Monday, May 12, 2008
A little treasury of quotations and anecdotes about Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was born on Vaisakh 25, BS 1168, that is early May, 1861. The fortnight after Vaisakh 25 is celebrated in Bengal as kavipaksha,'or the poet's fortnight. On this occasion, Tagore is remembered not only with song, dance, drama, but stories about his patriotism, courage, as also for his love for Mahatma Gandhi and differences Tagore had with him.
Today, instead of abating, violence engulfs the globe. Wars exact their toll of innocent victims without any noble voice rising in protest. Forests are cleared for mining, rivers dammed, carbon emissions rise to such levels that Mother Nature can bear no more. We need Gandhi and King, Tolstoy and Tagore, now more than ever.
For the kavipaksha,'we present for our readers a little treasury of Tagore's poems and memorabilia.
First, a prayer for his beloved land. He prays not for great wealth or power, but for knowledge and reason and freedom.
Gitanjali, poem 35
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.
Where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action -
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
To read the full article, click here....
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Today, instead of abating, violence engulfs the globe. Wars exact their toll of innocent victims without any noble voice rising in protest. Forests are cleared for mining, rivers dammed, carbon emissions rise to such levels that Mother Nature can bear no more. We need Gandhi and King, Tolstoy and Tagore, now more than ever.
For the kavipaksha,'we present for our readers a little treasury of Tagore's poems and memorabilia.
First, a prayer for his beloved land. He prays not for great wealth or power, but for knowledge and reason and freedom.
Gitanjali, poem 35
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.
Where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action -
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
To read the full article, click here....
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Bengal, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kavipaksha, Mahatma Gandhi, patriotism, Rabindranath Tagore, Tagore's poems
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