Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) on May 7, 1861, and was the first Indian to receive the Nobel Prize. He received the prize in 1913 for his literary work. Tagore has penned several renowned poems, songs, and literary works including the national anthem of India--Jana Gana Mana. He began writing at the age of eight and at the mere age of 16 he released his first poetry collection under pseudonym 'Bhanusimha'. Tagore traveled around the world to highlight the richness of the country and pitched that the diversity in the nation was its strength and not weakness. The Nobel Laureate took his last breath on August 7, 1941, and left behind a gaping void. On Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti, here's looking at Gurudev's lesser-known facts, inspirational quotes, and famous works.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembers Rabindranath Tagore:
In his tribute, Modi said: "Tributes to the great Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary. His contribution to our freedom struggle is unforgettable. His unwavering commitment to democratic principles and social empowerment keeps motivating us."
Rabindranath Tagore's popular works:
Gora: Set in the 1880s, Gora is expansive, exhaustive, and extremely relevant. The novel dabbles with several themes like religion, gender, and feminism, and also posits tradition against modernity.
Chokher Bali: A Bengali novel was written by Tagore, 'Chokher Bali' or 'A grain of sand' is a story that revolves around an extra-marital affair. It is a story about passion, desires, relationships, unfulfilled dreams as well as honesty. The complexity of relationships and of human character are very well portrayed in this novel.
Ghare Baire: Published in 1916, Tagore’s Ghare Baire works on various levels. It is a story about a married woman constricted in her household trying to find her own identity.
Rabindranath Tagore's lesser-known facts:
Tagore has a direct connection with Mahatma Gandhi. He was a strong admirer of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's ideas on nationalism and was the one who gave him the title of 'Mahatma' in order to honor him.
Rabindranath Tagore's lesser-known facts
The national anthem for India 'Jana Gana Mana' was written by him along with the national anthem for Bangladesh 'Amar SonarBangla' and 'Nama Nama Sri Lanka Mata' for Sri Lanka.
Tagore even met Albert Einstein at his home in Caputh in Germany in 1930.
Rabindranath Tagore's lesser-known facts
Rabindranath Tagore's popular quotes:
The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.
It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.
Rabindranath Tagore's popular quotes
Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.
Rabindranath Tagore's popular quotes
Do not say, ‘It is morning,’ and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name.
Rabindranath Tagore's popular quotes
Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.
