Rabisarani

Back in Santiniketan.

Sarojini Naidu visits Santiniketan (5th - 6th January). Warmly received by the poet. Addresses the students at Uttarayan in the evening.

A calamitous earthquake devastates Bihar.

Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru visit Santiniketan. Their daughter Indira is a student of Santiniketan. A public reception is arranged in their honour.

Poet cables Andrews in England to raise relief funds for victims of the Bihar quake. Also issues a statement to the press, both at home and abroad, urging aid for Bihar because "its calamity transcends geographical limits and makes its appeal to universal man."

Mahatma Gandhi sees the earthquake as the wages of the sin of untouchability practised in India. Shocked and dismayed at this preposterous statement, Rabindranath writes a letter of protest to Gandhiji. Also releases it to the press.

Naliniranjan Sarkar -- mayor of Kolkata, presides over the anniversary celebrations of Sriniketan. Rabindranath delivers an address on Upekshita Palli.

In view of the proposed boycott of Gandhiji's forthcoming visit to Bengal and strong sentiments prevailing in the province following the Poona pact, Rabindranath issues a statement deprecating the boycott moves and defending the Mahatma's bona fides -- " I would be failing in my duty were I not to raise my voice of protest against the slanderous campaign that is being carried out against him. I have often disagreed with him and even quite recently criticized his belief...but I have enough regard for the sincerity of his religious convictions and abiding love for the poor...I offer him a hearty welcome."

During the period (3rd January - 8th February), the poet has written a few poems in Santiniketan.

• Ishat Daya10th January,1934

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• Ami11th January, 1934

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• Mouna18th January, 1934

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• Kaishorika23rd January, 1934

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• Asanna Rati4th February, 1934

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In Kolkata; delivers lecture on Sahityatattwa at Calcutta University.

During this stay in Kolkata he has many calls on his time. Visits Bharati fountain pen factory set up by G.C.Laha.

Visits and speaks at Rabindraparishad, Presidency College, Kolkata.

Presides over the silver jubilee celebrations of the Hindustan Co-op Insurance Company (his nephew Surendranath was one of its founders).

Tagore delivers speech as President at Hindustan Cooperative Insurance Society.

Returns to Santiniketan and taking advantage of the month-long interlude (24th February - 2nd April) spent here writes quite a few of the poems later collected in Bithika.

Back in the city.

Tagore observes Raktakarabi staged at Natyaniketan, organized by The Tagore Dramatic Group.

Addresses the International Relations Club in the Senate Hall of Calcutta University (established under the aegis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

He is now the guest of Prasantachandra Mahalanabis at his Baranagar residence.

In a statement carried by Associated Press, the poet says he endorses the Mahatma's decision to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Growing Hindu-Muslim strife now threatens to distort and disfigure the Bengali language too, thanks to the misguided zeal of some Islamist zealots who want to purge the language of its allegedly preponderant pro-Hindu Sanscritic elements, by deliberately pumping into it enormous amounts of Urdu words not connected with the language. The poet writes to M.A. Ajan and later to Altaf Chowdhury deprecating the efforts.

Sails for a cultural tour of Ceylon (now Srilanka) accompanied by a select group of teachers and students of Santiniketan with the aim of raising funds for Visva-Bharati in view. This is his third visit to the country.

The poet's birthday celebrated aboard the ship.

Arrives at Colombo. Received by first Minister Sir Baron Jayatilaka who delivers a welcome address.

Speaks on Visva-Bharati at Rotary Club, Colombo. Radio Ceylon broadcasts the address.

The poet is felicitated and presented with an address by Indian Mercantile Chamber of Ceylon.

A veritable cultural festival is enjoyed by Colombo (11th - 18th May) as Sapmochan is staged at Regal theatre by the Santiniketan troupe and exhibitions of the poet's paintings and those of the Kala-Bhavana artists are held simultaneously.

Art and Crafts of Santiniketan are exhibited at Colombo Art Gallery. Tagore speaks on The Ideals of Indian art.

Civic reception given in his honour by City Corporation, Colombo.

Gives a public reading of his poems at Y.M.C.A.hall.

The poet travels to Horana via Panadura to lay the foundation of a Santiniketan-type institution which he christens Sripalli. The architect of Sripalli is Wilmot Perera, an alumnus of Santiniketan. Kandyan dance performed in his honour.

Visits Galle and Matara where he witnesses a performance of Sinhalese mask-dance for the first time.

Returns to Colombo.

Sapmochan has swiftly grown so popular that it is performed on three days consecutively.

Spends a restful week (3rd - 8th June) in this ancient capital of Ceylon and completes his last and perhaps most controversial novel- Char Adhyay. In this period he also visits Kandy.

Having visited Anuradhapura and other places, arrives in Tamil-dominated Jaffna.

Here too, Sapmochan is performed on three consecutive evenings and the poet gives an address.

Leaves Jaffna. Reaches Madras.

Back in Santiniketan.

Effects some changes in the administration of Visva-Bharati.

Dinendranath Tagore leaves Santiniketan.

Arrives in Kolkata. As usual, his hosts in Kolkata are Prasantachandra and Rani Mahalanabis. Reads Char Adhyay to a select audience.

Delivers address Sahityer Tatparya at Calcutta University.

Attends a meeting with Gandhi in the city. Returns to Santiniketan.

Kamala Nehru comes on a visit to Santiniketan. Her daughter Indira is now studying here.

In a letter written to Prafullanath Tagore the poet says that while he is not in favour of violent activities committed by revolutionary terrorists or activities of political extremists, he does not want to say anything about it at public meetings either.

As part of Varshamangal celebrations, Sravangatha -- a medley of old songs cast in a dramatic form with three characters- raja, sabhakabi and Nataraj -- performed on 11th and 12th August. Rabindranath plays Nataraj.

The poet is in correspondence with Malavyaji on the subject of Communal Awards. States in a letter--"You all know that I have always disapproved of the Communal Award and I hope that our leaders will join their forces to save from its paralysing grip the political integrity of our nation."

Chinese professor Tan Yun-Shan is in Santiniketan. Rabindranath invites him to set up the headquarters of Sino-Indian Cultural Society in Santiniketan.

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan comes to Santiniketan to see his son, who is studying at Kala-Bhavana.

Professor Murray has already written to Rabindranath on the deteriorating world situation. The poet now writes a long reply to Murray. This correspondence is later published under the title East and West by the International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations. In his letter Rabindranath reposes great faith in the future and declares -- "I feel proud that I have been born in this great age."

Poet is in Kolkata. Here he attends and delivers lectures at the inauguration of Basanti Cotton Mills.

Writes Sarat and Pralaya (13th -14th September).

Writes a number of songs in September.

• Hey sakha, barata peyechhi17th September,1934

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• Bandhu, kon alo laglo chokhey 20th September,1934

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• Durer bandhu soorer dootirey 21st September,1934

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• Kshanik--Chaitrer ratey je Madhabi-manjari 26th September,1934

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• Orey chitra-rekha dorey 27th September,1934

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• Maya-bana biharini harini 29th September,1934

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• Kachhe thekey door rachila keno 29th September,1934

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• Kon gahan aranye tarey elem haraye 30th September,1934

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Arrives in Madras with a troupe of Santiniketan students and teachers. Welcomed by Chief Minister, Raja Saheb of Bobbili.

Civic reception given to the Poet, presented with an address by Madras Municipality. In reply poet speaks about Visva-Bharati.

Addresses a gathering of students at Midland Theatre Hall. One thousand rupees donated by students for Visva-Bharati.

Felicitated by girl students of Queen Mary College.

Paintings by Rabindranath and others of the Santiniketan School of Art displayed at an exhibition held at Congress House.

Rabindranath speaks here on Myself and Bengal Renaissance.

Sapmochan is performed on four evenings (27th,28th,30th,31st October).

In Waltair, enjoys the hospitality of his hostess Maharani of Vizianagram.

Addresses the students of Andhra University.

Returns to Santiniketan.

At the House of Commons of British Parliament a question - answer session is held about the censoring of Tagore's article (translated from Rashiar Chithi) in the Modern Review.

Bidhusekhar Shastri leaves Santiniketan and joins Calcutta University as lecturer in Sanskrit.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee unveils its report. In his reaction issued to the press Rabindranath observes--"Swaraj is not a question of apportionment of votes and seats. There can be no swaraj for us until…dead villages are again brought to life and that can be done only through our own work."

The Poet is in Benaras to inaugurate the new building of Rajghat Montessori School (29th November - 3rd December).

Returns to Kolkata.

Poush Utsav celebrated in Santiniketan. Rabindranath attends.

Andrews prays in the temple. Rabindranath translates Manabputra into English as The Son of Man.

Back in Kolkata. Inaugurates Prabashi-Banga-Sahitya-Sammelan. Delivers a speech.

Later in the day inaugurates Nikhil-Banga-Sangeet-Sammelan in the Senate Hall. Here too, the poet addresses the conference.