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Top 10 unbelievable facts about Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th  May 1861 and died on 7th  August 1941. He was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter.

1. Rabindranath reshaped Bengali Literature

Rabindranath Tagore in 1909- Author; Generalstabens litografiska anstalt-

Bengali, which is also known as Bangla is an Indic language, native to the Bengal, a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia.

It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken of the 22 scheduled languages of India. It is also the fifth most-spoken native language and the sixth most spoken language by the total number of speakers in the world.

He thus reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

2. He was the first non-European and lyricist to win Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize Symbol- Author; Adam Baker-

As the author of the 鈥減rofoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful鈥� poetry of Gitanjali, in 1913, Rabindranath became the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

His poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial although his 鈥渆legant prose and magical poetry鈥� remain largely unknown outside Bengal.

As per a statement by the Nobel committee, Tagore was awarded this prestigious award, 鈥渂ecause of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West.”

3. Was a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society

Royal Asiatic Society Logo- Author; Royal Asiatic Society-

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Henry Thomas Colebrooke, on 15th March 1823.

It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 鈥榝or the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia鈥�.

Rabindranath was, therefore, a fellow of this society and was referred to as “the Bard of Bengal.”  He was also known by his sobriquets or nicknames: Gurudev, Kobiguru, Biswakobi, Krishi Jagran.

4. Started writing at the age of 8

https://pixabay.com/photos/middle-ages-poet-writing-ancient-4938310/

Tagore first wrote poetry as an eight-year-old.  At 16 years old, he released his first substantial poems under the pseudonym Bh膩nusi峁僪a (“Sun Lion”), which were seized upon by literary authorities as long-lost classics but later published in 1884

By 1877, while still 16 years old, he graduated to his first short stories and dramas, which were now published under his real name.

5. He is India’s most re-known renaissance figure

Rabindranath Tagore- Source; southasiajournal-

Rabindranath Tagore is one of India鈥檚 most re-known renaissance figures, who put India on the literary map of the world. He is considered a poet鈥檚 poet and a maker of not only modern Indian literature but also the modern Indian mind.

6. His birth anniversary is given quite a celebration

Celebrating Rabindranath Tagore- Author; Thayne Tuason- Wikimedia

Every year, Tagore’s birth anniversary is observed as Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti across the country. Bengali community celebrates Tagore’s birth anniversary on Pachishe Baishakh.

In West Bengal, 25 Boishakh, spoken as 鈥淧ochishe Boishakh鈥� by the Bengalis, is synonymous with Rabindra Jayanti.

The day overlaps with either 8 May or 9 May on the Gregorian calendar every year, but Bengal continues to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti on Pochishe Boishakh.

In addition, a bronze statue of Tagore was unveiled in Gordon Square, London on his 150th birth anniversary in 2011. This statue was unveiled by Prince Charles who used the inscriptions, “will shine out as a beacon of tolerance”.

7. Was awarded knighthood but renounced it

Knighthood Symbol- Image by 13smok from Pixabay

In 1915, Tagore was awarded a knighthood honour but renounced it on 31 May 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre in Amritsar, Punjab.

This is a massacre that took place in 1919 where peaceful protestors were shot at as they were protesting against the arrest of pro-Indian independence leaders and

They were shot at even as they tried to flee and the troops shooting kept on firing until their ammunition was exhausted. It is estimated that those who were killed vary between 379 and 1500+ people and those injured were over 1,200 with 192 gravely injured.

8. Tagore founded the Visva- Bharati University

Visva-Bharati University Logo- Author; Visva-Bharati University-

Rabindranath is the one who founded the Visva- Bharati University in Santiniketan. He named it that way to mean, “the communion of the world with India.” It is located in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, IndiaWest Bengal,

Visva-Bharati is a public central university and an Institution of National Importance and Tagore founded it just to challenge the conventional methods of classroom education.

Many of the institution’s classes are still conducted under trees in open fields. Visva Bharati University was a college until independence, and in 1951, it was declared a central university.

9. Rabindranath was good friends with Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein- Source; Library of Congress-

Not many people know that Tagore shared a good bond with Albert Einstein. They were close friends and after his very first meeting with Einstein, Tagore wrote, 鈥淭here was nothing stiff about him- there was no intellectual aloofness. He seemed to be a man who valued human relationships and he showed me a real interest and understanding.鈥�

Given how multi talented and way ahead of his time he was, his meeting with Albert Einstein is considered a clash between science and spirituality.

10. Composed the National Anthem of 2 countries

Tagore was a very multitalented individual in every sense of the word. He is the one who composed the national anthem of Bangladesh and India.

India’s national anthem titled, “Jana Gana Mana” and Bangladesh’s national anthem titled, ” Amar Sonar Bangla’ were taken from the works of Tagore.

Tagore was one of those people who were very great because of their talents and unique ideologies. He was ahead of his time and that was why he was able to leave quite a legacy behind. He once said, “the one who Plants Trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the Meaning of Life!”