netizens took to Twitter to pay tribute
The first weekend of May 2021 marked the 160th birth anniversary of one of the most cherished intellects of South Asia, Rabindranath Tagore.
Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, in the state of West Bengal, India.
He was a poet, writer, novelist, composer, philosopher, social reformer, painter and a Nobel laureate.
Rabindranath Tagore was also known as ‘Gurudev’ or ‘Kobiguru’ among the public.
The birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore is annually marked by various festivities, especially in Bengal.
The day is commemorated with artistic performances choreographed to the tunes of Tagore’s poetry, music (Rabindrasengeet) accompanied with the style of dance typically associated with it.
However, the celebrations could not be held publicly in 2021, due to the restrictions of the pandemic.
As a result, netizens took to Twitter to pay tribute to the well-known figure.
Some fans, including the official Twitter handle of the Nobel Prize, shared old or unseen photos of Tagore along with famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein.
Take a look at some photographs of Literature Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on the anniversary of his 160th birthday.#Tagore160 pic.twitter.com/qn2qJx4vZb
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) May 7, 2021
Others shared his family photos.
Gurudev #RabindranathTagore with his son Rathindranath Tagore, Daughter-in-law Pratima Devi & C F Andrews. pic.twitter.com/EEjV3xWQq5
— Vision History (@VisionHistory) May 7, 2021
The Twitter handle of the Nobel Prize also shared a scanned picture of the Indian national anthem written by Tagore, translated in English.
The handle shared the picture along with a note saying:
“Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India, originally composed in Bengali by poet Rabindranath Tagore.
“[He] was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913.”
Rabindranath Tagore was awarded for the English version of his collection of poems, Gitanjali.
Tagore was the first Asian to get this prestigious award and the first non-European to get it in the literature category.
"Jana Gana Mana" (Bengali: [??n? g??? m?n?]) is the national anthem of India, originally composed in Bengali by poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the #NobelPrize in Literature in 1913.
Pictured: An English translation of Jana Gana Mana by Tagore#Tagore160 pic.twitter.com/oRWGdCncmL
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) May 7, 2021
A video from his 1930 visit to Moscow was also widely shared.
Today is Rabindranath Tagore's Birth Anniversary, the 25th day of Boishakh or Pachishe Boishakh as it is known in Bengali. We Celebrate #RabindraJayanti
Faith Is The Bird That Feels The Light When The Dawn Is Still Dark.- Rabindranath Tagore. pic.twitter.com/qOXU6PmpZp
— Rupesh Ghosh (@Rupesh_Ghosh_) May 9, 2021
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi also tweeted his wishes for Rabindranath Tagore. He said:
“On Tagore Jayanti, I bow to the great Gurudev Tagore.
“May his exemplary ideals keep giving us strength and inspiration to build the India he dreamt of.”
Rabindranath Tagore’s song, ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ was adopted by Bangladesh as its national anthem.
Moreover, the lyrics of Sri Lanka’s national anthem were also penned by him.
This unique achievement did not just make him the only person to pen national anthems for three countries, but also made him a shared heritage of the whole of South Asia.
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