Rabindranath Tagore : Jayanti (Birthday), Biography, Books, Awards, Films, Interesting Facts & more

Rabindranath Tagore

Born	7 May 1861
Died	7 August 1941
Spouse	Mrinalini Devi (m.1883-1902)
Children	Renuka Tagore, Shamindranath Tagore, Meera Tagore, Rathindranath Tagore, Madhurilata Tagore
Awards	Nobel Prize In Literature 1913
Languages	Bengali & English
Occupation	Writer, Composer, Play writer, Essayist, Painter
Notable-work	Gitanjali, Gora, Ghare-Baire, Jana Gana Mana, Rabindra Sangeet,      Amar Shonar Bangla & Other Work.

⇒ Rabindranath Tagore short Biography:-

Youngest among all 13 children of Debendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 in Calcutta, Bengal headed by British India. (Today known as Kolkata of independent India.) His father Debendranath Tagore was a Brahmin and Dharmink reformer and his grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was an Industrialist.Tagore loved to write poetry since childhood. He wrote his first poem at the age of eight. When he grew up, he became a good poet, composer, writer, and a good artist and gave a new look to Bengali literature.Tagore completed his studies from England and returned to India. After coming back to India, he wrote many poetry books till 1880.

Rabindranath Tagore with his Wife

In 1883 Rabindranath was married to Mrinalini Devi. They had five children. (Renuka Tagore, Shamindranath Tagore, Meera Tagore, Rathindranath Tagore, and Madhurilata Tagore) He was happy with his married life.

By 1890, he completed his popular book Mansi.  Which is a collection of poems which shows the maturity of his talent. then he wrote Chitrangada in 1892, Sonar Taree in 1894, Gora in 1910 and also his most popular book Gitanjali in 1910.  For which he went on to receive the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913.  He also received the Knighthood Award in 1915, which he returned in 1919 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Tagore also wrote about 2000 songs during his lifetime, which became quite popular in Bengal.

Tagore also wrote "Bharato Bhagyo Bidhata" in Bengali, which went on to become India's national anthem - "Jana Gana Mana" in 1950.

His composition was chosen as the national anthem by two nations - India "Jana Gana Mana" and Bangladesh "Aamar Shonar Bangla".  Even Sri Lanka's national anthem is inspired by his work.

Rabindranath Tagore with family

Rabindranath Tagore took over Shantiniketan in 1901, which was started by his father Devendranath Tagore. (Where Vishwa Bharati University is located today) He started living in Santiniketan with his family. But after his wife's death in 1902, he became unhappy. Meanwhile, in 1905 his father died and his two children died in 1907 and this time was very painful for him.  Whose sorrow is clearly visible in his 1910 book Geetanjali's poems.

In 1921, he founded a school which he named Visva-Bharati. Where he used to teach bhramcharya. In which the Guru used to give emotional, intellectual and spiritual education to his students. He used to teach in class in the morning and write books in the afternoon and in the evening for his students. He also looked after Shantiniketan in his spare time. By this way, he kept himself busy all day.

On 7 August 1941, he breathed his last breath in the same house in which he was born.

Rabindranath Tagore, known as a good poet, composer, writer, and a good artist, was also known to someone as Gurudev, Kaviguru and Vishwakavi.

⇒ What did Rabindranath Tagore write?

Also known as “Gurudev” and the “Bard of Bengal”, Tagore came from a rich Brahmo family who played a major role in introducing Indian literature to the world.

Hе waѕ glоballу rеnowned bеcаuѕe of hiѕ grеаt wrіtіng skills and innovative thіnking. Tagore introducеd a culturаl reform in the cоuntry. ‘Jаna Gаnа Manа’ іs hіs best сompoѕіtion. It wаs adopted аѕ thе nаtіonаl аnthеm оf Indіa.

A poet, musician, writer and even a painter, Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest minds of India.Tagore composed more than 2,000 songs and penned a large number of poems, stories, dramas, and novels. His work “Gitanjali” and “Jeevan Smriti” are still cherished today.

Rabindranath Tagore- Gitanjali (1910)

Rabindranath Tagore published several poetry collections, notably Manasi (1890), Sonar Tari (1894; The Golden Boat), and Gitanjali (1910); plays, notably Chitrangada (1892; Chitra); and novels, including Gora (1910) and Ghare-Baire (1916). He also wrote some 2,000 songs, which achieved considerable popularity among all classes of Bengali society.

⇒ What awards did Rabindranath Tagore win?

Rabindranath Tagоrе waѕ born іn а rich Brahmin fаmilу іn Cаlcutta аnd was thе yоungest ѕiblіng in hiѕ fаmіly. He waѕ a multi-talentеd persоnаlity with a grеat desirе to leаrn nеw things. Hіѕ contributіоnѕ to the Indіаn literаturе and music have bеen unforgettаble. The рeoрlе not оnlу іn Wеst Bеngаl but alѕо in аll regiоnѕ оf thе сountry remember his сontributіоns. he wаs a wеll-knоwn pоet, novеlіѕt, сompoѕеr and vіѕual artіѕt. In 1913, thе mоst prestigiouѕ Nоbеl Prizе wаs аwarded to him for his contribution tо thе Indіаn literaturе. Hе waѕ the first реrsоn in Aѕiа and also in India tо rеcеіve thіs awаrd.

Rabindranath Tagore - Nobel Prize

In 1913 Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European and also the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Tagore was also awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he returned it in 1919 as a protest against the Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) Massacre.

⇒ The lesser known facts about Rabindranath Tagore

Not all people are aware of the fact that Tagore was color blind? Many people think Tagore wrote 2 national anthems, however, the number is 3. There are many other interesting facts about this renowned personality who once even returned his knighthood Award.

Let’s have a look at some of the lesser known facts about him.

1. First Non-European To Win A Nobel Prize in Literature.

Nobel Prize

Rabindranath Tagore wasn’t just the first Asian to win a Nobel prize, but also the first Non-European to mark his prominence in literature.

2. Tagore Inspired 3 National Anthems

Rabindranath Tagore

Many people are aware that Tagore wrote 2 national anthems. “Jana Gana Mana” for India and “Amar Sonar Bangla” for Bangladesh. What many people don’t know is that he also inspired the Sri Lankan national anthem “Sri Lanka Matha”.

3. He Made A School From His Nobel Prize

Rabindranath Tagore - Visva Bharati at Shantiniketan

Rabindranath Tagore invested his Nobel Prize money in constructing the “Visva-Bharati” school in Shantiniketan. The school ran on the Shantiniketan Education System and gave the nation many distinguished personalities like -Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray, and Indira Gandhi to name a few out of many others.

4. Preface Of Gitanjali was Written By W.B. Yeats

W.B. Yeats

The preface of Tagore’s most acclaimed work, Gitanjali, was written by another greatest poet of the 20th century, W.B. Yeats.

5. Tagore Was Colour Blind

Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan

At the age of sixty, Tagore took up drawing and painting and many of his works were successfully exhibited throughout Europe. His strange colour schemes and off-beat aesthetics made people realize that he was red-green colour blind.

6. His Nobel Prize Was Stolen

Rabindranath Tagore - Statue

In 2004, Tagore’s Nobel Prize medal was stolen in a theft at Shantiniketan. The Swedish Academy gave him the award again in the form of two replicas, a gold and a silver.

7. Tagore Worked On All Genres

Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore wrote novels, short stories, poems, essays, verses, dramas, songs, and a lot of other stuff. He believed to worked on all kinds of genres.

8. Tagore Was Knighted Once

Rabindranath Tagore

King George V of England knighted Rabindranath Tagore in 1915 for his great contribution in the field of literature. However, following the tragic massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, he returned this title.

Rabindranath Tagore is also the first one who calls Gandhi Ji “Mahatma” for the first time. He was truly a person with an exceptional brain. According to some people, even on his death bed, he was worried about the poems in his mind which he couldn’t write.

⇒ Films Based On Rabindranath Tagore’s Work

Commercial movies are Bollywood or Hollywood, are loved and watched by all of us. Some of them do have a strong storyline while others were just a waste of time. But if movies are made by the work of some great legends, then chances might be that they do not grab the wide range of minds in the theatre but will definitely grab the hearts. Here is the list of the films that are based popularly on Rabindranath Tagore’s work.

1. ‘Chokher Bali’- 2003

Chokher Bali - 2003

A drama based on the work of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chokher Bali, starring Aishwarya Rai bachchan (as binodini) and Prosenjit chatterjee (as Mahendra) released in 2003. Written and directed by Rituparno Ghosh, who does a complete justice to the motion, Aishwarya portrayed as Binodini, a widow, who struggles after the death of her husband. The movie shows us a dark truth of our society, the innumerable questions on the progression of a woman. The movie takes back the spectators to a complete historical era. It was also awarded with National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali.

2. ‘Charulata’- 1964

Charulata - 1964

A story by Rabindranath Tagore and direction of Satyajit Ray released on 17 april 1964, the movie is a piece of marvel. Charulata (The lonely wife) takes us to a story of a neglected housewife, whose husband runs a English newspaper organization. The plot is framed upon the work of Tagore named “Nastanirh,”(The broken nest) where Charulata (Madhavi Mukherjee) leads a lonely, isolated life, who is finally noticed by her husband, and together they carve out their beautiful life. This film is considered one of Ray's highest achievement.

3. ‘Uphaar’- 1971

Uphaar - 1971

Uphaar is a 1971 Hindi film. In this beautiful movie director Sudhendu Roy narrates the story of a married woman played by Jaya Bhaduri, who fails to understand her relation with her husband due to her innocent nature. The movie is inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s work “Samapti.” Justifying the title “Samapti,” or the end, the innocence of Jaya Bhaduri breaks, when she had to live alone with her mother-in-law, who made her realize her duties.

4. ‘Kabuliwala’- 1961

Kabuliwala - 1961

One of the most popular stories by Tagore was ‘Kabuliwala’. Following the footsteps of Tagore’s novel, director Hemen Gupta leaves no ends to bring the story back to life. The story is set in Calcutta and portrays the story of a little girl Mini, met by a Kabuliwala, who earned his living by selling dry fruits. The story narrates the eternal bonding between two souls, which is far beyond any worldly wealth, as the Kabuliwala is reminded of his own daughter, while he interacts with Mini. Movie was released on 14 december 1961.

5. ‘Atithi’- 1966

Atithi - 1966

‘Atithi’ depicts the life of a small boy Tara, who leaves his home and consumeristic wealth to understand the fugitiveness of life. Upon the direction of Tapan Sinha, who did complete justice to the legend’s work, the motion manages to touch every soul till date. It was released in 1966.

6. ‘Milan’ - 1967

Milan - 1967

‘Milan’ was inspired by Tagore’s work “Nauka Dabi.”The film casts Sunil Dutt and Jamuna in the lead roles. It was one of the very first plays to boost the idea of metempsychosis. Caste Inequality has always remained a major issue in the Indian society, which has been portrayed in the film, apart from some humorous scenes. Nutan received Filmfare Award for Best Actress for this film.

7. ‘Dak Ghar’- 1965

Dak Ghar - 1965

Zul Vellani directed ‘Dak Ghar 1965’ inspired by Tagore’s story based on the same name. Vallani made it sure to maintain the reputation of Tagore’s work as she created the play in 1912. The play portrays Amal as a deficient kid, who was agonizing from an inoperable disease, which had put barriers to his feet. But his dreams were still wide awake, and with his determination he fulfills them.

8. ‘Ghare Baire’ - 1984

Ghare Baire - 1984

Story by Ravindranath Tagore . It is a romantic drama based on the direction of Satyajit Ray which illustrates the liberation of an Indian woman. It portrays the relation between Bimla, Sandip, and Nikhelesh, wherein Bimla falls in love with Sandip, but Nikhelesh does not stop her rather encourages her to grow inside and out as well.

9. ‘Chaturanga’- 2008

Chaturanga - 2008

The movie is based on Tagore’s work “Four Chapters,” and is directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay. The motion features Rituparna Sengupta and Dhritiman Chatterjee. It sets an illustration about a love caught amongst conflicting ideas. The complexity progresses further as Dhritiman thinks about both the women he fall in love with.

10. ‘Lekin’ - 1991

Lekin - 1991

Loosely based on Tagore’s work Kshudhit Pashaan (hungry stones), the work was displayed onscreen by the efforts of Gulzar. It depicts the tale of a man who develops an endearment with a girl, whose existence is rather questionable. Apart from a spooky storyline, the motion also features out some deep, inexplicable issues.