Rabindranath’s 160th birth anniv today

The 160th birth anniversary of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore is being observed in the country today.

In  the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the nation is digitally  celebrating the birth anniversary of Rabindranath, who reshaped Bengali  literature, music as well as art of Indian subcontinent with contextual modernism.

On  the occasion of the poet's birth anniversary, President Abdul Hamid and  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages yesterday, paying  rich tributes to him.

Due to the pandemic, there is no official event on the occasion in the country.

Nobody  influenced the minds of so many Bengali-speaking people before or after  Rabindranath. His influence has been compared, by many, to that of  Shakespeare in the English-speaking world.

The youngest of 13  surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, Rabindranath,  nicknamed Rabi, was born on 25th of Baishakh in 1268 (May 7, 1861) in  Kolkata's Jorasanko Mansion.

His novels, short stories, songs, dance-dramas and essays always speak about the political and personal life of people.

Gitanjali  (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced) and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the  World) are his best-known works and his verse, short stories and novels  were acclaimed for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism and  unnatural contemplation.

Rabindranath became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Sometimes referred to as "the Bard of Bengal", Rabindranath's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial.

His  compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems:  Bangladesh's "Amar Sonar Bangla" and India's "Jana Gana Mana". The Sri  Lankan national anthem was inspired by his work.

The legendary poet breathed his last at his paternal home in Kolkata on Sraban 22 of 1348 (August 7, 1941).

State-run  Bangladesh Television, private television channels and Bangladesh Betar  are airing special programmes, highlighting the life and works of  Tagore.

Chayanat will organise a programmme titled "Dhar Nirvar  Gaan". The show will be broadcast on Chayanat's Facebook group and  YouTube channel at 9:00pm today.