Tagore Death Anniversary: Rabindranath Tagore was one of the finest minds in Indian history. He was a poet, musician, writer, and even a painter. Tagore wrote several poems, stories, plays, and novels in addition to more than 2,000 songs, making him the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize. His creations, “Gitanjali” and “Jeevan Smriti,” are still highly regarded today. But did you know that Tagore was colorblind to the red-green spectrum? Contrary to popular belief, Tagore really penned three national anthems, not two. The illustrious individual, who once even renounced his knighthood, has a number of further fascinating facts. Tagore, a prominent member of the Brahmo family and also known as “Gurudev” and the “Bard of Bengal,” was a key figure in spreading Indian literature to the rest of the world. Let’s look at some of his lesser-known accomplishments as today marks the 82nd anniversary of Tagore’s death.
Three National Anthem
The fact that Tagore penned two national anthems is widely known. “Jana Gana Mana” for India and “Amar Sonar Bangla” for Bangladesh. Many people are unaware that he served as the inspiration for the “Sri Lanka Matha” national anthem of Sri Lanka. Some others even contend that Tagore wrote the entire anthem.
Nobel Prize Stolen
In a theft in Shantiniketan in 2004, Tagore’s Nobel Prize medal was taken. The Swedish Academy presented him with two duplicates of the prize, one in gold and one in silver. In addition to being the first Asian to get the Nobel Prize, Rabindranath Tagore was also the first non-European to do so, recognizing his eminence in literature.
Colorblind To Red And Green
Tagore began drawing and painting when he was sixty years old, and several of his pieces were successfully shown all across Europe. People noticed that he was colorblind to red and green due to his odd hue combinations and eccentric aesthetics.
Visva-Bharati At Shantiniketan
With the proceeds from his Nobel Prize, Rabindranath Tagore built the “Visva-Bharati” school at Shantiniketan. Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray, and Indira Gandhi are just a few of the notable individuals the institution produced for the country while operating under the Shantiniketan Education System.
‘Mahatma’ To Gandhi
The first time Gandhi Ji was referred to as “Mahatma” is attributed to Rabindranath Tagore. According to some authors, Rabindranath Tagore is said to have used this title for Gandhi on March 6, 1915. The title “Mahatma” translates to “Great Soul” in English and is often used as an honorific for Gandhi.
Renounced Knighthood
In 1915, shortly after winning the Nobel Prize for literature for his outstanding contributions, King George the Fifth of England knighted Rabindranath Tagore. However, he declined the knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, in which 379 nonviolent and unarmed protesters were ruthlessly murdered by British troops under General Dyer’s command.
At the young age of eight, Tagore realised that he had a poet within him, and that was the beginning of his development into one of India’s greatest poets. Tagore published his first collection of poems in a book titled “Bhanusimha,” or “Sun Lion,” at the age of sixteen, while most of us only start to consider our futures at that point. Tagore lived a determined and revered life that influenced a large number of individuals all over the world. There are eight museums dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore – three in India and five in Bangladesh.
