Guwahati: May 7 marks the 160th birth anniversary of poet, philosopher, patriot, and a social thinker Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 in the Jorasanko Thakurbari in Kolkata to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.
His birth anniversary falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh and is popularly called “Pachishe Boishakh” will fall on May 9 this year. On this day numerous cultural programmes & events such as poetries, dances and dramas completion are held in various schools, colleges and universities.
Tagore is one of the greatest revolutionaries India has produced. His contribution to Bengali and English literature is unmatched and he is known as the Bard of Bengal.
Rabindranath Tagore has penned over 2000 songs, which are known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet’. His works include hundreds of novels, short stories, dance-dramas, poems, essays and travelogues. Gora, Gitanjali, Rakta Karabi, Ghare Baire, Shesher Kobita, Raja O Rani, Tasher Desh, Dena Paona, Shanchayita are some of his best works, many of which have been translated into several languages.
Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse…” Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize in Literature on November 13, in 1913.
The special bond shared between Gandhiji and Tagore is well-known. However, little do people know that it was ‘Gurudev’ who conferred the title ‘Mahatma’ on the Father of Nation.
Rabindranath Tagore composed the National Anthems of two nations – Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He for India and Amar Shonar Bangla for Bangladesh.
