Pearse.
Rabindranath went to the house of Mrs. Boole with miss.J.Macleod,disciple o swami Vivekananda on 11 May.
George Boole (/buːl/; 2 November 1815 – 8 December 1864) was a largely self-taught English mathematician, philosopher and logician, most of whose short career was spent as the first professor of mathematics at Queen's College, Cork in Ireland. He worked in the fields of differential equations and algebraic logic, and is best known as the author of The Laws of Thought (1854) which contains Boolean algebra. Boolean logic is credited with laying the foundations for the information age. Boole maintained that:
Kalimohan Ghosh wrote in his "Bilater Patra", "Bernard Shaw is a famous drama writer of this country. Rabindranath will go to Cambridge on 16th May because Indian student invited him to come to their Indian Majlis.Surely Bernard Shaw did not accompany him which is revealed from the invitation of his wife on 17 th at lunch.Arabindamohan Basu (nephew of Jagadish Chandra Basu) , Prasanta Chandra Mahalanabis were students of Cambridge at that time..
The Cambridge Magazine [24 May 1913] reported , "On sunday evening last, Mr.Rabindranath Tagore -whose book Gitanjali is reviewed on another page - read a most valuable paper to the Majlis Society on "The Ancient Religious Ideals of India" It seems that he read in a nutshell the essay , The relation of the individual to the universe .
Rabindranath met Prof. J.D.Anderson in his house who wrote on 22 May "just a brief line to tell you that I shall always remember with interest and gratitude that memorable coming in St. Mary's Lane....."
Rabindranath came back to London on 19th May. In the evening Rabindranath read his first lecture in Caxton hall organised by Quest Society on "The relation of the Universe and the individual"
Sturge Moore thanks Rabindranath for inviting him by sending ticket to attend the meeting on 21 May. . 
May Sinclair(top righ) was also present on the occasion .Ernest Bridge was among the audience. 
Rabindranath handed over "The Crescent Moon" to May Sinclair for reviewing - a date to be finalised after discussion May Sinclair wrote ,"I can't tell you how much I admire the poems - the simple , ..loveliness of them . That is nothing to change except a word here and there...."
Dr.Carpenter invited Rabindranath to come to Oxford. He sent the detail programme on 19 May,
"I have announced your address on Friday next 23May at Manchester
hall from 3 o'clock..'Rabindranath replied on 1st May, " I shall start from London on Friday May ..."
The huge hall became filled up with a brilliant and awe-inspired crowd of professors , dons and undergraduates .The poet Robert Bridges [1844-1930] came to the meeting hall with his son.He was the last poem among the group of Tennyson.
Robert Bridges lived on a top of a hill situated six miles away from Oxford .Suhrabarswardy wrote, "Tagore had come over in a hansom - cab......After he had left , Bridges excitedly spoke how that evening ...he had come to understand Tagore's wise spirit.Then turning brusquely he added : Tagore is an an extraordinarily good looking fellow. There is something unreal about him , something Assyrian , Old Asiatic. Do you think he puts gold in his beard ?" A rough-spoken person like Bridges was influenced by the personality of Tagore."s 2nd lecture.
Rabindranath came back to London on 24th May., On 26 he read his second lecture "Soul Consciousness" in Caxton hall.
According to the description of Kalimohan Ghosh , " Sir Richard Stapley, the pioneer of the movement of New Theology and one of the main thinker priest , presided over a meeting on 9th May where Chitra will be read.. Probably, he asked 27 May from him for the occasion and dinner. For that reason Rabindranath asked Sturge Moore to change his invitation on 14th May.
Last year when Rabindranath was in England and when he was in America , he translated a good number of poems into English . these copies were typed by Rathindranath and Muddy and retyped them after correction.Before going to America, he handed over some typed copy for submitting them to Macmillion & Company for judging their competency for publication .
W.W.Pearson took oath to sacrifice his life for the school at Santiniketan
Rabindranath first met Sarojini Naidu on 27 Dec in conference of Monotheists.
Rabindranath was greeted in Lyceum Club.Inviting Rabindranath Miss Rosana Powel wrote a letter..
Rabindranath and Sarojini Naidu delivered lectures in a meeting organised by Indian Women's Education Association in the house of Sir Krishnagovinda Gupta .
16th jun was fixed for the date of delivering 5th and last lecture of Rabindranath in Caxton hall. 5 lectures to be delivered was written in the ticket.. But Rabindranath promsed to deliver 6 lectures. The 6th lecture, The Realisation of Brahma , was arranged in Kensington Town hall.
Surendranath did a good job before going to India.The main intentions of Rabindranath to come to India were 1. Taking rest, and 2. treatment for piles. He could not take any rest in Lon don and same as treatment. He wrote Ajit Kumar on 16 Oct 1912, "bleeding for piles has increased recently.According to Osteopathy there is no other treatment to cure it.But to undergo this treatment I have be confined in Hospital for a month.I don't like it. For that , I have decided to try Homeopathy in America under Dr. Nyasa."
He wrote Santosh Chandra on 18 Dec,"I decided to be admitted in a Sanatorium at Chicago and to undergo Osteopathy Hydrothyrapics [Alternative Medicine] .But nothing has been doe excepting some inor treatment. As a result pain operation becomes inevitable and he was made agreeable by Surendrnath under pressure.He l was consulted with royal Doctors Sir Thomas Barlow [right]who said that the operation is inevitable..He suggested the name of Dr. Pollard [left].
Rabindranath was admitted in Duches Nursing Home. He wrote a letter dated nil to Ajit Kumar describing in detail about this,"Under pressure I was examined by the royal physician Dr. Thomas Barlow [pic above right] who said that ailments can not be removed without surgical operation.He suggested the name of Dr. Pollard for this purpose....."
Rabindranath was admitted in Duches Nursing Home situated at 2 Beaumont Road on 29th Jun and he was operated on 30th Junby Dr. Pollard. He was operated under complete anesthesia and he could not feel any pain.But he felt much pain for the treatment after operation. He expressed his pain by writing to Rothenstein , " It is dreadful to have to watch helplessly the indignity that is being daily offered to my poor body in the name of science of healing, as if the body were no more than a mere piece of flesh and bones...."
He wrote Santosh Chandra on 18 July, " I am to be released on 3rd week but it is extended for another week. I had to pass the month of July in confinement in a small room with two small windows where I was lying . ..."
Applying medicine at the wound , changing bandage and managing daily affairs with others help were making ill of his senses. Even at this situation Rabindranath wrote,
1. Eka ek Sunyamatra nahi abalamba,
2.Becche laba sab seraphand pete thaki,
3. Sab-cheye bhakti jar astra-debatare,
4. Darpane jahre dekhi se to shudhu cchaya.
on 4th July and on 6th July re of two lines.
5. Apani apana chaye bara jadi habe,
on 7 July Agun jwalita jabe apan alote
7. He Priya, Duukher beshe aasa jabe man e.
While returning home by ship , he wrote more Kbita - Kana.. Many of them are of two lines.
Rabindranath suffered a lot due to his piles but his creativity doesn't stop.
The drama Post office [Dakghhar] was staged in Dublin on 17th May,1913.Yeats.thought it to be staged in London . He wrote to Rabindranath on 21 May, "I have talked over The Post Office with Lady Gregory and we are most anxious to put on the play at the Court Theatre in Jun or July.If I have your consent I will get the Manager to send you an agreement and explain to you the terms on which we give the plays. I believe we can give a fine performance."
In the evening of 10 Jul at Court Theatre, [Situated at Sloane Suare of central London], The Post Office was staged organised by Abbey Theatre Company.
Rabindranath was admitted in the hospital on 29 Jun and was released on 22 Jul..
History of winning Nobel Prize by Rabindranath.
Rabindranath had to cross several obstacles to win over the Nobel Prize. It seems that Yeats, Pound, Fox Strangways etc do not like Sturge Moore be intimated with RabindranaBut Sturge Moore [ 1 ] always moves in his own way. The creation of Rabindranath attracted him deeply. which is known from his different letters.He promised to leave no stone unturned to achieve his goal.
He wrote on 22Aug, "You will I hope trust me afteryou are gone as before to help in any way I can either in preparing Ms or correcting proofs etc etc.His personal regards to Rabindanath were expressed in a letter dated 19 Sep. "You have come to us from so far that it is almost as though you had risen from the dead, and we felt for you the awe proper for a messenger from another world as different as it was clearly free from so much that hampers and engrosses ours." He equalises Christ Church with Rabindranath he epressed his sentiment in his own way and confidentially.
Case-1.Nobel Prize for Literature was being awarded from 1901. As per rule , the names of the competitors should be recommended by a recognised literature committee of a country or by a Nobel Laureate.For England this job was done by the Royal Society of Literature of United nour to prKingdom Formerly Rudyard Kipling [1865 - 1936] [right] received Noel oPrize , in 1907 after this recommendation In this year they recommended the name of the famous poet and Novel writerThomas Hardy [1840 -1928]. Sturge Moore, being a member of the committee, in his own way recommended the name Rabindranath in the following lines.
To the secretary of the
Nobel Committeeof the Swedish Academy,
Sir,
As a fellow of the Royal Sciety of Literature of the United Kingdom, I have the honour to propose the name of Rabindranath Tagore
as a person qualified , in my opinion, to be awarded the Nobel prize in Literature.
T.Sturge Moore.
In this short recommendation there was nothing about Rabinranath or his creativity. for t. One thing to be mentioned here that his novel type of recommendation the candidature of Rabindranath was accepted .One thing is to be mentioned here that Sturge Moore was not unknown to the Swedish Academy..
Per Hallstrom [1866-1960] [ was a Swedish author, short-story writer, dramatist, poet and member of the Swedish Academy. He joined the academy in 1908, and served as its Permanent Secretary from 1931 to 1941][, a member of Nobel Committee and academician , was given the charge of judging the merit of the above proposal and submit a report.The last date of submitting the report was 29 Oct 1913.
Indian literature [Vol 4 , 1961] published the report of Hallstrom titled , Tagore and Nobel Prize , translated form in English from Swedish by Arvid Hallden. Gitanjali was his first point of discussion. But later on he thought 'the small collection of poems ....creates such a surprisingly rich and genuinely poetic impression that there is nothing odd or absurd in the proposal to reward it even with such a distinction as it is a question here.' and here he saw that 'something more remarkable than anything the European poetry has to offer at present.' and here he got the religious slokas of Middle ages Christianity. Thirdly he came across the critical estimate of Edgra Pound and Ernest Ridge published in the Times and The Fortnightly Review . Lastly he had gone through The Gardener and came to the conclusion ,'it is certain, however , that no poet in Europe since the death of Goethe in 1832 can rival Tagore in noble humanity , in unaffected greatness, in classical tranquility.'
was a Swedish author, short-story writer, dramatist, poet and member of the Swedish Academy. He joined the academy in 1908, and served as its Permanent Secretary from 1931 to 1941 e
However, The Nobel Committe under the Chairmanship of Harold Hjarne [1848-1922] did not approve the name of Rabindranth Tagore in regards to the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.
97 members of Royal Society for literature of England recommended the name of Thomas Hardy [1840-1928] Gunnar Ahlstorm informed that 28 names are being proposed for Nobel Prize. 
After the publication of Gitanjali by Macmillan many countries became willing to get it to translate it in their own language. It has already been translated in French.The second country is Sweden who showed eagerness to translate it. Though the request came from Norway on 22nd Jun by Andrea Butenschon.
After the death of Herald Hjarne, Per Hallstrom became President. But his commendable recommendation could not dilute the mind of Hjarne.. Later on a member of the Nobel Committee [1919-1981] and permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy Anders Osterling [1884-1981] (right) wrote,"It is true that Herald Hjarne , the then Chairman of the Committee , was unwilling to commit himself and expressed the opinion that must be difficult to decide how much in Tagore's enchanting poetry was his own was his own personal creation and how much must be attributed to the classical traditions of Indian Literature .Therefore the committee gave serious consideration in the first place to another author who had been proposed, Emile Faguet [1847-1916] (left), the french literary historian and moralist." 
There was a person in Swedish Academy who knew Bengali, he is Esaias henrik Vilhelm Tegner[1843-1928] , grand son of famous poet of Sweden Esias Tegner . But he too could not influence the decision of the Committee.Swedish Committee is formed with University Professors, Bishops, Govt.Employees, writers etc When the Committees decision was placed on the table the latest best poet of Sweden , Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam [1859-1940], who was selected as a member of Swedish Committee just one year earlier [ 26.91912] and won the Nobel Prize after one year Tagore got it,[in 1914 & 1915] there was no Nobel Contest.
That he is a poet residing at a far distance , unknown in Europe, should wait for another one year etc opinion of Hjarne which he said in his presentation address was turned down by Heidenstam. .Gunnar Ahlstrom wrote, "More and More of the academicians began to read Gitanjali and gradually succumbed to the charm of these rythmic ideas. Then the unexpected happened. The Committee's recommendation in behalf of Emile Faguet was rejected by a decision of the of the Academy in pleno . of the thirteen who voted in Nov 13 , twelve were in favour of Rabindranath Tagore.
Stockholm, Thursday, Nov 13 announced " The Nobel Prize for literature for 1913 has been awarded to the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Reuter's Services published from London to the whole world, the amount of the prize is 8000 pound.Almost all the news paper published the news ,"the first time on record that the prize has been given to anybody but a white person. .
Ignoring the claim of the famous poets and man of letters like Thomas Hardy of U.K, Anatole France of France etc an unknown, not celebrated person , to be crowned with such a honoured prize was also reflected in several news papers.
It was not known to Swedish Academy the address of Rabindranath Tagore . After inquiry from Macmillan Company Swedish Academy send the news from London on 14 Nov ,
XF PH LONDON PO 14 EASTN LN 19 RABINDRANATH TAGORE 6 DN TAGORE/LANE JORASANKO CALCUTTA SWEDISH ACADEMY AWARDED YOU NOBEL PRIZE LITERATUE PLEASE WIRE ACCEPTATION SWEDISH MINISTER"
Having received the Telegram Nagendranath, the son in law, informed Rabindranath by wire on 16 Nov from Kolkata 7.10 am : "Following cable received midnight Swedish academy awarded you Nobel prize literature please wire acceptance Swedish minister=nagen=
The news was first published in Kolkata by evening EMPIRE
GREAT HONOUR /TAGORE/NOBEL PRIZE CONFERRED/LARGEST CONTRIBUTION TO/THE COMMON GOOD.' / (REUTER'S SERVICE )/ LONDON . THURSDAY
The Nobel prize for Literature has//been conferred on the Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore.
Having received the news the devotees and friends of Rabindranath sent a number telegrams to Santiniketan. The first telegram reached in Santinikean
Handed in at Calcutta 14 16 10 recd here at 16.43 Rabindraath Tagore /Santiniketan/Bolpur Nobel prize conferred on you our congratulations
= manilal satyendra charu
Rothenstein sent telegram and letter congratulating Rabindranath. Rabindranath wrote in reply to that on 18 Nov, "The very first moment I received the message of the great honour conferred on me by the award of the Nobel prize my heart turned towards you with love and gratitude.I felt certain that of all my friends none would be more glad at this news than you....."
Calcutta University offered honorary D.Lit to Rabindranath on 15 Nov.
Though the decision was taken by the Syndicate earlier A special meeting was held by the Syndicate on 28th October where Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Mukherjee and other 6 important persons proposed to offer Honourary Doctor of Lit.. The proposal was carried unanimously and sent to Senate for approval. Senate approved it in the meeting held on 14 Nov
In the meeting of Senate regarding honourary D.Lit to be offered to Tagore, Ashutosh Mukherjee said, "Mr. Rabindranath Tagore , the celebrated lyric poet , dramatist and prose writer, occupies at the present time preeminent position in Bengali literature , for which as the award of the Nobel prize for literature to him amply indicates , his writings have now secured recognition as a world force ; and no one will now venture to contradict the statement that the finest produce of his imagination are characterised by an element of beauty , patriotism and spirituality which of the perennial value and is independent of local and racial accidents.".
The fans of Rabindranath was preparing for celebrating the occasion. They decided to go to Santiniketan with a special hired train on 23 rd Nov to congratulate him.
. After winning the Nobel prize .
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