Gitanjali [with Biographical Introduction]

by Rabindranath Tagore

In 1901, Tagore and his family moved to the small, seven-acre mountain town of Santiniketan. While many wondered why Tagore moved away from the city to the extreme rural countryside, the Brahmin had an inspired plan in mind for the region. He ordered the building of a marble-floored prayer hall and called it The Mandir. He also built a school and a library surrounded by groves of trees and beautiful gardens. He called the school Patha Bhavana and taught on the premise that learning would be more rewarding if it was done in a natural environment.