Section IV

Section IV contains the original Tessitori’s Diario and the copy rewritten in 1925 by Tessitori’s sisters, Elena and Antonietta, on the occasion of a commemorative ceremony organized in Udine at the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. The Diario starts on 24 March 1914, when Tessitori left Naples, and ends on 5 November 1919, the day of his return to Bikaner.

The Diario describes meetings with Rabindranath Tagore, Rāma Karna, Kiśora Dāna, Vijaya Dharma Sūri, Mahārājā Ganga Singh and Sir John Marshall. It also includes pages on the Regency Council at Jodhpur, Tessitori’s departure from Jodhpur, his arrival at Bikaner and his nostalgia for Jodhpur. There are also references to news from Italy: the death of his brother Vittorio; Italy’s entry into the war; the taking of Udine; and the final victory. Tessitori’s accounts of archaeological tours are especially interesting, as are his descriptions of local festivals and traditions.