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Many years after his death, Rabindranath Tagore’s works are still being explored. A recent production “Rabindra Abhivyakti” used the idiom of music and dance to focus on the less-known spiritual philosophy of the bard. Explains Odissi exponent, “yogi” and “spiritualist” Reela Hota, who conceptualised the presentation along with hermother Bijoylaxmi Hota, “While the aesthetic value of Tagore’s works has been highlighted, not enough importance has been given to explain the spiritual and yogic
significance of his poems through different art forms. We at Rays of Wisdom Society have made an attempt to present this aspect of his through a never-before multi-art
presentation of Odissi, Kathak, Gaudiya Nritya, Pung Chalom and creative dance.”
Rays of Wisdom Society, of which Reela is secretary, is slanted at reviving the spiritual aspect of the arts — whether music, dance, drama or painting. The aim of
“Rabindra Abhivyakti” was in Reela’s words, “To establish Tagore as an enlightened man and role model for artists of today. Art is meant to accelerate human evolution.
However, if the focus is on the material in art, one evolves accordingly.”
The recent production comprised of “Mangalacharan”, an invocation to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and arts, which went on to describe the experience of
a Nada Yogi devotee. The Tagore works were “Dui Pakhi”, “Nirjharer Swapnabhanga”, “Rath Jatra” and “Mokshya”, which traced the progress of an individual soul from
bondage to liberation or the transcendental state.
Reela excelled in the opening Odissi “Mangalacharan”, while the other pieces lacked an edge. If Reela was the bright spark in the production, the viewer’s attention
flagged as the other dancers went through their Kathak, Gaudiya Nritya, Pung Chalom and creative dance moves. The recorded music composed by renowned classical
vocalists Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra, redeemed the evening.
If the execution of “Rabindra Abhivyakti” went haywire at times, it is impossible to fault the concept and design by Reela and her mother, a yoga and meditation guru
with several books on yoga to her credit. A lot of hard work went in to the production, says Reela since she is neither a Tagore scholar nor a Bengali. Extensive
research was therefore needed towards which end the mother-daughter duo sat across the table with Tagore scholars. “Many people said that there is much more to Tagore
than beautiful poetry,” says Reela.
One only wishes that the other dancers had done justice to a fine idea.
-With The Daily Star input
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Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore’s idyllic ‘Shilaidah Kuthibari’ (mansion) inspired some of the bard’s most famous literary works, including poetry, prose, novels and music.Rabindranath Tagore first came to Shilaidah along with his elder brother Jyotirindranath, in 1876, when he was 15-years-old. Though the brothers came to settle matters related to their zamindari (family estate), the mighty river Padma and natural beauty of Shilaidah made a deep impact on the young poet.
Tagore made a boat named ‘Padma’ in which he wrote many poems. Tagore’s historical Padma boat was destroyed over a passage of time. However, the government built a replica of Tagore’s original boat at a cost of Taka 18 lakh.
“Based on the model of Tagore’s original boat we built this Padma boat. The boat, at the pond beside the Kuthibari museum was opened for visitors on December, 2011,” Md. Mohidul Islam, custodian of Shilaidah Kuthibari, said.
The Kuthibari houses 162 items including Tagore’s furniture, photographs and other memorabilia, which visitors can view, Mohidul added.
In the priceless collection are an iron cabinet, iron water filter, a lawn mower, table used for revenue collection of the family estate, Tagore’s bed, chair, sofa, file cabinet, dining table, reading table, book shelf, two big almirah, an easy chair, and a speed boat in the Kuthibari museum.
“Rabindranath created a new era of romantic aristocracy that blended Bengali culture, Indian modernism and gradual development of occidental philosophy,” Bangla Professor Md. Nurunnabi said.
Valuable and historical pictures are also kept in the museum. Of the rare photographs, one of poet and scientist Satyen Sen, Rabindranath along with Sharat Chandra and many other elites of nineteen century hang in the museum.
According to historians, Tagore’s “Ponchobhuter Diary” was published in 1891 under the name “Ponchobhut”. Most probably this was the first of Tagore’s books written in Shilaidah.
Of his famous books, “Shonar Tari”, “Chitra”, “Chokher Bali”, “Pujarini”, “Obhisar”, “Bisharjan” and short stories like “Uddhar”, “Durbudhhi”, “Shubho-Drishti” and “Sadar-Andar” were written in Shilaidah.
Tagore also wrote hundreds of famous songs in Shilaidah: among them are “Modhur Modhur Dhoni”, “Bishwa Bina Rob-e”, “Esheche Natun Jibon” and “Tomar Gopon Kotha”.
As in previous years, a five-day programme to observe the 151st birth anniversary of the Nobel Laureate has been organised.
The five-day programme will begin on May 8. The cultural programme will be held on May 8-10. Artistes from across the country will perform at the cultural programme marking the 151st anniversary of the poet.
A five-day Rabindra Mela wil begin from May 8, beside the Kuthibari field.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>Tagore, who became Asia’s first Nobel laureate when he won the 1913 Nobel prize in literature, was a poet, playwright, novelist, educationist, social reformer, nationalist, business manager, artist and music composer. Tagore wrote the national anthems of Bangladesh and India.
India and Bangladesh decided to celebrate jointly the 150th anniversary of his birth and both the countries have planned elaborate programmes to mark the event through year-long celebrations. Bangladesh and India in 2010 decided to celebrate the occasions jointly.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, inaugurated a three-day programme at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Friday in the presence of Indian vice-president M Hamid Ansari while the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, launched the celebrations in New Delhi on Saturday. Bangladesh’s planning minister AK Khandakar attended the programme in New Delhi on behalf of Bangladesh.
Tagore was born on Baishakh 25, 1268 in the Bangla calendar, in a zamindar family in Kolkata, India. The occasion came to be celebrated on Baishakh 25 in accordance with the date of his birth in the Bangla calendar.
The anniversary of his birth will, however, be celebrated in West Bengal on Sunday as the Bangla calendar in use in Bangladesh was changed in 1988 in line with a modification done by a Bangla Academy committee headed by Dr Muhammad Shahidullah in 1963.
The government, educational institutions, socio-cultural organisations and radio and television channels have planned programmes to mark the day.
Newspapers will bring out special supplements on Tagore’s work and life. The electronic media will air special programmes, including soirees, recitation from his poems, discussions, film shows and dramas scripted or based on Tagore’s stories.
The president, Zillur Rahman, in a message on the occasion, said that the extraordinary literature and all creative works of Rabidranath Tagore would inspire new generations.
He said, ‘Worship of truth and beauty, and expansion of values of humanity are the main themes of his works.’
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in a message, said, ‘Rabindranath is a lighthouse for the Bengalis. He wandered in the hearts of the Bengalis.’
‘Rabindranath always voiced for humanity. His sense of nationalism is the source of inspiration all Bengalis. His creations touch our consciences in all our problems and crises, joys and pains in personal, social or even national spheres,’ she said.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, also the leader of the opposition in the parliament, in a message, said that Rabindranath had immense influence on the life of the people of Bangladesh. His works have not only enriched the Bangla literature but have also projected it to the outside world.
The cultural ministry will hold the national programme on the occasion in Dhaka, Shahjadpur, Patisar and Dakshidihi.
The Bangla Academy will begin a three-day programme on the academy premises.
The Nazrul Academy will hold a discussion and cultural programme at 6:00pm today.
The Jatiya Ganatantrik League will hold a discussion at Maitree Milnayatan at Purana Paltan at 11:00am.
Courtesy of New Age
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Bangladesh opens its two-day programme on Friday in the city as part of the first India-Bangladesh joint celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel prize winner in literature. And in New Delhi, the ceremony of the year-long commemoration will be inaugurated Saturday. Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari arrived in Dhaka on Thursday on a two-day visit to the celebration here.Ansari is scheduled to join Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in opening the main function of the birth anniversary of
Rabindranath Tagore at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital on Friday.
Similarly a high level Bangladesh delegation, led by planning minister AK Khondker, reached Delhi to attend the celebration in India.
The two countries decided to jointly celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the world famous Bengali poet during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi last year.
The two countries have chalked out various programmes to commemorate the poet who had written the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.
Bdnews24.com adds: Performances by Rabindra Sangeet maestros Rezwana Choudhury Bonna and Dwijen Choudhury will mark the two-day Delhi programme starting Saturday.
They will be joined by Hindustani classical music vocalist Madhup Mudgal, who will present a Rabindra Sangeet recital in Hindi, the Indian Ministry of Culture said in a statement on Thursday.
Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh will preside over the inaugural ceremony at the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, while Bangladesh planning minister A K Khandakar will attend it as chief guest.
The chairperson of India’s ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi, is also expected to
be present as guest-of-honour.
An official of the Indian government said Khandakar would be accompanied by a 20-member delegation, comprising MPs, senior government officials and Tagore experts from Bangladesh.
Indian government last year constituted a National Committee under the chairmanship of prime minister Singh and a National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to oversee the celebrations.
During the inaugural ceremony in Delhi, the National Implementation Committee members will present to Singh and Khandakar important commemorative items, including Rabindra Chitravali, which is a distinctive– first of its kind – compilation of around 2000 paintings of Tagore brought out with support of Ministry of Culture of the Indian government.
A set of DVDs of “Tagore Stories on Film” and Satyajit Ray’s Documentary on Tagore will also be released on the occasion.
Courtesy of The Independent
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It was in August of 1971. I was on an official mission of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, escorting some foreign dignitaries to the refugee camp in the Salt Lake area ofCalcutta. After my official duty was over as I was getting ready to leave, I heard that the Mukti Shangrami’ Shilpi Shangstha, led by Wahidul Huq and Sanjida Khatun, was corning to the camp to present their Rupantorer Gaan to enthuse and inspire the inmates of the camp.I knew most in the group fora long time. And, needless to say, was interested to hear their songs. Iknew many of the songs that this group, mostly belonging to Chhayanaut, used to sing in those days. Those usually were songs of Rabindranath with nationalistic fervour. So, half expecting what to hear, I made a place for myself in front. To my utter surprise what I heard was something that I had never heard before. First I thought that it was some song other than that of Rabindranath. But then his songs have a definite style. So, however unknown it may have appeared in the beginning, it did assume the style of his own eventually. And I was bewildered. I think it would be in order to share what was going through my mind and bring the mystery to an end . Therefore, permit me to quote the song here in my inadequate adaptation from original Bangla to my illiterate English:“I travel from place to place singing the song of your distress. /1 wander through the cities, meadows and in the forests. Tears roll down from my eyes/ and the heart of the rock melts listening to the story of your anguish./ Millions of hearts are ignited by your sorrow, and they start to sing together —I Fire emits from the eyes. The apparent vacuum trembles by that thunderous sound that transcends the sky./ Everyone looks down in mortal fear. I have no brother or friend but you./ You are my father, you are my mother, and you are everything to me./ I shall cry in your despair and make others cry in your distress./ I live because of you and shall not hesitate .to die for you./ I shall forebear all your sadness happily to see your happy face.”
I thought it really takes a visionary to write and compose a song over a hundred years ago, for here and now. In a camp where a multitude of human beings were living in sub-human conditions, under a thatch, within a drain pipe, under the open sky braving hunger and diseases and hoping that they’d be able to wrest the freedom of their motherland someday When Tagore wrote this song, he was barely 20. My guess is that he must have composed it to. record his feelings about India groaning under the colonialist British. But I was appalled to discover how contemporary he sounded for us even after 90 years, in 1971. This, I thought, is what makes a great visionary who can cut across centuries and, become contemporary forever.
I have, in my own limited capacity, tried to explore the relevance of Rabindranath in today’s society. This piece could be considered a curtain raiser to what I finally intend to do. In my intended work I wish to cover his songs, plays, and to a lesser
degree some of his poems. Let us take a look at one or two of his very easygoing didactic couplets for the purpose of establishing his relevance to our present day society. Our world today is continuously plagued by communal disharmony. This is more due to formal interpretation of religion than the soul contained In it. For instance in one of his poems he said and I adapt, “The festival of chariots goes on unabated with lots of fanfare. Thousands of people flock together. The devotees lie prostrate in front of the chariots on the roads to offer their respect. The road thinks ‘I am the God’,, the chariot thinks ‘I am HIM’, the effigy thinks, ‘I am…’, and the Lord God laughs out loud.” And another, “The moon says, ‘I washed the world with light. Whatever the stain there is, I have kept just for myself’~ Yet another, “Who is it that will relieve me of my duties?’ says the setting sun. The world remains speechless. The tiny clay lamp whispers, ‘My Lord, I shall try and do my best”. These little snippets of verses are universal at anytime and in any society.
I shall now try to focus on the subject that I feel more comfortable with. Ws the plays of Unbindranath. Permit me to quote some dialogues from some of the plays that we have staged and some that I ldve. Our very recent production of ‘Ocholayatan’ has some profound dialogues that transcend the barrier of time and space. Here Dada Thakur, the mentor of the down-trodden in this play, says to the rebel Panchak, “The boy who does not have confidence cries out in the dark when he cannot see his mother. The one, who has confidence , finds the mother if only he stretches his mind. lithe mother asks, need lights?’ the son says, ‘when you are there, light and darkness are no different for me.” ‘Raktokorobi’ is one of the most famous of his plays, in which the heroin of the play, ‘Nandini’ and the villain, ‘The King’ constantly confront each other. Tagore described Nandini as the inarticulate east and the King as megalomaniac west. The King tries to frighten Nandini by his antiques to which Nandini says, ‘Do you love to see people frightened by you? Srikantha of our village acts as the monster in the Jatra. When he acts, people are frightened and that t makes him very happy. It seems like the people here are in the business of frightening others. That is why they have surrounded you with a net of mystery. Aren’t you ashamed of feigning to be a monster?” Here are a few dialogues from his immortal play ‘Muktodhara’, where King Ranajit accuses Dhononjoy Boiragi, the singer, of inciting the, people not to pay land revenue. The conversation goes like this:
Ranajit: Tell me whether you will pay the revenue.
Dhononjoy: No, My King, I will not.
Ranajit:You will not? What insolence!
Dhononjoy I cannot give you something that is not yours.
Ranajit: Not mine?
Dhononjoy: My surplus food is yours; food for my hunger is not.
Such was Tagore’s insight to humanity. At any age he would be a contemporary. These are but only a few examples. A full research would reveal the validity of my assertion. In this l5Othyear of his anniversary of birth we all are reminded once again that just ‘one’ Rabindranath as a humanist, moralist and intellectual could be enough for a nation to be proud of.
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On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, veteran singer Syed Abdul Hadi is bringing out an album of Tagore songs.The album will be launched tomorrow (7 May) through a programme at the seminar hall of Central Public Library. Titled Jokhon Bhanglo Milon Mela, this is the first album of Hadi on Tagore songs.
Professor Anisuzzaman will be present as the chief guest at the programme. Bhawaia singer Mustafa Zaman Abbasi will attend the event as the special guest. The album Jokhon Bhanglo Milon Mela will be released under the banner of Laser Vision Majharul Islam, managing director of Laser Vision will preside over the session.
Courtesy of Daily Sun
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With the staging of “Daakghar” at the Chhayanaut Auditorium by the students of Nalanda [Chhayanaut’s school], the sixth phase of the yearlong celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary began on March 3.The four-day event, featuring theatre and film adaptations of Tagore’s works, is being held at Chhayanaut Shangskriti Bhaban and National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala academy (BSA) in Dhaka.
The opening programme began with a rendition of “Oi Mahamanab Ashey” by Chhayanaut singers. Chhayanaut artistes also paid tribute to late Apala Farhat through observing one minute silence that was followed by a brief welcome speech by Abul Hasnat.
After the staging of “Daakghar”, the film “Kabuliwala” was screened.
On the second day [March 4] of the event, the film “Otithi” was screened at 10:30am at the same venue.
Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed will deliver a lecture, titled “Bangladesh-e Rabindra Natyacharcha”, today at National Theatre Hall. Staging of “Bishorjon” by Tirjok Natyadol, Chittagong will also be held at the same venue.
The sixth phase will wrap up through screening of the film “Tin Konya” at Chhayanaut auditorium on March 6 evening. Nagarik Natya Sampradaye will stage the play “Achalayatan” at National Theatre Hall the same evening.
The seventh and final phase will be held from May 7 to 9, 2011 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium, Central Public Library in Dhaka. Apart from songs, dances and recitations, two lectures by Dr. Atiur Rahman and Abul Momen are highlights of this phase.
Grameenphone is sponsoring the yearlong programme.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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As part of Chhayanaut’s yearlong programmes to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary [May 8, this year] of Rabindranath Tagore, an eight-day exhibition featuring reproductions of the Nobel laureate poet’s artworks is on at Chhayanaut Shangskriti Bhaban in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.Renowned Indian artist and art teacher KG Subramanian inaugurated the exhibition yesterday and delivered an in-depth lecture on “Rabindranath and His Artwork.
The exhibition is open from 10am to 8pm everyday and will continue till January 28.
Subramanian also unveiled an album, titled “Rabindra Chitrakala” on the occasion. The exhibition features reproductions of 54 artworks by Rabindranath Tagore.
General Secretary of Chhayanaut, Khairul Anam Shakil, directed the inaugural session. Convenor of the celebration sub-committee for ‘150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’, Abul Hasnat, also spoke at the event. Chhayanaut President Dr. Sanjida Khatun presided over the discussion.
With the title “Rabindranath-er Haatey Haat Rekhey Bangladesh”, the yearlong programme has been divided into seven phases focusing every aspect of Tagore’s creation, including songs, plays, poetry and artworks, and are being held at different venues including Shilaidaha, Kushtia.
The yearlong celebration began on July 16 last year through a two-day Rabindra Festival at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The second phase of the programme marked the 100th anniversary of “Geetanjali” and was held on September 24 the same year at Chhayanaut Auditorium, while third instalment of the programme was “Bangladesh-e Rabindranath”. A two-day “Rabindra Nrityotshob” was the fourth phase of the programme that started yesterday at Chhayanaut.
This exhibition marks the fifth phase while the sixth phase will feature films and plays — adaptations of Tagore’s works. Professor Jamil Ahmed will deliver a lecture titled “Bangladesh-e Rabindra Natyacharcha” at the event to be held on March 4-5, 2011.
The seventh and final phase will be held on May 7-9, 2011 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium, Central Public Library, Shahbagh. Apart from songs, dances and recitations, two lectures by Dr. Atiur Rahman and Abul Momen are parts of this phase.
Grameenphone is sponsoring the yearlong programme.
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