When a Madurai college hall echoed with Tagore’s words

Among the most prized possessions of the 136-year-old American College in

Madurai

are a group photograph of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore along with students and staff and a copy of his lectures at the college during his visit to Madurai in

1919

.

It was Tagore’s visit to Tamil Nadu before he made his most important contribution to Indian education system — founding Visva Bharati University (in 1921), an institution that aimed to promote intercultural and humanistic knowledge, through which Tagore wanted to bring the East and the West closer.

He had said, "Visva Bharati represents India where she has her wealth of mind which is for all. Visva Bharati acknowledges India’s obligation to offer to others the hospitality of her best culture and India’s right to accept from others their best." It was this message about India’s culture that Tagore shared with students during his visit to the American College.

"History can be regarded not only as a record of the past, but also as a prophecy for the future. The grandson might be considered as already existing in the grandfather," he said while delivering his first lecture ‘The message of the forest’ through which he established that protecting forests and the environment is a message that is deeply rooted in Indian epics and scriptures unlike western literature.

Tagore’s visit to the college was part of his lecture tours across the country to raise funds for the college. When in South India, he visited the towns of Thanjavur, Trichy, Madurai and Kumbakonam, and Madras. During his visit to Madurai, he was invited to give lectures by then principal of the American College W M Zumbro. He gave three lectures, the other two being ‘The Spirit of Popular Religion in India’ and ‘Indian Education’.

These were public lectures, delivered during the late evening in main hall of the college. According to college sources about Rs2,635 was raised through sale of tickets for the speech and given to Tagore. It is recorded that Tagore kept only Rs2,000 and gave back the rest to college.

In his third talk he concluded with a remark that is relevant even today. He said, "I have not said anything about religion in my scheme of education. This is indeed a subject giving room for controversy. I think it is not impossible at an educational institution to have some religious instruction based on points of agreement among the great religions of the world, rather than emphasising the apparent and unhappy differences between them."

There is a copy of group photograph available in the college which shows the students and staff with the principal in front of the main hall of the college with Tagore seated in the centre. Interestingly, the hall, built in the Indo-Saracenic design boasts of hosting lectures by many eminent personalities including Tagore, Georges Clemenceau (who led France in World War I) through the years. It was designed by Henry Irwin, a well-known architect of Irish origin and student of Robert Fellows Chisolm, the pioneer of Indo-Saracenic movement.

(The author is a culture enthusiast)