Goethals News

(Goethals Indian Library & Research Centre)

Vol. III No. 2         Bulletin         April-June 2000

News Update

· The Fourth Exhibition held at the library on voyages to India and history of India from 6-11 March was well attended.

· The Mass Communication IIIrd year students of St. Xavier’s college did filming at the library. The team included Ms. Srinita Bhoumick, Ms Sujatha Murthy, Joyneel Mukherjee and others.

· The library will hold an exhibition on the various valuable picture book-plates on a variety of subjects from Flora and Architecture to views of Old Calcutta sometime in July.

· The library web-site got a few new features added to make it more interactive. Have a look.

· The number of college student researchers from St. Xavier’s has increased over the last few months. Students of other colleges and universities are welcome to visit the library.

· GILRC Director, Fr. Felix Raj, presented a paper on "Fundamentalism Vs Tolerance" at a two day Seminar organised by the Asiatic Society March 25-26 on ‘Secularism and Syncretism’.

Research Fellowships

GILRC is offering Research Fellowships on a monthly basis. The fellowship carries a cash reward of Rs 2000/- per month. The main purpose of this offer is to encourage scholarship and research among Jesuits and others on selected areas. Those interested can write to the Director for application forms and for more information.

The following are some suggested areas for fellowship research:

1. The Catholic Schools in India, Burma, Ceylon and Malaya.

2. The Belgian Mission in Bengal and India.

3. The Past and Present situation of Bengal, its people, culture and heritage.

4. C F Andrews, his life and work.

5. Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, his life and work

6. A study of the Flora and Fauna of India.

7. The history of Calcutta.

8. History, growth and development of the Brahmo Samaj.

9. The contributions of Jesuits in India.

10. Calcutta Jesuits and their contribution to Bengal.

• Fr. Peter Johanns

• Fr. William Wallace

• Fr. Victor Courtois & Celeste Van Exem

• Fr Robert Antoine & Pierre Fallon

• Fr. Anto Gabric

• Fr. Eugene Lafont

• Fr. Leopold Knockeart

• Fr. Richard De Smet

• Cardinal Lawrence Trevor Picachy

• Archbishop Paul Goethals

• Fr. John Henrichs

11. A study of Rabindranath Tagore.

12. A study of the teacher and reformer, Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar.

13. The contributions of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda to Indian Religions and Indian philosophy.

 Book Reviews

1. The History of Bengal from the first Mohammedan Invasion until the virtual conquest of that country by the English, A D 1757 by Charles Stewart. There is a valuable appendix and a useful index. From the Samanian Dynasty up to the period of Nawab Seraje ad Dowla is an informative and interesting compilation. Published in London, Black, Parry & Co. 1813. (9B/406)

2. History of Midnapore (1760-1942) vol I , by Narendranath Das. This is divided into three parts. The conquest of the Jungle Mehals (1760-1768) the conquest of the Jungle Mehals (1769-1800) and the resurrection (1806-1942). Published at Madhabi Press. Midnapore. 1956 ( 9B/167)

3. Important speeches and writings of Subhas Bose, edited by Jagat S. Bright. This is a collection of the most significant speeches and writings of Subhas Bose. This is divided into twelve sections from the " white man’s Burden" to the "Indian National Army". Published by N. D. Kumar. Lahore. 1946 (6B/227)

4. History of the Tamils by P. T .Srinivas Iyengar. The book focuses on the geographical basis of the ancient culture of the Tamils, intercourse with North India in the early ages up to Foreign Trade in the first half millennium A D . The kings in history as also the songs and literature of the Tamil people is covered extensively. Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi . 1982. (9J/105)

5. Bihar through the Ages by R .R. Diwarkar. This book gives us a panoramic view of Bihar and its people for the last three thousand years or so. Thirty-five writers have contributed articles to the book. Janaka and Jajnavalkuya , Buddha and Mahavir, Chandragupta and Chanakya , Ashoka and Samudragupta all belong to Bihar. While the name of Mithila and Nalanda are known throughout the world of learning.

Published by Orient Longmans. Calcutta. 1959 (9F/100)

St. Xavier’s College Calcutta since 1935

By Fr. Achilles Verstraeten (late)

The year 1935 started with the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Institution. There was an elaborate series of festivities spread over four days from the 7th to the 10th February. There were first the jubilee sports, then cricket match, past vs. present, a well attended Old Boy’s lunch at the Indian museum. There was a garden party and Xaverian reunion enlivened by a Drill display and glorious fireworks. The celebrations concluded with a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by the Rev. Archbishop of Calcutta.

The college department held its own various types of sports. All these sports activities owed much of their success to the encouraging and cheerful direction of Rev Fr. John Weaver.

The same energetic Fr. Weaver was also responsible for the great success of his Sans Souci players who for several nights staged successfully Shakespeare’s "Merchant of Venice"…

As usual Rector’s Day was celebrated with great tamasha an abundance of flowers and flowery felicitations.

This year saw the inauguration of the college prefect day, at the request of the students to show their appreciation of the devoted services of their Prefect Fr. J Van Neste.

On prize day at the end of the year, the Rector’s report gives the usual information about the years activities. It is noted that the college has 1096 students and the school 740.

It is during this year that the famous Sans Souci Theatre was finally pulled down to make room for the second phase of the reconstruction of the college building.

Towards the end of the year, Fr. A. Verstraeten joined the physics staff starting a long and eventful career in the college.

Book Sections 45-50

Section 45 is the Census of India. This is divided in to 6 categories.

45 A - The census before 1900

45 B - The Census of 1900 to1921

45 C - The Census of 1922 to 1960

45 D - The Census of 1961

45 E - The Census of 1971

45 F - The Census of 1981

Section 46-59 focuses on Non- Indian Countries.

Section 46 is on Central Asia. For information on Tibet see section 52

Section 47 centres around Iran, formerly referred to as Persia.

Section 48 is on East Asia, formerly Mongolia and the Far East. For information on Japan see section 51 and for details on the Philippines refer to section 53 A.

Section 49 is about South West Asia.

Section 50 is on Pakistan and Afghanistan, formerly North Western India and Afghanistan. For details on East Pakistan see section 9 B.

THE PASSION PLAY AT OBERAMMERGAU

By Warren Brown

Easter is the time when all Christians reflect on the sufferings of Christ, his agonising death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection into Heaven, which promises Eternal Life. There is a place in Germany, which celebrates the Passion of Christ in a unique manner.

Oberammergau is a village of Bavaria in Germany, it is situated among the foot-hills of the Alps in the village of the Ammer 64 m. S.S.W. of Munich. The villagers are mainly engaged in making toys and carving crucifixes, rosaries and images of saints.

This place is famous for their performance of a Passion play every tenth year to which thousands of the faithful visit. The play will be staged this year, 2000 A.D.

This dramatic representation of the sufferings of Christ is not a survival of a medieval mystery or miracle play, but took its origin from a vow made by the inhabitants in 1633, with the hope of keeping away a deadly plague.

The original texts and arrangements were probably made by the Monks of Ettal, in a monastery, a little higher up the valley. The parish priest however carefully remodelled the texts and arrangements at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Oberammergau play obtained exemption from the general suppression of such performances from the Bavarian government. The music was composed by Rochus Dedler, schoolmaster of the parish in 1814.

The performances take place on the Sundays of summer, in a large open-air theatre holding 6,000 persons, and each lasts about nine hours , with a short intermission at noon.

Each scene from the history of Christ is prefaced by a tableau of typical import from the Old Testament. About 700 actors are required, all belonging to the village. The proceeds of the performances are devoted to the good of the community, after defrayals of the costs and payment of small remuneration to the actors.

The villagers regard the Passion Play as a solemn act of religious worship, and the performances are characterized by the greatest reverence. The principal parts are usually hereditary in certain families, and are assigned with regard to moral character as well as dramatic ability. It is considered a disgrace not to be allowed to take part in the play, and the part of Christ is looked upon as one of the greatest of earthly honours.

A short bibliography on MISHMI

A Scheduled tribe in Arunachal Pradesh

1. Basu, Prouesh Chandra – Head dress of the Hill tribes of Assam. Journal and the proceedings of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. XXV: 1929:103-114.

2. Baveja, J D – Across the Golden Heights of Assam and NEFA, Calcutta. Modern Book Depot: 1961: 55-57

3. Das, Jogesh – Folklore of Assam. New Delhi. National Book Trust, India: 1972: 35

4. Elwin, Verrier - Myths of the North East Frontier of Indai. Shillong North East Frontier Agency; 1958.

5. Ghosh, SK – the Mishmi-world-view. Man in India : XLVIII : 4: 1968: 327-336.

6. Griffith, William – Journey of a visit to the Mishmee hills in Assam. Journal of the Royal Asiatic society of Bengal : V I : 1837: 325-341.

7. Hunter, William Wilson – A Statistical Account of Assam. London. Trubner:1879.

8. Mani, S. B. – Bows and arrows in tribal India. Vanyajati : X II : 1:1964: 40-45.

9. Neog, Maheswar – Serpent lore and serpent worship in Assam. Eastern Anthropologist : IV : 3&4 : 1951 : 150-159.

10. Roy Burman, B K – Demographic and Socio – Economic profiles of the Hill Areas of North – East India. Census of India 1961. Delhi. Manager of Publications 1970:96-97.

11. Rahul Ram – The Himalaya Border land. Delhi. Vikas Publications : 1970 : 24-42.

12. Waddell, L A - The tribes of the Brahmaputra Valley, Delhi, Sanskaran Prakashak : 1970 (Reprint)

From the Census of India – Occasional Paper - 1 of 1982. Bibliography on Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes. Social Studies Division , New Delhi. pp 263.

New Arrivals

1. Bengal District Gazetteer – Darjeeling, by L. S. S. O’Malley, Logos press, New Delhi. 1999 (reprint)

2. Naga cultural attires and musical instruments edited by A. Lanu Ao. Concept Publications, New Delhi, 1999

3. History of Arunachal Pradesh by M L Bose Concept Publications, New Delhi 1997.

4. India – 2000 compiled by the Research, Reference and Training division, ministry of information and broadcasting, New Delhi, 2000.

5. A history of world societies by J. P. Mckay, B. D. Hill and J. Buckler, Houghton Mifflin Co. USA 1992.

6. The English writings of Rabindranath Tagore edited by Sisir Kumar Das , 3 Vols Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi 1999.

Researchers at Goethals

1. Fr Linus Kujur S J from St. Albert’s College, Ranchi visited the library and did research on the Oraon Tribe.

2. Mr. Howard Solverson did research on the Darjeeling Mission. He is a freelance writer based in Canada. He was doing research for a book on the Canadian Jesuits of Darjeeling.

3. Mr. Adrian Carton, from the University of Sydney, Australia did research on Anglo-Indians and catholicism in Bengal.

4. Mr. Derek Clyde Cornelius from Essex, England did research on the history of Calcutta.

5. SXC Students Researchers who visited the library were: Dipannita Biswas, Sujatha Murthy, Joyneel Mukherjee, Srinita Bhowmick, Poulomi Banerjee, Tanaya Mitra, Devarati Kundu, Aditi Banerjee, Mantra Roy, Mihika Basu, Abhishek Ray, Ujjaini Ghosh, Sariputra Matsudi, Elam Dutta, Aindrila Mitra, Nikunj Kedia, Kanak Gupta, Anjja Chandgotia, Christopher Murmu, Sumit Dey, Kezia Cabral.

6. Ms J Chaliha is a new life member of the Goethals library and is doing research on the Santals.

mails & e-mails

Dear Father,

Just a little note to thank you very much for your Goethals Newsletter. It is only the second issue that I have received and the first one this year and I read it with great interest.

S M Cyril, Loreto Sealdah.

Dear Father,

1 am writing to introduce myself and to thank you for a most enjoyable visit to the Goethals Indian Library and Research Centre in Calcutta in January and February of this year. I was extremely impressed with both the research collection of the library, the ordered and organised layout of the materials and the attentive and professional services provided by the Staff, who endeavoured to make my stay a most productive one.

The Jesuit archives reveal much good work done to help the Catholic poor of Calcutta and I learnt a great deal.

With many thanks again for the opportunity of using this excellent research facility and 1 look forward to coming again.

Adrian Carton, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Goethals Indian Library & Research Centre, St. Xavier’s, 30 Park Street, Calcutta-700 016, India.
Tel/Fax: 91-33-280 1919; email: goethals@vsnl.com Web-site: www.goethals.org
Director: Fr. Felix Raj, SJ; Library Asst: Mr. Warren Brown; Computer Asst: Mr. Sunil Mondol.