| Script :
Kalyanaksha
Banerjee
Illustrator :Souren
Roy
ISBN : 81-7508-042-6
Vol. No : 548
Rabindranath Tagore played
a significant role in bringing about a new awakening in India in the latter
half of the nineteenth century. His life and creative work provided the
then Indian society with a purpose, direction and a programme. The impact
of his personality transcended his native Bengal and came to be felt not
only in other parts of India but also abroad.
Tagore was a genius with
a many-sided personality. He was a poet, novelist, dramatist, musician,
short-story writer, teacher, painter, educationist, philosopher and humanist.
Shri Khanolkar, his biographer, describes his life as 'a long dream of
colour and music, of beauty and heavenly genius, such as this world has
never known before'.
Perhaps no other contemporary
Indian had such diverse interests as Tagore had. He was a seeker. He wanted
to understand himself; and that he could only do by expressing himself.
As the experiences and emotions differed, the media also varied. That is
how we have Tagore the poet, Tagore the composer, Tagore the painter and
so on.
Although a staunch nationalist,
Tagore was a champion of internationalism, touring various countries and
pleading for 'one world'.
He has the unique distinction
of being the only poet to have two of his songs - Jana Gana Mana and Amar
Sonar Bangla - adopted as the national anthem of two countries, India and
Bangladesh respectively. Shanti-Niketan stands to this day as a living
monument to the Gurudev. He composed over 4,000 songs. His compositions
have come to be known as Rabindra Sangeet.
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