Birth anniversary of Nobel laureate and Great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore popularly known as Gurudev is celebrated as Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti. Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti is celebrated on 25th day of Baisakh. According to the Gregorian calendar it is celebrated on 8th or 9th May every year. It is also known by the name Poncheeshe Boishakh in Bengali calendar.
Rabindra Nath Tagore Life history
Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7th in the year 1861 to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. He belonged to an affluent Brahmin family and was home schooled. Tagore started writing at a very young age of eight and at the age of sixteen he published his poetry.
At the age of seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling where he became a student of Prof. Henry Morley whose lectures influenced Rabindranath to take interest in English literature. After spending nearly 18 months in England he returned to India without a degree. In 1883 he married Mrinalini Devi, born Bhabatarini and they had five children, two of whom died in childhood. After his return from England he started writing more seriously. After his return he began his career as playwright, writer, poet, songwriter, philosopher and educator. He wrote many dramas, novels, short stories and poems. He was a literary genius who was a great poet, scholar, playwright, novelist, composer and painter.
Initially he was known only known in his native Bengal and was little known to the outside world. In 1890 he moved to Shilaidaha to look after the family estate. In 1901 Tagore moved to Santiniketan to found an ashram. He established Bolpur Bramhacharya ashram at Shantiniketan, a school based on the pattern of old Indian Ashram. In 1913 he was awarded with the prestigious Nobel Prize for his great literary work Gitanjali. He was the first Indian and Asian to get this prestigious ward. In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V. But in protest against the Jalianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 he returned the recognition. His contribution to the Indian freedom movement is also valuable and he strongly protested against the British raj. He was also a great nationalist. Many of his writings express his nationalistic spirit. He was not satisfied with the prevalent education system and he established Viswabharathi University near Santiniketan in 1921.
Rabindranath Tagore’s contribution to the Indian literature is unparalleled. Gitanjali, Gora and Ghare-Baire are among his best works. Two of his great compositions are the national anthem of India and another great composition by him ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ is acclaimed the national anthem of Bangladesh. He breathed his last on 7 August 1941.
How is Rabindra Nath Tagore Jayanti Celebrated?
Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti is a day to pay tribute to the great literary scholar. This day is celebrated with great grandeur in various parts of the country. However this day sees special celebration in West Bengal especially in Kolkata where it is becoming very popular. On this day various cultural programmes are held where people recite his poems and sing his songs. On this day performances of Rabeendra Sangeet are held. This is a genre of music developed by Tagore that combines classical music and Bengali folk music which has become very famous among the Bengalese. Programmes are organized at Tagore's ancestral home Jorasanko Thakur Bari and Visva-Bharati University established him.