It is the 150th birth anniversary of the great Indian poet, RABINDRANATH TAGORE, born 7 May,1861. As author of Gitanjali, he was the first non-European and only Indian to receive the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. and he wrote twenty-eight books. He composed and wrote the lyrics of more than 2230 songs (on every Bengali's lips). The poet had given a voice to all—big or small, rich or poor. The poorest boatman on the Ganges as well as the rich landlord find expression for their emotional trials and tribulations in Tagore's songs. It has evolved into a distinctive school of music.In 1915, Tagore was knighted by the British Crown. He later returned his knighthood in protest at the massacre of unarmed Indians in 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh. In 1921, Tagore and agricultural economist Leonard Elmhurst set up the Institute for Rural Reconstruction, later renamed Shriniketan or "Abode of Welfare", in Surul, a village near the ashram at Santiniketan. A polymath, two of his poems were chosen as the National Anthem of India and of Bangladesh. Though known mostly for his poetry, Tagore also wrote novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs. Of Tagore's prose, his short stories are perhaps most highly regarded; indeed, he is credited with originating the Bengali-language version of the genre. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic, and lyrical nature.
At age 60, Tagore took up drawing and painting; successful exhibitions of his many works—which made a debut appearance in Paris upon encouragement by artists he met in the south of France—were held throughout Europe. Tagore awakens a dormant sense of childish wonder, and he saturates the air with all kinds of enchanting promises for the reader, who ... pays little attention to the deeper import of Oriental mysticism."
His birthday falls on 25th Baisakh (25th day of the first month of the Bengali calendar). Flowers decorate Jorasako Thakur bari, the birth place of Gurudev, and concerts of his compositions take place throughout the day. To watch the celebrations, please click on -
Celebrating tagore 150th Birth Anniversary
= Do post your favourite poems by Rabindranath Tagore. we will welcome them! -
SMT KALYANI BOSE tells me - "Rabindranath Tagore has not written only twenty six books. His WHOLE collection of writings has been compiled into TWENTYSIX VOLUMES, EACH containing A NOVEL (like Gora) a BOOK OF POEMS (like Gitanjali), a GREAT NUMBER OF SHORT STORIES (from Galpa Guccha ), a DRAMA either in prose or in poetry, an ESSAY and so on and so forth. His Herculean literary achievement is inconceivable.
Here is the story of Gitanjali - the documentary you can watch -
READ TAGORE'S POEMS AND STORIES ONLINE - PLEASE CLICK ON -
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