Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti or Rabindra Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of our country’s one of the most cherished renaissance figures. Essay on rabindranath tagore helps in understanding that Rabindra Jayanti is a cultural event of great significance across the country. This day is celebrated on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh, as a tribute to the luminary Nobel Prize Laureate.
This day falls on or near the 7th of May according to the Hindu Calendar. Tagore was myriad-minded and one of the most important poets in the history of India. He put our country on the Literary map of the world. He is also known to the world as Gurudev and received the title of ‘Great Sentinel’ by Mahatma Gandhi.
Table of Contents
Rabindranath Tagore Wiki, Biography, Birth, Education
Nicknamed Rabi, Tagore was born as the youngest child to opulent parents in Jorasanko Thakurbari in Calcutta on the 7th of May in 1861. His father was Maharshi Devendranath Tagore who was a religious reformer and leader of the Brahmo Samaj. His mother was Sharda Devi, who passed away when he was less than fourteen years of age.
Tagore’s home was a hub for extensive literary and theatrical activities. And he was deeply influenced by the works of famous writers like Kalidas, while he was on a tour with his father as a kid. He later became interested in the works of Shakespeare during his college years. Soon, he started writing and publishing under his name. He wrote in a unique style that was an interesting blend of the elements of both Bengali and European cultures.
Tagore, as a poet, was prolific and versatile and is one of the best literary minds in our country. He started writing poems as an eight-year-old. He had composed and released a poem called ‘Abhilas’ in tatvabodhini in Agrahayan in 1874. This was followed by the publication of ‘Kabi-Kahani’ in 1878. One of his renowned works called the ‘Nirjharer Swapnabhanga’ was published in 1883.
Work Of Rabindranath Tagore
Some of his other poetry include ‘Bhanusimha’, Manasi [The ideal one], Sonar Tori [The Golden Boat], Giti malva [Wreath of songs], and Balaka [The Flight of Cranes]. ‘Gitanjali’ or The Song Offerings is a collection of his poems and is the most eulogized work of Tagore in poetry. It was also translated into English by him during his stay in England. Apart from these, the English translations of his poetry include The Gardener, The Fruit- Gatherings, and The Fugitive.
Don’t Miss: Speech on Gandhi Jayanti
Though Gurudev is mostly applauded for his contribution to poetry, he was also an accomplished short story writer, novelist, dramatist, playwright, essayist, painter, and gifted composer of songs. Some of his other monumental works in different genres comprise ‘The Postmaster’, ‘Gora’, ‘Kabuliwallah’ [The Fruit seller from Kabul], ‘Sadhana: The realization of life’, ‘Shesher Kabita’, ‘Ghare- Baire’ [The Home and the World], ‘Nashtanirh’ [The Broken Nest], ‘Yogayog’ [Nexus], and many more. Gurudev is also the only person known to have composed the national anthems of three nations. He penned and symphonized ‘Jana Gana Mana’ for India, ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ for Bangladesh, and ‘Nama Nama Sri Lanka Mata’ in Bengali for Sri Lanka.
Besides these, he was a prolific songwriter and is credited with the composition of over two thousand songs. These songs are collectively known as Rabindra sangeet.
The poet’s acclaimed collection of poems, Geetanjali, lead him to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. This made him the first Asian/ non-European to have been bestowed with this honor. Two years later, in 1915, Gurudev was also awarded Knighthood. He returned the honor in 1919 in protest of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Tagore is also known for introducing the genre of the short story to Bengali literature. He was acknowledged as the leading playwright of his era.
Instructions founded by Rabindranath Tagore : Essay On Rabindranath Tagore
Tagore, as a kid, despised school and the concept of imparting knowledge within four walls. He preferred to have ground under his feet and the open sky above his head. This sentiment led him to advocate the cause of unfettered learning. It finally resulted in him challenging the conventional ways of teaching by establishing an experimental educational institution. This establishment was called Shanti Niketan where classes took place under the canopies of lush trees. It was later expanded into a university called the Vishwa Bharti University. Additionally, he also became the co-founder of the Darington Hall School in Japan.
In 1940, The University of Oxford, England conferred Gurudev with an honorary doctorate, considering his noble achievements in the field of literature and education, especially at Shanti Niketan.
In 1930, the paintings of Rabindranath Tagore were exhibited in Paris and London. His creative process is further confirmed by the fact that Gurudev painted over 3,000 paintings in the last thirteen years of his life.
The man who reshaped and rejuvenated Indian art and culture breathed his last on the 7th of August in 1940, leaving behind him a trail of inspiring work. The death of Rabindranath Tagore was an irrevocable loss to the entire country. The people of India deeply mourned this loss. His inspirational journey from Rabindranath Tagore to ‘Gurudev’ is a tale to be sung and told. His work of art continues to be a source of inspiration for generations of young artists and writers, even after decades of his demise.
Hence, the life of this Bengali polymath is celebrated globally with great fervor every year on his birth anniversary, Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti. In the remembrance and honor of the great man, the entire day is marked with cultural programs and events.
Plays, dances, dramas, poetry, and songs, all written and composed by Gurudev himself, are performed in various institutes and theatres on this day all across the country with much zeal and enthusiasm to keep the legend alive for generations to come.
Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come
– Rabindranath Tagore
