Rabindranath : A Traveller of the World

As a traveller of the world, both literally and poetically, Rabindranath turned out to be a global citizen. He frequented all the continents except Australia. He had gone to Europe twice already for studies. Memoirs of those days have been held in his 'Europe-Jatrir Diary' and 'Europe-Prabasir Patra'. In 1912 he went to Europe for a third time for medical treatment. It was on this occasion that the English renderings of his Gitanjali were read out before a gathering of the English elites on the initiative of Rothenstein. The English intelligentsia felt inspired by these poems and W .B. Yeats has been remarkable among them. Close on the heels of it came the Nobel Prize, in 1913. Once he received this honour, the West opened its gate widely to receive him. Between 1916 and 1917 he gave his lecture in America against imperialism and another lecture in Japan countering militant and jingoistic nationalism. These lectures subsequently found their way into the book entitled 'Nationalism'. World War I had then just ended. The analysis he had made of the reasons and factors behind this war and the alarm he had sounded against the forces of imperialism did not exactly appease the ears of these two countries. Japan and the United States rejected Rabindranath for that. However, the better part of Europe with its numerous countries gave ovations to the Poet on his trip to that continent during 1920-21. Already in 1919 Rabindranath had relinquished his 'Knighthood' in protest against the massacre at Jallianwalabagh.

In 1924 Rabindranath first went to China, and then  to Japan. The poet at first remained indifferent to the progressive elements within the Chinese Community but later he was able to assimilate the positive aspects of  the civilization. While in Japan he delivered an   anti-imperialist address in Tokyo. The Poet was also invited by  the Peruvian Government but he  fell ill in Argentina while on his way to Peru. There he earned the friendship of Victoria Ocampo and enjoyed her hospitality for three months.

Rabindranath went to Italy in 1926 on an invitation from Mussolini. After  this the poet completed a tour   through Central Europe.  Then he visited Greece, Turkey and Egypt and came back to India.

The Poet took Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyay with him on his trip to the South-East Asian parts like Singapore, Malay, Java etc. in a bid to know better the heritage of what is traditionally looked upon as outer India. Detailed coverages of this expedition have been given in the Poet's 'Java-Jatrir Patra' and in Suniti Kumar's 'Dwipamay Bharat'.

In 1930 the Poet was invited to Oxford in England to deliver the Hibbert Lecture. Next he went to Germany, and then to Russia, via Switzerland. His 'Russiar Chitthi' described his experience in Russia as a pilgrimage. His 1932 trip to Iraq and Iran happened to be his last ever trip to foreign countries. Details of this tour have been recorded in his 'Parasye'.