সম্পাদকের পছন্দ

Pronam Rabindranath!

Author: Tapan Bose


The sunrise of 7th May 1861 brought a Golden day onto Bengal India and the whole world.

The revered great Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta Jorasanko Thakurbari.

He was a poet Nobel laureate – A gem in the world of literature.

He started writing poems at the age of eight years.

His father sent him to London for studies and so that he could become a barrister. But Tagore did not fare well in his studies. His father called him back and asked him to look at the properties of Selaidaha, then in Bangladesh.

In the year 1910, Rabindranath Tagore wrote Gitanjali one of the best books in the world.

In 1930, he was honoured with the Nobel prize in literature. 

The place Tagore loved the most: Shantiniketan – was selected by his father Debendronath Thakur. Debendranath used to meditate here and the place suited Rabindranath absolutely. He used to stay here in Uttarayan. It’s a beautiful building and one would love to settle there as their solemn respite. You can call it a lovely township.  Shantiniketan at Birbhum, Bolepur, was his dream land. Here is where he wrote a beautiful galaxy of poems and literature. He also developed it into a school and a university which has become the Vishwa Bharati University.

Rabindranath Tagore wrote many books and poems, stories and novels of high quality.

The songs written by him are sung in a different style i.e. Rabindra Sangeet. The style is his own. He had his own way of singing a different style as well. It’s not just the music or the style of the songs, but the lyrics and inner philosophy that moves the very soul of our Bengali society.

Here I’d like to say something about his novels. His Chaturonga reads like his autobiography but yet it is different. This is the unparalleled talent of Tagore. His foresight is akin to that of a famous astrologer. 

He wrote so many novels like Shesher Kobita, Gora, etc. The characters from his novels are still very relatable. 

In his time, a lot of people used to go to him to get a new name. And for that ‘namkoron’, he had developed a huge stock of names as per his status, talents etc. He was a man of great success in art and culture.

He loved to watch the river flowing under as he sat in his easy chair late in the afternoon. The sun is setting and he looks at the sky and  immediately writes  “Boker pakhai aloke lukai charia puber math.” Bok is a white bird while flying back to his nest the shadow of the setting sun flicks from the wings of the birds.

This instinctive poetic power is not possible without God’s grace.

Rabindranath Tagore was one of a kind. His intimate relation with nature and daily life and troubles of human beings is outstanding.

His favourite season was the monsoon.  His immense contribution in Bengali literature can never be forgotten. One can absorb the vibrant quality of his compositions when one takes up the Rabindra Rachanabalis. 

In Tagore’s writeups, I personally find philosophy is embedded within. Even now, his philosophy is being researched in big countries like Japan and Southeast Asia and in European countries also. He also wrote dance dramas like Sapmochon, Tasher Desh and many more. Even plays like Raktakorobi, Dakghar enrich the theatre in Bengal and the world still now. One of the best contributions of Tagore is that he wrote the national anthem of India and Bangladesh. He was also an amazing painter and had drawn over 2500 paintings.

In his lifetime, he also met Albert Einstein – the great scientist. They clicked pictures and had many philosophical discussions. At that time, he used to travel by ship for cultural and knowledgeable exchange. 

One word ‘Tagore’ has added immense value in Bengali literature. His death may have made the world lose a priceless poet cum litèratist. To me and the entire nation, he will be remembered by his golden compositions. As the voice of Rabindranath has spread throughout the world, I really feel proud as a Bengali that his anniversary is celebrated with a soulful Rabindra Sangeet even in foreign lands.

He left us but his presence will always be in our soul and our emotions.

Pronam Rabindranath.

Author

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