Rabisarani

New viceroy Lord Curzon arrives in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Maharaja of Natore invited by the Tagores, Jagadindranath Roy dines at Jorasanko.

Maharaja of Tripura Radhakishore Manikya comes to dinner at Jorasanko.

Maghotsav celebrated at Maharshibhavan and Adi Brahmasamaj temple. In the morning session songs composed by Rabindanath are sung.

• Vimala anande jago 24th January, 1899

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• Pipasa haay nahi mitilo 24th January, 1899

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• Tumi kachhe nai bole 24th January, 1899

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• Nayana tomare paayna dekhite - Aakhar jukto 24th January, 1899

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• Din phuralo hey sansari 24th January, 1899

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• Madhuro roope birajo hey 24th January, 1899

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• Chira sakha, chhero na morey 24th January, 1899

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• Majhe Majhe taba dekha 24th January, 1899

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• Hridaya basana purna 24th January, 1899

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• Ohey jibana ballabha 24th January, 1899

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Maharaja of Natore, Jagadindranath Roy pays a second visit and dines at Jorasanko.

Rabindranath visits Maharaja Radhakishore Manikya a couple of times (8th and 27th January) at Maharaja's Calcutta (now Kolkata) residence.

Oitihasik Chitra edited by Akshayakumar, published with Rabi's introduction.

In the Poush (Dec-Jan) issue of the magazine Pradip, Rabindranath writes a significant article Mandirabhimukhe surveying the contemporary state of fine arts in the country. Earlier in the Bharati (Ashad issue) in 1898 he praised Ganpat Kashinath Mahatre's sculpture.

The Brahmasanmelan held at Jorasanko in Maharshi's presence. Rabindranath sings - Base achhi hey kabe.

Rabindranath goes to a tea party on the invitation of sister Nivedita. Rabindranath and Vivekananda meet in the tea party. Rabindranath sings – Bela galo tomar patha cheye to Nivedita's delight.

Rabindranath leaves for Kusthia to inspect the estates there, most probably with family. Elaborate arrangements made for the journey.

Tenants of the Tagore estates at Kaligram suffer extensive damage to their crops due to natural causes around this time.

While the tenants of the Tagore estates at Kaligram suffer extensive damage to their crops due to natural causes around this time, Rabindranath writes to the estate manager Saileshchandra to be flexible in his approach and treat the tenants leniently in collecting dues from them at this critical moment. This at once highlights his eminently humane and rational approach to the problems of his tenants which will often come to the fore in the years ahead.

The tenants of the Tagore estates at Kaligram suffer extensive damage to their crops due to natural causes and Rabindranath writes to the estate manager Saileshchandra to treat them flexibly and leniently. In one of these letters he also mentions his efforts to manufacture silk locally and engage the local boys in this enterprise.

In a letter written to Jagadish Chandra months later he will describe his earnest and active efforts to start sericulture in Shilaidaha.

Reads an article on 'Kali-worship' before a distinguished audience at Albert hall.

Sister Nivedita meets Maharshi Debendranath Tagore at Jorasanko.

Vivekananda and Nivedita meet Maharshi Debendranath Tagore again in Jorasanko.

Indira Devi marries Pramatha Chowdhuri. Rabindranath and family at Jorasanko to attend the wedding. Nivedita is invited to the wedding and comes to Jorasanko on 26th, 28th February and 2nd March.

Rabindranath's letter to Basanta Kumar Gupta written around this period reveal that the Company has suffered huge losses in its Barishal operations due to the incompetence and perhaps dishonesty of one Nishikanta who's in charge of Barishal. The poet is in somewhat straitened circumstances. In the same context he has written another letter to Basanta Kumar Gupta on 17th May.

Leaves Calcutta (now Kolkata) for his first visit to Tripura.

The poet feted at a gala event during Dol-purnima in Tripura.

Rabindranath spends the Bengali New Year’s Day (13th April) in Shilaidaha.

Rabindranath resigns as editor of the magazine Bharati.

Rabindranath's niece Sarala Devi becomes the new editor of the magazine Bharati.

His relations with this magazine are strained.

Requested by the Maharaja of Tripura, Rabindranath tries to find a doctor and a teacher for service in Tripura.

The poet turns 39 today and writes the much discussed poem Ashesh.

Over exertion on his part to achieve the union of Adi Brahmasamaj and Aryasamaj and anxiety over the crippling losses suffered by Tagore & Co. severely affects Balendranath's (Rabindranath's nephew) health who is already suffering from tuberculosis.

The heavy loss suffered by the Tagore & Co. effects Balendranath's (Rabindranath's nephew) health severely. Rabindranath too, has more than his fair share of financial worries due to the same reasons.

Rabindranath brings Rathindranath back to Calcutta (now Kolkata) who is ill. He also wants to look after the ailing Balendranath.

Maharshi Debendranath Tagore's 83rd birthday celebrated. Nivedita goes to see him and offers pranam.

Priyanath Sen, the close friend of the poet, now tries to secure a loan of Rs 40,000/- for Rabindranath.

Rabindranath writes to Jagadish Chandra that he is carrying a number of mythological themes for poems in his head, but they are not ripe enough as yet and he is going to have to wait a little longer.

The writer Prabhatkumar Mukhopadhaya is now writing fine stories and gratefully acknowledges his debt to Rabindranath.

Rabindranath instrumental in organising and collecting funds for the noted poet Hemchandra Bandopadhyay, who has gone blind in old age and shifted to Benaras because he finds Calcutta (now Kolkata) too expensive to live in.

As Rabindranath takes initiative to organise and collect funds for the noted poet Hemchandra Bandopadhaya, Hemchandra writes to Rabindranath to express his gratitude.

Rabindranath actively promotes growing potato on his estate in a big way with the advice, seeds and machinery provided by Dwijendralal; Dwijendralal himself comes over to supervise the experiment but the efforts do not succeed.

He is now engaged in writing Chokher Bali – the first major novel of his career.

Rabindranath spends more than a month in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Maharshi Debendranath Tagore's Last Will and Testament is being finalised.

Balendranath passes away.

As a result of Balendranath's death, Rabindranath, now the sole partner is alone responsible for all the liabilities of the company.

At last Rabindranath is able to secure a hefty loan of Rs 40,000/- at 7% interest to pay the debts incurred by the company (Tagore & Co.). He will pay this loan by borrowing a similar amount of money from Sir Taraknath Palit which will be cleared only with the prize money of the Nobel award years later.

In the letter to Mrinalini, perhaps in an unguarded moment Rabindranath criticises his bereaved sister-in-law Balendra's mother Prafullamoyee, thus, "Nabouthan has lost her only son and her only bonding with the world. Yet the way she involves herself in monetary transactions, buying and selling day and night both confounds and disgusts everybody...” It's perfectly natural for Prafullamoyee to act the way she does considering that her only son is dead and she is saddled with the responsibility of looking after not only herself, but also her widowed daughter-in-law and mentally ill husband Birendranath. In his Will Debendranath leaves nothing for his unfortunate son Birendranath save a paltry monthly allowance of Rs 100/- per head which the family receives after Maharshi's death from short-sighted trustees including Rabindranath.

Maharshi Debendranath Tagore signs his last Will and Testament.

Rabindranath is one of the three executors of Debendranath Tagore's last Will and Testament, the others being Dwipendranath and Surendranath.

Rabindranath returns to Shilaidaha after a long stay in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Jyotirindranath Tagore publishes his Bengali translation of Kalidas's Abhigyanam Sakuntalam.

In a fine creative spurt he now writes several poems based on the legends in Dr. Rajendralal Mitra's The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal.

• Pujarini 4th October, 1899

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• Abhisar 5th October, 1899

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• Parisodh 9th October, 1899

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• Bisarjan 10th October, 1899

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• Samanya Kshati 11th October, 1899

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• Mulyaprapti 12th October, 1899

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• Nagarlakshmi 13th October, 1899

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• Apaman-bar based on Bhaktamal 14th October, 1899

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• Swamilabh 15th October, 1899

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• Sparshamani 15th October, 1899

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Over the next two months writes poems of a dramatic nature based on memorable historical events drawn from James Todd's The Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan and Cunningham's History of The Sikhs. These poems are collected in the anthology Katha.

• Mani 17th October, 1899

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• Prarthanatita Daan 18th October, 1899

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• Rajvichar 20th October, 1899

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• Shesh Shiksha 22nd October, 1899

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• Nakal Gad 23rd October, 1899

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• Hori Khela 25th October, 1899

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• Vidroha 27th October, 1899

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• Panraksha November, 1899

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• Bandi vir 15th November, 1899

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• Vicharak 19th November, 1899

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The anthology Kanika consisting of 110 short, epigrammatic poems, published.

Rabindranath comes to Calcutta (now Kolkata) to act as a member of the jury of a case being heard in the High Court. He probably returns to Shilaidaha on 8th December.

The poet in Santiniketan to attend the annual Brahma festival.

Satyendranath declares open the Brahmavidyalaya planned by the late Balendranath.

Kangalicharan Sen is engaged as the singer of the Adi Brahmasamaj. In the days ahead he will play a very useful role in transcribing the notations of Rabindranath's songs.

Rabindranath back in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

This musical play written by Jyotirindranath performed by the members of the Bharat Sangeet Samaj. The poet contributes quite a few songs to the play.

• Eso eso Vasanta e kanane 23rd December, 1899

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• E ki akulata bhubane 23rd December, 1899

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• Kotha chhili sajani lo 23rd December, 1899

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• Sei to Vasanta phire elo 23rd December, 1899

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• Bane eman phool phutechhe 23rd December, 1899

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• Oki katha bala sakhi 23rd December, 1899

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• Ha sakhi, o adare 23rd December, 1899

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• Sakha, sadhite sadhate 23rd December, 1899

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• De lo sakhi de 23rd December, 1899

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• Eto phool ke photale 23rd December, 1899

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• Dekho, oi ke esechhe 23rd December, 1899

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• Se aase dhire 23rd December, 1899

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• Aha jagi pohalo 23rd December, 1899

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• tumi jeyo na ekhani 23rd December, 1899

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• Hridayer mani, adarini mor 23rd December, 1899

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• Sundara hridiranjana tumi 23rd December, 1899

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• Madhura milan 23rd December, 1899

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• Aaj ankhi judalo 23rd December, 1899

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