Online Desk: The 162nd birth anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore is being celebrated across the country today. A poet, visual artist, playwright, novelist, as well as a composer, Tagore through his works reshaped Bangla literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by exploring contextual modernism. Born on 25th of Baishakh in the Bengali year of 1268 (May 7, 1861) at Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata, he was the youngest of 13 children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.

On the occasion of Tagore’s birth anniversary, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, paying rich tribute to the polymath. No poet or author had influenced the minds of so many Bengali-speaking people before or after Tagore. His popularity has been compared by many to Shakespeare in the English-speaking world.

Tagore’s poems, short stories, novels, songs, dance-dramas and essays always straddle the border between social reality and personal life. ‘Manasi’, ‘Sonar Tari’, ‘Gitanjali’, ‘Balaka’, Golpoguccho’, ‘Gora’, ‘Ghare Baire’, ‘Chokher Bali’, ‘Chitrangada’, ‘Dak Ghar’ and ‘Raktakarabi’ are some of his best-known works.

Referred to as ‘the Bard of Bengal’, Tagore was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in literature for ‘Gitanjali’ in 1913. His poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial. Two of his songs are now the national anthems of Bangladesh and India. The legendary poet breathed his last at his paternal residence in Kolkata on the 22nd of Sraban in the Bangla year 1348 (August 7, 1941).

The government and different socio-cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion of Tagore’s birth anniversary. Apart from Patisar, local administrations in line with the national events will arrange various programmes at Shelaidah in Kushtia, Shahjadpur in Sirajganj and Dakkhindihi and Pithavog in Khulna, the places where Tagore had memories. Rabindra fair, discussions and cultural events will be organised there to mark the birth anniversary of the great poet.

Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Bangladesh National Museum, Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad and Dhaka University will hold special programmes on the occasion.

State-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) and private television channels and Bangladesh Betar and FM radio stations will air special programmes to mark the day. Newspapers will publish special contents highlighting the life and works of Tagore.