1. Rabindranath Tagore
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had a multi faceted personality. He was a renowned poet, a playwright, a
philosopher, a freedom fighter, a painter and an actor.
Born as the son of Mahrshi Debendranath Tagore, an important torch bearer of the Bamho Samaj
movement, he was the youngest of 14 siblings, born on 8th
May 1861 at Jorasanko in Calcuta. He grew
surrounded by art, music, literature and Bamho Samaj. He began writing poems at an early age of eight
years. He had a way with words. In later years he was married to Mrinalini Devi and had two sons and
three daughter.
Tagore is known more as a poet, but his works include novels, essays, short stories, travelogues,
dramas. He took up painting quite late, when he was 70 years, yet his art is acclaimed. He was interested
in music and thousands of his compositions are still popular as Rabindra Sangeet. His most famous
literary works are novels like Chokher bali, Nauka dubi, Ghare Baire, Bindini etc, poems like Purvi,
Sonar Tari, short stories like Kabuliwala, Kshudita Pashan .Rabindranath was the first Indian to be the
honored with the Nobel Prize for literature on 13th November 1913. He got this award for the known
poetic work ‘Gitangali’, which he himself had translated in English. Tagore has written anthems for three
states:
Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem of India.
Amar Shonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh
Sir Lanka Matha the national anthem of Sri Lanka, the Bengali version of which was written by
Rabindranath Tagore, and was translated into Sinhala by Ananda Samarakoon, his student.
Gurudev founded 'Shantiniketan' which brought students closer to nature. Later Shantiniketan
was converted into Vishva Bharti University and recognized by Government of India as a National
University, which continues to this day.
Rabindranath was religious, spiritual and believed in humanity. During 1878 and in 1932, Tagore
visited some thirty countries across five continents. The travels helped the world to know his work, his
views and ideas, including political ideas.
Tagore was opposed to European colonialism, and supported Indian nationalists. He emphasized
self-help and intellectual uplift of the masses and intellectual exchange. He held the view "there can be no
question of blind revolution, but of steady and purposeful education". Tagore also wrote many songs
praising the Indian independence movement. Some opponents of Tagore's views even plotted to kill him
in 1916 on foreign soil.
Tagore was opposed to untouchability and is credited with helping resolve a Gandhi-Ambedkar
deadlock on Gandhiji's resistance to separate electorates for untouchables advocated by Ambedkar.
Even after many decades of his death, Tagore’s legacy continues to thrive. People hold many
festivals in his honor in different parts of the world. His 150th Birth Anniversary was commemorated in
2012 in India and abroad.