২২
শে শ্রাবণ Tagore’s Death Anniversary
শে শ্রাবণ Tagore’s Death Anniversary
Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7,
1861 in Kolkata to a zamindar family of Bengal. Tagore was one of the
primary crusaders during the pre-independence era to challenge the common
perception that India was just a country of snake-charmers and superstitions,
and was culturally backward. He was one of the stalwarts who travelled
around the world to highlight the richness of the country, and pitched that the
diversity in the nation was its strength and not weakness. He was the
first non-European to be acknowledged and rewarded with the Nobel award
(for literature) in 1913. The great poet received the award for the English
translation of his own works in Bengali. The renowned novelist, dramatist and
songwriter has an enormous contribution in the world of literature, arts and
music.
1861 in Kolkata to a zamindar family of Bengal. Tagore was one of the
primary crusaders during the pre-independence era to challenge the common
perception that India was just a country of snake-charmers and superstitions,
and was culturally backward. He was one of the stalwarts who travelled
around the world to highlight the richness of the country, and pitched that the
diversity in the nation was its strength and not weakness. He was the
first non-European to be acknowledged and rewarded with the Nobel award
(for literature) in 1913. The great poet received the award for the English
translation of his own works in Bengali. The renowned novelist, dramatist and
songwriter has an enormous contribution in the world of literature, arts and
music.
On his 154th birth anniversary, let’s
take a look at his lesser-known facts:
take a look at his lesser-known facts:
1. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,
who is popularly remembered as Mahatma Gandhi has a direct connection with
Tagore. Tagore a strong admirer of Gandhi for his ideas on nationalism
conferred the title of ‘Mahatma’ on Gandhi to honour him.
who is popularly remembered as Mahatma Gandhi has a direct connection with
Tagore. Tagore a strong admirer of Gandhi for his ideas on nationalism
conferred the title of ‘Mahatma’ on Gandhi to honour him.
Read here: Rabindra Tagore on Mahatma
Gandhi
Gandhi
2. Rabindranath attended a number of
Indian National Congress sessions in Calcutta (Kolkata) where
he composed songs and sang during India’s freedom struggle. ‘Jana Gana Mana’
was the opening song for the second day of the Congress Session in 1911, and
only later it was adopted as our National Anthem. In 2011, India celebrated 100
years of our National Anthem.
Indian National Congress sessions in Calcutta (Kolkata) where
he composed songs and sang during India’s freedom struggle. ‘Jana Gana Mana’
was the opening song for the second day of the Congress Session in 1911, and
only later it was adopted as our National Anthem. In 2011, India celebrated 100
years of our National Anthem.
Tagore also is the only person who is
the creative mind behind the National Anthems of as many
as three countries – India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. While he both penned
and composed the National Anthem for both India and Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka’s anthem was also written by him in Bengali in 1938. After the country
got independence, the song was translated in Tamil and few lines were
changed and adopted as its National Anthem.
the creative mind behind the National Anthems of as many
as three countries – India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. While he both penned
and composed the National Anthem for both India and Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka’s anthem was also written by him in Bengali in 1938. After the country
got independence, the song was translated in Tamil and few lines were
changed and adopted as its National Anthem.
3. Everyone must have seen the
historic picture where the two legends shared a frame, but rarely one has read
the excerpts of their conversation. Rabindranath Tagore and his interaction
with Albert Einstein was widely published after the two had met at latter’s
home in Caputh in Germany in 1930. The two Nobel-laureates were mutual admirers.
historic picture where the two legends shared a frame, but rarely one has read
the excerpts of their conversation. Rabindranath Tagore and his interaction
with Albert Einstein was widely published after the two had met at latter’s
home in Caputh in Germany in 1930. The two Nobel-laureates were mutual admirers.
4. In 1932, Tagore visited the
middle-eastern countries of Iran and Iraq. Tagore’s visit to Iran was seen as
an opportunity for Iran to present him to the Iranian public as a living
personification of this newly conceived idea of national authenticity. He had
been invited to Iran as the official guest of King Reza Shah Pahlavi.
middle-eastern countries of Iran and Iraq. Tagore’s visit to Iran was seen as
an opportunity for Iran to present him to the Iranian public as a living
personification of this newly conceived idea of national authenticity. He had
been invited to Iran as the official guest of King Reza Shah Pahlavi.
In his address he said, “There was a
time when, along with other Aryan peoples, the Persians also worshipped the
elemental gods of nature, whose favour was not to be won by any moral duty
performed, or service of love. That, in fact, was the crude beginning of the
scientific spirit trying to unlock the hidden sources of power in nature. But
through it all there must have been some current of deeper desire, which
constantly contradicted the cult of power and indicated a world of inner good,
infinitely more precious than material gain. Its voice was not strong at first,
nor was it heeded by the majority of the people, but its influence, like the life
within the seed, was silently working.”
time when, along with other Aryan peoples, the Persians also worshipped the
elemental gods of nature, whose favour was not to be won by any moral duty
performed, or service of love. That, in fact, was the crude beginning of the
scientific spirit trying to unlock the hidden sources of power in nature. But
through it all there must have been some current of deeper desire, which
constantly contradicted the cult of power and indicated a world of inner good,
infinitely more precious than material gain. Its voice was not strong at first,
nor was it heeded by the majority of the people, but its influence, like the life
within the seed, was silently working.”
His address had built a strong bond
among the Indian and Iranians at that time. Tagore’s Iran visit, till date
is a topic of discussion among experts.
among the Indian and Iranians at that time. Tagore’s Iran visit, till date
is a topic of discussion among experts.
5. We all remember the great speech by
Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religion, but this great
Nobel-laureate too addressed the same parliament twice, years later, in 1929
and 1937 in Kolkata. Address at the Parliament of Religions, originally the
presidential address at the Sri Ramakrishna Centenary Parliament of Religions,
in March 1937 was published in May 1937 in Visva-Bharati quarterly.
Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religion, but this great
Nobel-laureate too addressed the same parliament twice, years later, in 1929
and 1937 in Kolkata. Address at the Parliament of Religions, originally the
presidential address at the Sri Ramakrishna Centenary Parliament of Religions,
in March 1937 was published in May 1937 in Visva-Bharati quarterly.
In his special address of 1937, the
philosopher said, “We, in our human nature, have hunger for Bhuma, for immensity, for something a great
deal more than what we need immediately for the purposes of life. Men all
through their history have been struggling to realise this truth according to
the unfolding of their idea of the boundless and have been gradually changing
their methods and plans of existence, constantly meeting failures, but never
owning final defeat.”
philosopher said, “We, in our human nature, have hunger for Bhuma, for immensity, for something a great
deal more than what we need immediately for the purposes of life. Men all
through their history have been struggling to realise this truth according to
the unfolding of their idea of the boundless and have been gradually changing
their methods and plans of existence, constantly meeting failures, but never
owning final defeat.”
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