During the four decades of their married life, the couple always lived a simple and disciplined life, almost till the last day. Boshi was immersed for long hours in his work and Gertrude spent time in reading and writing. Other than working on articles on ‘Asia’ journal and her own books, she also wrote poetry.
In the 1940s Gertrude brought out her scholarly work, ‘Pageant of India’s History’ published by Longman. She had written this for the American people to give a proper picture of India’s past. The book is a wonderful account of India, ranging from its pre-history, descriptions of Buddhist India, the Golden Age of Culture and scholarship under the Guptas, and the impact of several foreign cultures like Greek, Parthian, Scythian, Hun, Turk, Persian, Arab and Mongols.
The couple had a large and eclectic collection of books – latest from the world of science, exploration, literature, history, philosophy and spirituality. In light popular fiction, the two were greatly fond of the master-humourist P.G. Wodehouse.
They also had in their possession some very rare books, usually not available anywhere except at leading libraries of the world, artefacts like old Chinese pottery, Japanese woodcrafts and many other such specimens from all over the world.
They spent about two hours (between 7 to 9) in the morning in prayer and meditation at their home shrine and also about an hour in the evening. Their shrine had pictures of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Sadananda and some relics associated with them. Even if they had guests they did not change the routine, often inviting guests also with them or politely taking their leave. At the most they advanced the timing if they had a guest for dinner clashing with their prayer time but they never went without it.
Boshi usually worked in the laboratory from morning till early evening. After his tea he would sit for his studies of scientific journals from all over the world till late into night, with the breaks only for the prayer hour and dinner. He was completely indifferent to any name and fame all his life. Sometimes, he remarked that the Almighty had been very kind to him that he did not receive name or fame when he was young as that would have completely destroyed him; and when all that came he had become evolved enough that it meant nothing to him.
Gertrude had two rosaries in her possession that belonged to Swami Vivekananda. One was given by Christine to Boshi, and the other was given to Gertrude by Lady Sandwitch – daughter of Betty Legett, and niece of Josephine Macleod, and herself a devoted friend and admirer of Swami Vivekananda. Gertrude later gifted one of them to Marie Louis Burke, the American researcher on Vivekananda, whose labour of love for over forty years resulted in six masterly volumes in more than 3000 pages titled ‘Vivekananda in the West’ that has vastly expanded the knowledge on Vivekananda’s stay and exploits in the West.
Right from the late fifties Boshi had been pondering about the continuity of his institution after him. He had discussed this with Nehru too. In 1959 Boshi transferred the ownership of the Vivekananda Laboratory to the Uttar Pradesh Government while remaining its honorary Chief. He had made two conditions – firstly, the name of the institution would continue to be after Vivekananda, and secondly all the long-serving staff of the Vivekananda Laboratory were to be retained after the takeover. Both the conditions were honoured.
A lasting contribution made by Boshi and Gertrude was to develop a memorial associated with Swami Vivekananda near Almora. When Vivekananda was an unknown wandering monk, he had walked all the way from Kathgodam to Almora, and at one place he felt utterly exhausted, almost on the verge of collapse. At that time a Muslim fakir offered him a cucumber which gave the Swami a new lease of energy. Several years later, after his triumphant return from the West, the Swami visited Almora again. A crowd had gathered to felicitate him. The Swami recognised the fakir in the crowd and called him to the dais. He told those present that this man had saved his life. Boshi and Gertrude decided to build a resting place for travellers at that place. They made a donation for the upkeep of the place. Many of their friends too sent their contributions including Indira Gandhi – who had by then become the Prime Minister – who sent a personal donation of Rs 1000. The place offered a fine view of the Himalayas and was opened to public in 1971 and is still visit by a large number of people driving to or from Almora. At present its main caretaker is a descendant of the Fakir who had served Swami Vivekananda more than 130 years back.
Boshi had developed severe health problems as he was approaching eighty. His enthusiasm for work, however, remained undiminished. He was sad that he could not take care of Gertrude in her advanced age as he had earlier hoped he would. He developed pneumonia and related complications and passed away in the Military hospital at Ranikhet on the 31st August 1971 after about three days of hospitalisation. His final words were ‘Mother, I am coming.’
Gertrude after Boshi
After Boshi’s death Gertrude lived for another eleven years in ‘Kundan House’ where she passed away in 1982. She instituted a number of philanthropic projects. She had a clock tower built in Almora dedicated to Boshi, and a project to feed children at Jayrambati (the village of Holy Mother Sarada Devi) in Bankura district of West Bengal.
She also started a small play-school at the Sens’ ancestral place which was sanctified with the visit of Sarada Devi. Boshi’s elder brother, Sureshwar Sen, was a great devotee of Holy Mother Sarada Devi. Holy Mother often took rest at their home during her journeys from her village Jayrambati to Kolkata or the other way. In fact, the last available photograph of Holy Mother is that of her visit to the Sen House at Bishnupur in February 1920 and was taken by Boshi himself.
A Trust was instituted for these service activities at Bishnupur. There is a small memorial temple near the Jackfruit tree at Bishnupur Railway Station where Holy Mother used to wait for her train to return to Kolkata. However, after all Trustees passed away, it is sad to note that the Sen House is in a dilapidated condition even when closely associated with Holy Mother Sarada Devi and a great patriotic scientist like Boshi Sen.
Indira Gandhi who always addressed Boshi as Uncle and Gertrude as Aunt visited the ‘Kundan House’ several times whenever she was in the area as the Prime Minister, having lunch, or at least a quick snack and tea. The security protocol that preceded these visits was often a bother to Gertrude. Some gestures revealed a shiny side to Indira’s personality – there was an instance when she called Gertrude’s domestic help, a simple Kumaoni hillsman named Ambia, who was standing at a distance to join in the photograph with Gertrude and her – the picture appeared in the local dailies the following day, making the poor man’s day, month, and year.
Gertrude had quite a regular correspondence with Indira Gandhi who wrote a number of letters to her, particularly after Boshi’s passing away in 1971. There were several letters during Mrs Gandhi’s Prime Minister phase from 1966 to 1977, also during the three years when she was out of power, and again when she had returned to power in 1980 till Gertrude’s death in 1982. In her letters she always addressed her as ‘Aunt Gertrude’ and the letters were very revealing as to what went on in Indira’s mind. They ranged from the books she was reading – which she could only do during long international flights, to experiences and her impressions of meeting some world statesmen and celebrities, discussing international issues like crisis in Afghanistan in late 70s, talking about Sanjay (defending him in a motherly way, often implying that he had been more sinned against than sinning,) how the government (she was then out of power) was targeting and harassing anyone who had been associated with her and several other things. For her own part, Gertrude could be very unsparing; she hardly tried to veil what she thought of Sanjay and his cohorts and the general decline in levels of probity across the political spectrum and public life in general, not making any exception of Mrs Gandhi’s own Party.
Gertrude had also arranged for bulk of their books and papers to go to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, for which Mrs Gandhi was grateful.
Mrs Gandhi had always been helpful in supporting the Vivekananda Laboratory when sometimes officialdom lacked in sympathy towards it after Boshi’s death. The Pantnagar University which specialised in agriculture had been eyeing to take over the Hawalbagh farms forcing Gertrude to write to the PM in this matter with the PM taking prompt action to settle the matter and allay any uncertainty with regard to the matter.
In 1974, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) formally took up the Vivekananda Laboratory and the Hawalbagh farms. The institution was renamed as ‘Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan’ and continues by that name till date. A new ‘Boshi Sen Laboratory’ was also opened at the Hawalbagh farm.
Though Gertrude felt increasingly sad about decline in the standards of rectitude of people in public life of her adopted country, she did not lose hope. She sent a large number of booklets – inspiring quotes by Vivekananda – to Mrs Gandhi to be distributed among young people, in her Party and elsewhere. She had also tried to build up a forum called the ‘India First’ where each member would owe his or her primary allegiance to the country, rising above other identities that of region, religion, caste, linguistic group etc. She was already getting favourable response from many of her friends in different parts of India who wished to start such chapters in different regions. The idea was that each chapter would engage in meaningful ways of serving the community – through educational, medical, sanitary or other forms of service. Unfortunately her rapidly failing health made any significant headway in this project impossible.
Gertrude was honoured with Padmashri in 1976. She continued to live in the ‘Kundan House’ encouraging the staff and ensuring the values and spirit established by Boshi continued. She also continued to have several guests coming to her house even after Boshi’s passing away and tried her best to be as hospitable as ever despite her age and lack of help.
In her last days it was the domestic help for long years Ambia who looked after her. Once he reported to her that he too found his health failing and might not live long. In a poignant reply Gertrude said that she could not grant him permission to die before she did. She passed away at the age of 92 in 1982 and was cremated, as per her wish, in her wedding sari at Almora. And it was within three months that the devoted help and caregiver Ambia too passed away. The Kundan House then went to the complete possession of the ICAR.
Vivekananda loved Almora and is said to have wanted to spend his last days in the region. His mortal end, though, came in Belur Math. He remarked that the Himalayas always reminded him of the one constant theme resounding throughout the history of Indian spiritual tradition – that of renunciation. Here, in Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson, the Couple Extraordinary of Almora, one finds two of the finest specimens of humanity, who had renounced the lower and pettier side of ordinary human nature and had risen to the lofty heights of universal sympathy, love, and service, much like the high snowy white mountain ranges that they saw from their Almora home.
✅ Book: The Couple Extraordinary of Almora – Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson