People across the country are observing the 84th death anniversary of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on Tuesday, paying tribute to the literary legend fondly revered as the ‘Bishwakobi’ (World’s Poet).
According to the Gregorian calendar, Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941, at the age of 80. However, the day is traditionally observed on the 22nd of Srabon in the Bengali calendar, which falls on Wednesday this year, UNB reports.
Various cultural organisations and institutions, both government and non-government ones, are marking the occasion through commemorative events featuring music, recitation, discussions and reflections on Tagore’s life and works.
Leading cultural institution Chhayanaut will hold a tribute programme today (Wednesday) at 7 pm at its auditorium in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
On Thursday, Bangla Academy will organise a seminar and cultural programme at 4 pm at the Kobi Shamsur Rahman Seminar Room on its premises.
Besides, state-run and private television channels including Bangladesh Television (BTV) will air special programmes highlighting the poet’s legacy.
Born on May 7, 1861 (25th Baishakh, 1268 in the Bengali calendar) in Jorasanko, Kolkata, Tagore was the youngest of 13 surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.
A towering figure in Bengali literature and culture, Tagore composed over 2,000 songs, establishing a unique genre known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet’. His vast literary contributions include eight novels, 84 short stories, countless poems, plays, and essays over a career spanning nearly seven decades.
He founded Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan in 1921, envisioning it as a centre for global learning rooted in Indian traditions.
In 1913, Tagore became the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for his English translation of Gitanjali (Song Offerings).
Two of his songs became national anthems — ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ for Bangladesh and ‘Jana Gana Mana’ for India — reflecting his enduring influence across the subcontinent.
