Santiniketan and Phoenix Schools

Abstract

After meeting Tagore in 1912, Andrews was seriously considering moving to Santiniketan to help with Tagore’s school there. He came to visit the Santiniketan school for the first time in March 1913 and then again in July. Tagore was still in England but his elder brother Dwijendranath, who was everybody’s Barodada (elder brother), lived in Santiniketan. He and Andrews were greatly drawn to one another as the joyous letters Andrews wrote from his visits to the school convey. Andrews moved to Santiniketan in 1914 on leaving missionary service altogether. Another former missionary William Pearson was also teaching at Santiniketan. In November 1914 Gandhi’s boys from the Phoenix School also came to Santiniketan after leaving South Africa. On 12 November 1914 Pearson wrote to Gandhi: ‘Your big family arrived here last Saturday from the Gurukul all very well and happy.’