– Ramesh Sarraf Dhamora
The birth anniversary of great poet Rabindra Nath Tagore will be celebrated on 07 May. It would not be an exaggeration to call him the poet of the people. Gurudev Tagore is the only poet in the world whose two songs are the national anthems of two countries. The song Jana Gana Mana written by him is the national anthem of India. His second song Amar Sonar Bangla is the national anthem of Bangladesh. There are very few people like Gurudev in the world who have got such a great respect. Whose written songs became immortal by becoming the national anthems of two countries. In India and Bangladesh, whenever there is a national event, the songs written by Gurudev Tagore are sung as national tunes. He is remembered in every function through these songs written by Gurudev.
Rabindranath Tagore contributed to the development of Hindi literature not only through his works. Rather, many poets and writers have also been encouraged. He was such a lighthouse who illuminated the whole world through his creations. Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore is a poet, litterateur, philosopher and Nobel laureate of Indian literature. He is a visionary who infused new life into the Indian cultural consciousness through Bangla literature. He is the first Nobel laureate of Asia. There is an intense feeling of human misery in Tagore’s works.
He was the thirteenth child of his parents. He was born on 07 May 1861 at Jorasanko Thakurbari, Kolkata. His father was Debendranath Tagore and mother was Sharda Devi. Rabindranath Tagore did his early studies at the prestigious St. Xavier’s School in Kolkata. He wanted to become a barrister. For this, in 1878, he enrolled in the Public School in Bridgeton, England. Then studied law at the University of London. But in 1880 he returned home without getting the degree. He was married to Mrinalini Devi in ​​1883. Tagore’s mother died when he was young and his father was a widely traveled man. Therefore, they were mostly brought up by the servants. Tagore’s brother Satendra Tagore passed the civil examination and did a good job and the other brother Jyotirendranath was a musician and dramatist.
Tagore’s contribution to Hindi literature is unforgettable. At the age of just 13, his first poem Abhilasha was published in a magazine named Tatva Bhoomi. After coming back from England, he started writing in Bengali language. Till 1877, he composed many works and many works were published in many magazines. In 1842, Rabindranath Tagore wrote a serious article on the subject of Hindu-Muslim unity and home industries. Wrote the first novel Gora in 1860. He was a good writer as well as a good philosopher. He produced many works and influenced a large number of Indian people during the freedom struggle.
The national anthem of Bangladesh ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ has also been written. With his effective writing, he also reduced the distance between East and West. In many compositions, the contemporary evils, poverty and different conditions of the society have also been depicted. His book Galpaguccha is a collection of many stories based on India’s poverty, illiteracy and backwardness.
One of his compositions Purvi has cultural, religious, political, moral and social songs. He not only tried to eradicate the evils of the society through his writings but also contributed himself. After the death of his first wife, he married a widow named Mrinalini Devi and tried to encourage widow remarriage by removing the poor condition of widowed women in the society.
He composed many novels, poems and short stories like Kalpana, Sonar Tari, Gitanjali, Amar Sonar Bangla, Gher-Ber, Rabindra Sangeet, Chitrangada, Malini, Gora, Raja and Rani. In 1913 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Gitanjali. Apart from being a great writer, Tagore was also a great educationist. He used to say that the best education is the one which harmonizes our life along with the whole world.
Tagore believed that it is better to educate children in closed rooms. Educate them by making them sit in the middle of nature in an open environment. The trees and plants standing on the soil, the changing seasons, the chirping of birds, the natural environment full of different animals inspire children to create art. That is why he established Shantiniketan in 1901, 180 km away from the city of Kolkata. He opened this school with only five children, which became a national university in 1921. Today the name of Shantiniketan has been changed to Vishwabharati. Where about 6000 students study.
Rabindranath Tagore had returned the title of “Sir” opposing the British rule. The British wanted to give him the title of “Knight Hood” in 1915. The head was affixed with his name. Tagore refused to accept this honor because of the Jallianwala massacre. Earlier on October 16, 1905, under the leadership of Tagore, the “Bang Bhang” movement was started from the Rakshabandhan festival celebrated in Kolkata. He also contributed a lot in the freedom struggle of the country.
(The author is associated with Hindusthan Samachar.)
Read the Latest India News Today on The Eastern Herald.
