Dec. 19: Women who helped shape Tagore's vision of Santiniketan have found space in a book that was planned six years ago by a group of ashramites and will be released before this Poush Mela.

Sharing the dream: Remarkable women of Santiniketan includes 18 essays by various authors. "The book brings to light the untold stories of several women who shared Tagore's dream of creating Santiniketan. It is the first time Visva-Bharati is publishing a book on these women," said Amrit Sen, one of the editors of the book.

Tagore's wife Mrinalini Devi's dedication towards the ashram is well-known but few perhaps know that she agreed to sell a bungalow in Puri that used to be a favourite getaway of the couple.

"Mrinalini Devi was the ashram mother. She gave away all her jewellery to her husband for this institution. Tagore also had to sell his bungalow in Puri, which was meant to be an oasis for just the two of them," the essay on Tagore's wife says.

Two other women featured in the book are Amartya Sen's mother Amita Sen and grandmother Kiranbala Sen.

Amita Sen, fondly known in the ashram as Khuku, was a favourite singer of Tagore's. She was one of the chief custodians of his music and Tagore wanted her to be the principal of Sangit Bhavana, the book says. Tagore is said to have dedicated his song Aami tomar songe bedhechhi amar pran surer bandhane to her.

Amartya Sen's grandmother, Kiranbala Sen, too, finds pride of place in the book. Tapati Mukhopadhyay, another editor of the book, said few know that Kiranbala, who was called Thandi in Santiniketan, was an expert midwife. "Many children of Santiniketan were born under her care," the essay on her says.

Also featured is Gretchen Green from America, the " mai (mother) to the community for a brief while". She worked with rural women, performed secretarial services for Rabindranath and was the first to make a feature film on Sriniketan.