George Arundale
Encyclopedia
Dr. George Sidney Arundale (1 December 1878 in Surrey
, England
— 12 August 1945 in Adyar, India
) was a theosophist
, freemason
, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar
and bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church
. He was the husband of the celebrated Indian dancer, Rukmini Devi Arundale
.
, a wealthy theosophist. Initially, he was privately tutored by Charles Webster Leadbeater
. Later, he moved with Francesca Arundale to Germany
, where he went to school. Returning eventually to England, he received a Master's degree from St John's College
, Cambridge
. His entire childhood was thus spent under the influence of his aunt, who was a committed and active theosophist. Under her influence, he also became one.
was closely associated with Indian spiritualism, and was headquartered in Adyar in south India
. Another major center of the society was Varanasi
, a city held holy in Indian spiritualism. In 1902 Arundale and his aunt moved to Varanasi
where he took a position as history teacher at the Central Hindu College
(CHC). In 1909, he was appointed its Principal.
During the early 20th-century, many Theosophists believed in the imminent appearance of a messianic
entity, the so-called Maitreya or World Teacher
. Around this time, a young boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti
was "discovered" and identified by leading Theosophists as being the probable "vehicle" of the expected Messiah (Krishnamurti later repudiated the idea). Arundale was selected as one of Krishnamurti's private tutors. He was a firm believer in the Coming of the World Teacher, and in late 1910 formed a clandestine society, the Order of the Rising Sun (later renamed Order of the Star in the East
), which was intended to further this cause. Most of the recruits were students and staff at the CHC. There was great commotion when the existence and the activities of the society eventually became public; following opposition to the Order by the school's Trustees and administrators, in 1913 Arundale and other staff members resigned their positions and left the school.
After a holiday in England, he returned to India to devote himself to the activities of the Theosophical Society. He and his aunt settled at the Society's sprawling campus at Adyar in Madras. The Indian Independence Movement
was picking up pace during these years, as was a revival of interest and pride in the ancient culture and philosophies of India. The Theosophical Society was supportive of both these currents. In 1917, he was one of a group of Theosophists who, along with Annie Besant
, organized the National University of India at Chennai
, near the headquarters of the Society. Rabindranath Tagore
became the first Chancellor of the University. In June the same year, Arundale was arrested along with Besant and Bahman Pestonji Wadia
by the British authorities for having become involved in the Indian Independence Movement.
, a fellow Theosophist, and fell in love with his sister, Rukmini
. This was considered scandalous: Rukmini belonged to a Hindu
Brahmin
family orthodox enough to disapprove of Sriram's involvement with the Theosophists, whom they regarded as a bizarre quasi-Christian sect; there were considerations of race, religion and cultural background; and Rukmini was young enough to be Arundale's daughter, being twenty-six years younger than he was.
Notwithstanding these considerations and the uproar raised by Rukmini's family, they were married in 1920, when Rukmini turned sixteen and he was forty-two. Although their marriage was childless, it was a happy one; Arundale mentored Rukmini and encouraged her to develop her interest in classical dance, something that presumably she could have never done as the daughter and wife of socially respectable Brahmins. Rukmini went on to become the first Indian lady of so-called decent birth to dance in public, and was instrumental in rejuvenating the Bharatanatyam
style of classical dance by emancipating it from the brothel
s and the Devadasi
community to which it had been confined for many centuries. Accordingly, it is as the husband of Rukmini Devi Arundale
that George Arundale is best known in India today.
of Indore
in central India to serve as the Commissioner of Education of that state
. One of his initiatives in Indore was to open a museum known as Navaratna Mandir which contained the biographies and memorabilia of great people from around the world to serve as an inspiration for young students. This became the precursor to the Central Museum in Indore.
He continued to devote much of his time to the activities of the Theosophical Society. In 1924, his aunt died in Adyar and he inherited a considerable fortune. In 1926, he became bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church
, a theosophical body with no connection to Roman Catholicism. The same year, he was appointed General Secretary of the Theosophical Society in Australia
and moved to that country with his wife. One of their co-passengers on the voyage to Australia was the ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, who quickly became a friend of the Arundales. When Rukmini expressed admiration for Pavlova's art and the desire to learn from her, the latter advised her to look instead to the classical traditions of India and work towards their revival. Rukmini took her advise to heart and later became the doyenne of the revival of Bharatanatyam
in India.
In 1934, George Arundale became president of the Theosophical Society Adyar
. The same year, he founded the Besant Memorial School within the Society's campus. He later prevailed on Maria Montessori
to come and take charge of the school. Montessori came to Adyar in 1939 and worked as a teacher at this school for three years, influencing the institution greatly.
In 1936, the Arundales founded Kalakshetra
, a now venerable institution devoted to researching and teaching Indian classical dance. Until 1948, Kalakshetra was located within the sprawling campus of the Theosophical Society at Adyar.
Arundale became a Freemason in 1902 and remained one to the end of his days. He was also a member of Le Droit Humain
, and worked for the World Federation of Young Theosophists. In the last decade of his life, he wrote several books and monographs regarding Theosophy
. He died peacefully in 1945 at his residence in Adyar.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
— 12 August 1945 in Adyar, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) was a theosophist
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, freemason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar
Theosophical Society Adyar
The Theosophy Society - Adyar is the name of a section of the Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Its headquarters moved with Blavatsky and president Henry Steel Olcott to Adyar, an area of Chennai in 1883...
and bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church
Liberal Catholic Church
The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas and even reincarnation. It is not connected to the Roman Catholic Church, which considers it heretical and schismatic...
. He was the husband of the celebrated Indian dancer, Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam, and also an activist for animal rights and welfare....
.
Early life
Arundale lost his mother at a young age, and was adopted by her aunt Francesca ArundaleFrancesca Arundale
Francesca Arundale was an English theosophist and freemason.She became a member of the Theosophical Society Adyar in 1881 and was a close friend of Helena Blavatsky and Annie Besant. In 1896 she became a member of Le Droit Humain...
, a wealthy theosophist. Initially, he was privately tutored by Charles Webster Leadbeater
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Charles Webster Leadbeater was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church...
. Later, he moved with Francesca Arundale to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he went to school. Returning eventually to England, he received a Master's degree from St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. His entire childhood was thus spent under the influence of his aunt, who was a committed and active theosophist. Under her influence, he also became one.
India
The Theosophical SocietyTheosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
was closely associated with Indian spiritualism, and was headquartered in Adyar in south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Another major center of the society was Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, a city held holy in Indian spiritualism. In 1902 Arundale and his aunt moved to Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
where he took a position as history teacher at the Central Hindu College
Central Hindu College
Central Hindu School, formerly known as Central Hindu College, is one of India's largest schools which is situated in the heart of the city at Kamachha Varanasi in India. This school provides the education to all societies of people having highly qualified faculties and aboratory and a SARGA HALL...
(CHC). In 1909, he was appointed its Principal.
During the early 20th-century, many Theosophists believed in the imminent appearance of a messianic
Messianism
Messianism is the belief in a messiah, a savior or redeemer. Many religions have a messiah concept, including the Jewish Messiah, the Christian Christ, the Muslim Mahdi and Isa , the Buddhist Maitreya, the Hindu Kalki and the Zoroastrian Saoshyant...
entity, the so-called Maitreya or World Teacher
Maitreya (Theosophy)
Maitreya or Lord Maitreya is described in Theosophical literature of the late 19th-century and subsequent periods as an advanced spiritual entity and high-ranking member of a hidden Spiritual Hierarchy, the so-called Masters of the Ancient Wisdom...
. Around this time, a young boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti or J. Krishnamurti or , was a renowned writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual subjects. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, human relationships, and bringing about positive change in society...
was "discovered" and identified by leading Theosophists as being the probable "vehicle" of the expected Messiah (Krishnamurti later repudiated the idea). Arundale was selected as one of Krishnamurti's private tutors. He was a firm believer in the Coming of the World Teacher, and in late 1910 formed a clandestine society, the Order of the Rising Sun (later renamed Order of the Star in the East
Order of the Star in the East
The Order of the Star in the East was an organization established by the leadership of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, India, from 1911 to 1927...
), which was intended to further this cause. Most of the recruits were students and staff at the CHC. There was great commotion when the existence and the activities of the society eventually became public; following opposition to the Order by the school's Trustees and administrators, in 1913 Arundale and other staff members resigned their positions and left the school.
After a holiday in England, he returned to India to devote himself to the activities of the Theosophical Society. He and his aunt settled at the Society's sprawling campus at Adyar in Madras. The Indian Independence Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
was picking up pace during these years, as was a revival of interest and pride in the ancient culture and philosophies of India. The Theosophical Society was supportive of both these currents. In 1917, he was one of a group of Theosophists who, along with Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
, organized the National University of India at Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, near the headquarters of the Society. Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
became the first Chancellor of the University. In June the same year, Arundale was arrested along with Besant and Bahman Pestonji Wadia
Bahman Pestonji Wadia
Bahman Pestonji Wadia oder Bomanji Pestonji Wadia was an Indian theosophist and labour activist. He was first a member of the TS Adyar, later of the United Lodge of Theosophists. On 13 April 1918, along with V...
by the British authorities for having become involved in the Indian Independence Movement.
Marriage
During his years in Adyar, Arundale came into contact with the family of Nilakanta SriramNilakanta Sri Ram
Nilakanta Sri Ram or Nilakantha Sri Ram was a freemason, theosophist and president of the Theosophical Society Adyar....
, a fellow Theosophist, and fell in love with his sister, Rukmini
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam, and also an activist for animal rights and welfare....
. This was considered scandalous: Rukmini belonged to a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family orthodox enough to disapprove of Sriram's involvement with the Theosophists, whom they regarded as a bizarre quasi-Christian sect; there were considerations of race, religion and cultural background; and Rukmini was young enough to be Arundale's daughter, being twenty-six years younger than he was.
Notwithstanding these considerations and the uproar raised by Rukmini's family, they were married in 1920, when Rukmini turned sixteen and he was forty-two. Although their marriage was childless, it was a happy one; Arundale mentored Rukmini and encouraged her to develop her interest in classical dance, something that presumably she could have never done as the daughter and wife of socially respectable Brahmins. Rukmini went on to become the first Indian lady of so-called decent birth to dance in public, and was instrumental in rejuvenating the Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
style of classical dance by emancipating it from the brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s and the Devadasi
Devadasi
In Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
community to which it had been confined for many centuries. Accordingly, it is as the husband of Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam, and also an activist for animal rights and welfare....
that George Arundale is best known in India today.
Career
Following his wedding, he deemed it best to reside outside outside Chennai for a few years and accepted an offer from the MaharajaMaharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
in central India to serve as the Commissioner of Education of that state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
. One of his initiatives in Indore was to open a museum known as Navaratna Mandir which contained the biographies and memorabilia of great people from around the world to serve as an inspiration for young students. This became the precursor to the Central Museum in Indore.
He continued to devote much of his time to the activities of the Theosophical Society. In 1924, his aunt died in Adyar and he inherited a considerable fortune. In 1926, he became bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church
Liberal Catholic Church
The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas and even reincarnation. It is not connected to the Roman Catholic Church, which considers it heretical and schismatic...
, a theosophical body with no connection to Roman Catholicism. The same year, he was appointed General Secretary of the Theosophical Society in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and moved to that country with his wife. One of their co-passengers on the voyage to Australia was the ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, who quickly became a friend of the Arundales. When Rukmini expressed admiration for Pavlova's art and the desire to learn from her, the latter advised her to look instead to the classical traditions of India and work towards their revival. Rukmini took her advise to heart and later became the doyenne of the revival of Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
in India.
In 1934, George Arundale became president of the Theosophical Society Adyar
Theosophical Society Adyar
The Theosophy Society - Adyar is the name of a section of the Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Its headquarters moved with Blavatsky and president Henry Steel Olcott to Adyar, an area of Chennai in 1883...
. The same year, he founded the Besant Memorial School within the Society's campus. He later prevailed on Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
to come and take charge of the school. Montessori came to Adyar in 1939 and worked as a teacher at this school for three years, influencing the institution greatly.
In 1936, the Arundales founded Kalakshetra
Kalakshetra
Kalakshetra is a cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. The academy was founded in January 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale. Under Arundale's guidance the institution achieved national...
, a now venerable institution devoted to researching and teaching Indian classical dance. Until 1948, Kalakshetra was located within the sprawling campus of the Theosophical Society at Adyar.
Arundale became a Freemason in 1902 and remained one to the end of his days. He was also a member of Le Droit Humain
Le Droit Humain
The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain is a global Masonic Order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity. The Order is founded on the ancient teachings and traditions of Freemasonry, using Masonic ritual...
, and worked for the World Federation of Young Theosophists. In the last decade of his life, he wrote several books and monographs regarding Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
. He died peacefully in 1945 at his residence in Adyar.
Works
- Freedom and friendship. Theosophical Publishing House, Madras 1935.
- Kundalini, an occult experience. Theosophical Publishing House, Madras 1938.
- Mount Everest, its spiritual attainment. Theosophical Press, Wheaton 1933.
- Nirvana, A Study In Synthetic Consciousness. Theosophical Press, Chicago 1926.
- The Lotus Fire, A Study in Symbolic Yoga. Theosophical Publishing House, Madras 1939.
- Thoughts on 'At The Feet of the Master. Theosophical Publishing House (American Branch), Hollywood 1919.