Early Life and Family Influence (1861 – 1884)

Rabindranath’s parents: Debendranath Tagore (left) and Sarada Devi (right)

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 at the Jorasanko Mansion in North Calcutta to the illustrious and wealthy Tagore family. He was the youngest surviving son of Debendranath Tagore (1817 – 1905), a Hindu philosopher, and his wife, Sarada Devi (1830 – 1875). Debendranath sought to reform the Hindu way of life, and adopted the Brahmo religion, also known as Brahmoism. Rabindranath’s grandfather, Dwarkanath Tagore (1794 – 1846), was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs.

Rabindranath grew up in an artistic environment and was introduced to the world of music, literature, and theatre from an early age. The Tagore family were known to be ardent art-lovers and patrons of the arts, and they were a dominant force in the development of Bengali literature and culture.

Rabindranath’s grandfather, Dwarkanath Tagore, was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs.

The Jorasanko Mansion, Rabindranath’s birthplace

Rabindranath had several distinguished siblings:

• Dwijendranath (1840 – 1926) was a renowned philosopher and poet
• Satyendranath (1842 – 1923) was known to be the first ethnically Indian member of the Indian Civil Service
• Jyotirindranath (1849 – 1925) was a musician and a playwright
• Swarnakumari Devi (1855 – 1932) was one of the pioneering female novelists in India

Debendranath Tagore was deeply influenced by the Upanishads, a collection of ancient philosophical texts written in Sanskrit regarding the concept of Hinduism; and Vedas, a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures about philosophy, hymns, and guidance on rituals for Vedic priests. In 1839, Debendranath established the Society of the Knowledge of Truth (Tattvabodhini Sabha) and in 1842, he established a well-known Brahmo treatise, the Brahmo Dharma. Debendranath instilled the value of spiritualism in Rabindranath’s mind. As a child, Rabindranath visited the Himalayas three times with his father, and during one of these journeys, they stopped at his father’s ashram and estate, Santiniketan.

Rabindranath as a teenager

As a child, Rabindranath struggled academically. He attended and dropped out from four different schools in quick succession – Oriental Seminary, Normal School, Bengal Academy, and St. Xavier’s School. He disliked the closed classroom environment and found it limiting, so his father arranged for Rabindranath to be tutored privately on Sanskrit, English, Bengali, Geometry, Physics, History, Arithmetic, Physiology, Geography, and Anatomy. He was also trained in gymnastics and wrestling. Rabindranath is said to have written his first poem at the age of eight.

When he was 11 years old, Rabindranath went on a tour across India with his father. During this journey, Rabindranath used the opportunity to read the works of famous literary writers such as Kalidasa, a renowned Sanskrit poet. After his return in 1877, he composed a long poem in the Maithili language.

During his younger days, Rabindranath was especially close to his brother, Jyotirindranath, and his wife, Kadambari Devi. Left – The Beautiful Kadambari Devi; Middle – Jyotirindranath (seated) and his wife, Kadambari Devi (right) with Sayendranath Tagore (standing) and his wife, Jnanadanandini Devi; Right – Rabindranath and Jyotirindranath

Among his family members, Rabindranath was especially close to his brother, Jyotirindranath, and his wife, Kadambari Devi (1858 – 1884). Kadambari Devi played an important role in refining Rabindranath’s literary talents. Kadambari Devi was nine years younger than her husband, as she was married at the age of 10 on July 5, 1868. Jyotirindranath arranged for his wife to be educated, and since she was only two years older than Rabindranath, they developed a fast friendship. Kadambari Devi inspired the young Rabindranath to pursue his literary talent. When he was older, Rabindranath remembered their relationship affectionately:

Enamelled with melody, that cloudy day on the Ganga shore survives, even now, in the jewel casket of my rain songs. I remember the gusts of wind that assailed the treetops every now and then, causing a great stirring and swaying, among the branches, the dinghies scudding along the river, their white sails tilting in the wind, the splash of tall plunging waves upon the ghat. When Bouthakrun (sister-in-law) returned, I sang the song for her. She listened in silence, without uttering a word of praise. I was 16 or 17 then. We argued about the pettiest of things, but our exchange had lost their sharpness.

Source: ‘She, my Queen, has died’- https://www.telegraphindia.com/1130915/jsp/7days/17345231.jsp

After Rabindranath lost his mother at the age of 14, Kadambari Devi became a mother figure to Rabindranath. She often cooked delicious meals for him; even when he was old and dying, Rabindranath could still remember the taste of mashed chorchori, the tasty mixed vegetables cooked with shrimp and chilies that Kadambari cooked for him.

Rare pictures of the young Rabindranath

In the evenings, Rabindranath often joined his brother and sister-in-law on the terrace garden of their two-storied house on the bank of the Ganges. Often, the garden was filled with the sweet smell of flowering shrubs of Champa, Chameli, Tuberose, and Oleander, which he remembered fondly.

Debendranath had wanted Rabindranath to become a barrister. In 1878, he sent Rabindranath to study law at the University College London but Rabindranath was not passionate. Instead, he studied the works of Shakespeare. As a result, Rabindranath returned to India in 1880 without a law degree but with many ideas on how to fuse European and Bengali tradition in his writings and art. In 1882, Rabindranath wrote one of his acclaimed nationalist poems, Nirjharer Swapna Bhanga.

University College London where Rabindranath studied for two years

In 1884, his father arranged for Rabindranath to marry 10-year old Mrinalini Devi (1872 – 1902).

In 1884, his father arranged for Rabindranath to marry 10-year old Mrinalini Devi (1872 – 1902). Four months after the wedding took place, Rabindranath encountered a major tragedy that would affect him for the rest of his life. For reasons that are not clear, his beloved sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi, committed suicide. Rabindranath was devastated by her death. For many years after her demise, Rabindranath wrote many poems and songs in her memory.

Marriage and Managing the Family Estate in Shelaidaha (1884 – 1901)

Left – Rabindranath and Mrinalini Devi with their first child Madhurilata Devi, 1886. Image credit- Ministry of Culture, Government of India
Right – Rabindranath with his son, Rathindranath Tagore, and daughter, Madhurilata Devi

Rabindranath and Mrinalini Devi had a relatively happy marriage. Mrinalini Devi was a supportive and devoted wife, and together they had two sons and three daughters: Madhurilata Devi (Bela), Rathindranath Tagore (Rathi), Renuka Devi (Rani), Mira Devi (Atasi), and Samindranath Tagore (Sami).

Tagore’s house in Shelaidaha

In addition to pursuing his literary aspirations, Rabindranath began to help his father. He assumed the role of secretary in his father’s Adi Brahmo Samaj (Society of Brahma). In 1891, Rabindranath’s responsibilities in managing the family businesses increased, as his father entrusted him with the management of the family estates in Shajadpur, Patisar, and Shelaidaha. These new responsibilities required Rabindranath to spend a significant amount of time on a houseboat in the Padma River, which allowed him to experience rural life, and be exposed to the life of commoners in Bengal, including their manners, customs, sorrows, sufferings, rituals, and rites.

Rabindranath established himself as a visionary when he wrote his famous essay Swadeshi Samaj, where he elaborated his ideas on programmes that included village cooperative movements, mass education, and local self-governance to instill the spirit of self-reliance among the Bengali villagers, in order to rejuvenate their lives and give them hope. Unfortunately, his ideas did not get much support, but these challenging circumstances did not deter him, as he experimented with rural reconstruction at his family estate. Later in 1912, Rabindranath bought a large manor and the surrounding land in Surul, approximately three kilometres from Santiniketan where he established the Institute of Rural Reconstruction.

During this period, in the midst of his duties in managing the family estates, Rabindranath wrote some of his best short stories, and published them as Galpaguchcha. He also wrote various letters to his niece about the natural beauty of North Bengal. These letters were later published as Chinnapatra and Chinnapatravali. These two compilations of Rabindranath’s letters were later translated into English, and published with the title Glimpses of Bengal. Rabindranath also proved himself as a talented poet through the publication of several compilations of his poetic work such as Chaitali, Chitra, Kshanika, Sonar Tari, Kalpana, and Katha o Kahini.

Rare pictures of the young Rabindranath

Rabindranath with his son, Rathindranath, and daughters, Madhurilata Devi, Mira Devi, and Renuka Devi

Rabindranath with his newly-wedded son and daughter-in-law, Rathindranath and Pratima Devi.

Rabindranath and his family

Santiniketan

The green expanse of Santiniketan

Debendranath Tagore had visited in Santiniketan 1862 while touring his family estates. When he meditated under a Chatim tree and found peace of mind, Debendranath named the place Santiniketan, which means ‘abode of peace’, and established a family estate there. Many years later, his youngest son, Rabindranath, visited the place and experienced the same peace and calm, which inspired him to share Santiniketan and establish a meaningful destination for the world. He reflected this aspiration in a letter to his wife:

Today I arrived in Santiniketan and immersed myself in an ocean of peace. Unless one comes down here, it is not possible to imagine from a distance how much one needs to come here. I feel as if I am alone – surrounded by the boundless sky, wind, and light, seated in the lap of the primal mother…

– Rabindranath Tagore, in a letter to his wife Mrinalini Devi
(Santiniketan, July 20, 1901)

Source: https://happinesshomeandhealth.wordpress.com/2016/01/13/santiniketan-the-soul-of-rabindranath-tagore/

Patha Bhavana (Institution of Primary and Secondary Education)

The students of Patha Bhavana

In 1901, Rabindranath established Patha Bhavana, formerly known as Brahmacharya Ashram, with the help of Brahmabandhav Upadhyay, a Roman Catholic, as a school for children. This venture revealed his true mind as a visionary, as his straightforward and path-defying ideas about education embodied the principles of ancient Indian hermitages, and purported to encourage children to grow into responsible, sensible, and mature individuals.

Rabindranath had reservations about teaching students within a crammed four-wall classroom because he believed that the walls represented the conditioning of the mind. He believed that children should be taught beneath the open skies, under the cool shade of trees, that teachers should not limit themselves and not be afraid to borrow ideas from various sources, come up with their own hypotheses, and be forward-thinking, open-minded, and willing to learn new things as they taught. Rabindranath was so passionate about this project that he moved his whole family to Santiniketan and enrolled his son Rathindranath as the first student in this school.

Rabindranath believed that children should be taught beneath the open skies under the cool shade of trees.

However, this venture was met with obstacles and funding constraints as initially only a few students were interested to study at Patha Bhavana. In the book, Letters by Tagore Volume I, several letters Rabindranath wrote to his family members, including his wife Mrinalini Devi, reflected his anxiety about the funding constraints to develop this education institution, and his feeling of helplessness.

To meet the growing expenses, Rabindranath sold one of his personal properties in Puri, and Mrinalini Devi voluntarily parted with her jewellery in order to support her husband’s venture. While Rabindranath managed the school, Mrinalini Devi took care of the students in the boarding house. Unfortunately, the ideal family life in Santiniketan did not last for long. In 1902, Mrinalini Devi fell ill and was taken to Calcutta to receive better medical care. Tragically, she passed away. The demise of his wife was the start of a period of grief for Tagore. His married daughter, Renuka, passed away two years later in 1904. His beloved father, Debendranath, passed away in 1905, and his beloved son Shamindranath passed away in 1907. In the midst of personal tragedy, Rabindranath continued his venture to provide others with an education.

Kala Bhavana (Institute of Fine Arts)

Kala Bhavana

In the process of developing his educational venture, Rabindranath continued to learn from his travels around the world. He learned about local cultures and evaluated how nature influenced the daily lives of local people. Trying to figure out how he could bring the positive influences of these places back to Santiniketan, Rabindranath invited artists, academics, and scholars to share their knowledge with his fellow Indians in Santiniketan.

After his first venture with Patha Bhavana, Rabindranath established the Institution of Education and Research in Visual Arts, Kala Bhavana, in 1919. Rabindranath understood very well that art could be a powerful tool for conveying the message of nationalism. Rabindranath encouraged artists to break away from tradition, preferring them to be inspired by the daily objects used in life, the screen paintings of Japan, and by nature. Rabindranath established Kala Bhavana with these thoughts in mind, and Rabindranath mentored Nandalal Bose (1882 – 1966), one of the pioneers of modern Indian art, who had previously been mentored by Rabindranath’s nephew, Abanindranath Tagore in Calcutta.

Another picture of Kala Bhavana

Since its establishment, Kala Bhavana has produced many renowned artists, including:

• Ramkinkar Baij (1906 – 1980) – an award-winning Indian sculptor and painter, considered to be one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture
• Beohar Rammanohar Sinha (1929 – 2007) – an Indian artist best known for his illustrations in the Constitution of India’s original manuscript
• Raman Siva Kumar (b. 1956) – an internationally-acclaimed contemporary Indian curator, art critic, and art historian
• Achutan Ramachandran Nair (b. 1935) – an Indian painter awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour for his outstanding service to the nation
• Satyajit Ray (1921 – 1992) – an Indian author and filmmaker considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.

Rabindranath and Satyajit Ray

Visva Bharati University

Visva Bharati University

In 1916 – 1917, during his visit to the United States, Rabindranath was inspired by the diversity of the American population that had a mixture of different cultures, creeds, and nationalities. The experience caused Rabindranath to rethink the relationship between the individual and the world, and to establish an international centre of humanistic studies.

In 1921, Rabindranath established Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan with the Nobel Prize money he received in 1913, and his son, Rathindranath, became the first vice chancellor (upacharya) for the new university. Rabindranath established Visva Bharati with the idea that every individual is a genius, but not all of them bloom at the same time. Therefore, at Visva Bharati, the students were allowed to continue their course until both the teacher and the students were satisfied. If a course demanded by the students was not available, the university would design the course and bring in teachers for that course regardless if there was a commercial demand for it or not. Kala Bhavana became one of the faculties in Visva Bharati, and in 1951, the government of independent India granted the institution the status of a full university.

Visva Bharati University

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Rabindranath the Writer, Poet, and Playwright

After he wrote his first poem at the age of 8, Rabindranath’s literary talents continued to blossom. He dedicated the poems he composed between the ages of 13 and 18 to his beloved sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi. Rabindranath wrote most of these poems sitting next to her, and there were many affectionate moments with Kadambari Devi that were immortalised in these poems.

In 1874, his poem Abhilash (Desire) was published anonymously in his father’s weekly newspaper Tattwabodhini Patrika (Truth Searching Newspaper). Rabindranath’s first poem published under his name was Banaphul (Wild Flower), in the Jnanankar Magazine in 1876. Around this time, he also composed several poems under the pseudonym ‘Bhanusinha Thakur’.

Although Rabindranath was a renowned poet, he was also an accomplished short story writer, novelist, playwright, lyricist, and essayist. Most of his writings reflected his love of nature and brought awareness to social issues, customs, and tenets, such as child marriage, rigid customs and norms, his criticism of societal dogmas, and the role of women in a male dominated society

In 1877, Dwijendranath Tagore, one of Rabindranath’s brothers, established Bharati, a monthly magazine. Rabindranath made regular contributions to the magazine by writing essays, poems, and literary criticisms. In 1878, his first book containing a collection of his poems, Kabi-Kahini, was published.

In 1878, when he attended University College London, Rabindranath took time to study European music and English literature. He also contributed a series of Letters from Europe (Prabasir Patra) to Bharati that recorded his impression of the English people and England. Around this time, Rabindranath started to write his first play, Bhagna Hriday (Broken Heart) that would later be published in 1881.

Rabindranath played the lead role in the premier of his first Bengali opera, Valmiki Pratibha

Although he returned from London without his degree in law, Rabindranath returned to India as a man with a refined taste in music. In 1881, he wrote Valmiki Pratibha (Genius of Valmiki), his first Bengali opera with a fusion of Western and Indian music. Valmiki Pratibha was performed for the first time at the Tagore family home, the Jorasanko Mansion, in the presence of distinguished personalities such as Indian author Bankimchandra Chatterjee. Rabindranath played the lead role in the premiere, which marked the start of his career in theatrical performances.

In 1882, Rabindranath published another compilation of poems that included the iconic Nirjharer Swapnabhanga, about his mystic vision where men and nature bathed together in streams of joy, which unleashed and liberated his poetic genius. After this event, Rabindranath published his plays, poetry complications, essays, and novels one after another, in quick succession:

In 1901, after he moved to Santiniketan, Rabindranath composed Naivedra and Khenya, which were published in 1901 and 1906 respectively. Around that time, Rabindranath was immensely popular amongst Bengali readers.

Rabindranath continued his career as a prolific writer. In 1910, he published his most notable work, Gitanjali (the Songs of Offering), a collection of 157 poems on themes of spirituality, nature, complicated human emotions, and suffering. Gitanjali was translated into English in 1912 and brought Rabindranath much success, acclaim, and earned him a Nobel Prize in 1913. One year after the India Society published the English version of Gitanjali, the book would be reprinted over a dozen times in the subsequent 12 months alone. Another of his notable and popular works is Galpaguchchha, a collection of 61 short stories on illiteracy, femininity, marriage, and poverty.

Ghare Baire (The Home and the World)

When the opportunity came to have his work translated into foreign languages, Rabindranath chose to translate his works that had mystical and spiritual themes. These themes appealed to Western readers, and established his reputation as a mystic in the Western world. In 1912, Rabindranath went to England and showed his translated works to prominent European writers such as William Butler Yeats, Robert Bridges, Thomas Sturge Moore, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Rhys. His works were well-received and won critical acclaim from these writers.

In 1916, Rabindranath infused the idea of dynamism in his writings which were later collected in his works titled Balaka, Chaturanga, and Ghare Baire. Throughout his life, Rabindranath continued to write prolifically. Some of his other well-known works include novels such as Sesher Kabita and Jogagog, plays such as Tapati and Seshraksha, compilations of poetry such as Mahua, and musical dramas such as Rituranga.

Rabindranath the Songwriter

Rabindranath composed over 2,230 songs during his lifetime, including the national anthem of India, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, and the national anthem of Bangladesh ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’.

A collection of his songs, called Rabindra Sangeet, covered various topics from introspection, psychology, yearning, romance, nostalgia, reflection, modernism, humanism, and even structuralism. Rabindra Sangeet appealed to all social strata and backgrounds, as they were filled with beauty and emotive strength. Through his songs, Rabindranath sought to give voice to all, rich and poor. Rabindranath primarily worked with two subjects: human beings, and how nature affected the expression and behaviour of human beings.

Through his travels around the world, Rabindranath became familiar with the musical styles and narratives of South India and the West. Although Rabindranath never classified his songs, after his passing, those who wanted to preserve his work felt the need to categorise them. In general, his songs are classified as follows:

• Devotional (Puja Porjaay)
• Romantic (Prem Porjaay)
• Seasonal (Prokriti Porjaay) – Spring (Boshonto), Monsoon (Borsha), Summer (Grishho), Autumn (Shorot), Early winter (Hemonto), Winter (Sheet)
• Diverse (Bichitro)
• Patriotic (Deshattobodhok)
• Songs for certain occasions (Aanushtthanik)
• Songs for dance-dramas and plays

What music critics said about Rabindra Sangeet:

[Rabindra Sangeet] transcend the mundane to the aesthetic and express all ranges and categories of human emotion. The poet gave voice to all – big or small, rich or poor. The poor Ganges boatman and the rich landlord air their emotions in them. They birthed a distinctive school of music whose practitioners can be fiercely traditional.

– Dhan Gopal Mukerji, the first successful Indian Man of Letters

[t]here is in Bengal no cultured home where Rabindranath’s songs are not sung or at least attempted to be sung… Even illiterate villagers sing his songs.

– Modern Review, a Calcutta based magazine

[Rabindra Sangeet is a] vehicle of a personality … [that] go behind this or that system of music to that beauty of sound which all systems put out their hands to seize.

– A.H. Fox Strangways (1859 – 1948), Chief Music Critic for the Observer

In 1931 and 1932, three volumes of Gitabitan (Garden of Songs), the books that contain the collection of all 2,233 songs written by Rabindranath, were published.

Bangladesh National Anthem

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Indian National Anthem

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https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/IndianAnthem.mp4

Selected Popular Songs from Rabindra Sangeet

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Rabindranath the Actor, Producer, and Choreographer

Rabindranath was a talented actor, producer, and choreographer

After his 1881 debut as an actor in his first musical drama Valmiki Pratibha, Rabindranath continued to act in his own plays. He was a talented actor with a powerful tenor voice, which could reach the furthest corners of the auditorium when he sang or spoke, and he could turn his voice into a powerful tool to communicate his art.

Rabindranath was not satisfied just to have his writings printed. As soon as he composed his writings, he would hunt for an audience. According to Sisirkumar Bhaduri, a Bengali stage personality, he was amazed with the way Rabindranath used his arms on stage ‘in gestures that lay a spell on the whole audience’ at a time when most actors thought that the use of arms were an embarrassment or simply did not know how to use them.

In addition to being a talented actor, Rabindranath was a competent, imaginative, meticulous, and conscientious producer and choreographer. All the plays he produced were preceded by long periods of rehearsals where he spared no one, including himself. In the dance dramas that he wrote, Rabindranath was not merely satisfied with writing the tune and the play, but he would also make sure that the dance would interpret his songs appropriately.

Rabindranath with Tasher Desh drama group

Rabindranath with a group of girls in costume for a Drama Performance

Rabindranath on stage as Raghupati

Rabindranath the Painter

Left – Rabindranath at his painting desk, Government School of Art, Calcutta 1932
Right – One of Rabindranath’s paintings, Veiled Woman – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Rabindranath only began exploring the visual arts in the form of paintings and drawings in his late 60s, but even though he started painting late in life, he was still very prolific. He produced 2,500 drawings and paintings during his lifetime, and became the first Indian artist whose works were exhibited in the United States, Russia, and across Europe. His first exhibition was held at the Pigalle Gallery in Paris, followed by England, Germany, and Denmark. His admirers around the world were amazed at this new display of creativity.

Rabindranath’s painting style was characterised by a rhythmic quality and simple bold forms, and have since inspired modern Indian artists. His paintings revolved around the following themes:

• Animals or imaginary creatures imbued with vitality and humour
• Human figures with expressive gestures
• Human faces
• Landscapes

Awards and Accolades

Rabindranath’s Nobel Prize in Literature

Rabindranath’s accomplishments as an artist was further confirmed by the awards and accolades that he received during his lifetime. In 1913, Rabindranath became the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize in Literature for Gitanjali. He won the award due to “his profoundly sensitive, fresh, and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West.”

In 1915, George V of England granted Rabindranath a knighthood, and the West Bengal government, Indian government, and many private firms showed their reverence to Rabindranath by opening many charitable organisations, health centres, and institutions in the name of Rabindranath. One of these institutions is the Rabindra Bharati University, which is currently located at Jorasanko Mansion, the Tagore family home in Calcutta.

In 1931, Rabindranath’s 70th birthday was celebrated on a grand scale, marked by the publication of The Golden Book of Tagore, which contains glowing tributes from great women and men of the world. In 1940, Oxford University awarded Rabindranath with the title Doctorate of Literature, and in 1961, the Indian Postal Department released a stamp in the name of Rabindranath as a tribute to the great poet.

On Rabindranath’s 70th birthday in 1931, The Golden Book of Tagore which contains the glowing tributes to the poet from the great women and men of the world was published.

In 1940, Oxford University awarded Rabindranath with the title Doctorate of Literature

In 1961, the Indian Postal Department released stamps with the likeness and name of Rabindranath as a tribute to the great poet.

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Rabindranath and Politics

Between the late 1890s and the first decade of the 20th century, the nationalist movement was rampant in India. Although he was not a politician and did not hold any official position in the government, Rabindranath was a patriot and an astute political analyst. He contributed articles on the subject of politics in various periodicals, such as Bharati, Bangadarshan, and Sadhana. In 1896, Rabindranath sang Vande Mataram, a poem composed by Bankin Chandra Chattopadhyay that is synonymous with the Indian independence movement at the Congress Session inauguration in Calcutta.

In July 1905, when the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, announced the Separation of Bengal which divided the eastern Muslim area from the western Hindu area, Rabindranath became involved with the Swadeshi Movement, which took the form of an economic strategy that was aimed at removing the British Empire from power and improving India’s economic condition.

Rabindranath and Mahatma Gandhi

Nationalism contains Rabindranath’s opinion on the nationalism in the West, Japan, and India

In 1914, Rabindranath met with Mahatma Gandhi for the first time when one of Rabindranath’s best friends, C.F. Andrews, brought students from Phoenix School in South Africa to Santiniketan. Upon observing the life in Santiniketan, Gandhi suggested that the daily chores were to be done by the students, and not by the servants. Rabindranath agreed with the idea, and since then, Gandhi Punyaha is celebrated in Santiniketan through self-service on March 10. Since the first fateful meeting, Rabindranath and Gandhi became lifelong friends, with Gandhi referring to Rabindranath as Gurudev.

During his journey to Japan and the United States in 1916 – 1917, Rabindranath gave a series of lectures in Japan, and warned against the militarism and fanatic nationalism in Japan, reminding the Japanese of their noble culture. It seems that Rabindranath had predicted that Japanese fanatic nationalism would contribute to the disasters of World War II. In the United States, Rabindranath continued to give lectures on Nationalism, which were later compiled into the book Personality that was published in 1917.

An artist’s illustration of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Back in India in 1918, Rabindranath was caught in more political turmoil. While activists under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi were negotiating to gain swaraj (self-rule) from the British, a group of youths was initiating an armed revolution to gain their freedom from Britain. The British established the Rowlatt Committee to investigate and report on the subject, which resulted in the Rowlatt Act that allowed certain political cases to be tried without a jury and/or imprisonment of the subjects without trial.

The Rowlatt Act provoked dissatisfaction amongst Indians, and resulted in strong protests from all over India. On April 13, 1919, a crowd of non-violent protesters gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to protest the Rowlatt Act. The British Indian Army, under the leadership of Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired mercilessly at the protesters and killed hundreds of people in the process. In protest of this unimaginable cruelty, Rabindranath chose to renounce the knighthood that was conferred upon him by the British crown in 1915 in a famous letter to Lord Chelmsford:

Your Excellency,

The enormity of the measures taken by the Government in the Punjab for quelling some local disturbances has, with a rude shock, revealed to our minds the helplessness of our position as British subjects in India. The disproportionate severity of the punishments inflicted upon the unfortunate people and the methods of carrying them out, we are convinced, are without parallel in the history of civilised governments, barring some conspicuous exceptions, recent and remote. Considering that such treatment has been meted out to a population, disarmed and resourceless, by a power which has the most terribly efficient organisation for destruction of human lives, we must strongly assert that it can claim no political expediency, far less moral justification. The accounts of the insults and sufferings by our brothers in Punjab have trickled through the gagged silence, reaching every corner of India, and the universal agony of indignation roused in the hearts of our people has been ignored by our rulers—possibly congratulating themselves for what they imagine as salutary lessons. This callousness has been praised by most of the Anglo-Indian papers, which have in some cases gone to the brutal length of making fun of our sufferings, without receiving the least check from the same authority—relentlessly careful in smothering every cry of pain and expression of judgement from the organs representing the sufferers. Knowing that our appeals have been in vain and that the passion of vengeance is blinding the nobler vision of statesmanship in our Government, which could so easily afford to be magnanimous as befitting its physical strength and moral tradition, the very least that I can do for my country is to take all consequences upon myself in giving voice to the protest of the millions of my countrymen, surprised into a dumb anguish of terror. The time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in the incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part wish to stand, shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen, who, for their so-called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings.

These are the reasons which have painfully compelled me to ask Your Excellency, with due reference and regret, to relieve me of my title of Knighthood, which I had the honour to accept from His Majesty the King at the hands of your predecessor, for whose nobleness of heart I still entertain great admiration.

Yours faithfully,
Rabindranath Tagore

Source: Selected Letters of Rabindranath Tagore
Letter published in Modern Review (Calcutta monthly), July 1919

In 1922, Rabindranath staged his first play that carried themes of nationalism, Muktadhara. In 1924, Rabindranath went to China together with Kalidas Nag (1892 – 1966), an Indian historian, parliamentarian, and author. Rabindranath was attracted to the leadership of Sun Yat-sen (1866 – 1925), the founding father of the Republic of China. In China, Rabindranath delivered a series of lectures about Eastern ideals and the disadvantages of excessive materialism in various universities in Hangchow, Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing.

Rabindranath in China with Chinese academics at Tsinghua University in 1924.

In 1932, Mahatma Gandhi undertook a fast unto death in protest of the caste separation in Jarbeda Prison imposed by the British government in India. Rabindranath wrote a letter to Gandhi to express his solidarity and respect to him. He also went to Jarbeda Prison to be at Mahatma Gandhi’s side. When a deal was reached with the British Government and Mahatma Gandhi ended his fast, Rabindranath sang his famous song, ‘When the Heart is Hard and Parched Up.’

In 1940, one year before Rabindranath’s passing, Mahatma Gandhi visited him in Santiniketan. During this time, Rabindranath expressed his wish for Mahatma Gandhi to look after his beloved Visva Bharati.

Another picture of Rabindranath and Mahatma Gandhi

Rabindranath and Jawaharlal Nehru. The picture was taken in Bolpur, Bengal on November 4, 1936.

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Rabindranath and Buddhism

Left – Buddha statue at Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan
Right – Rabindranath with William Pearson and Paul Risher and wife in front of the Great Buddha of Kamakura in Japan

Although Rabindranath played an important role in the development of Brahmoism, he had a deep respect and admiration for Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and the Buddhist doctrines. Rabindranath admired the spirit of compassion and mercy of Lord Buddha.

Rabindranath delivered a lecture at the Mahabodhi Society in Calcutta during the anniversary of Lord Buddha’s birth, where he expressed his personal feelings on Lord Buddha. The lecture was later published in Provasi, a Bengali journal, under the title Buddhadeva (Lord Buddha). In his various poems, essays, lectures, and novel, Rabindranath used superlative words to describe Lord Buddha such as “an eminent or distinguished personage” (mahäpuruSah), “the most excellent human being” (sarvasresthamänava), “great serene” (mahäsänta), “the chief of men” (narottama), “most sacred” (mahäpunya), “most peaceful (mahäkSema), “the compassionate one” (karunämaya), “the illimitable light” (amitäbha), “the greatest monk” (mahäbhikSu), and so forth.

Rabindranath’s affection and admiration for Lord Buddha was apparent in his presidential address on the anniversary of Buddha’s enlightenment (Buddha Purnima) on May 18, 1935:

On this full-moon day of Vaisakha I have come to join in the birthday celebrations of the Lord Buddha and to bow my head in reverence to him whom I regard in my inmost being as the greatest man ever born on this earth. This is no formal demonstration of adoration on my part, befitting the occasion. I offer him here, today, the homage I have offered him again and again in the deep privacy of my soul.

– Rabindranath Tagore
May 18, 1935

Another reference to Rabindranath’s admiration for Lord Buddha can be seen in his poem titled Siam:

Still on his lotus seat!
Lord Buddha is ever there –
Whose silence imparts infinite peace?
Whose speech is the soothing flow of forgiveness?
In another poem, Mülyapräpti, we have a similar description:
In the hushed shade of the mango grove beyond the city wall Sudas stood before
Lord Buddha, on whose lips sat the silence of love and whose eyes beamed peace
like the morning star of the dew-washed autumn.

– Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath’s nephew, Abanindranath Tagore (1871 – 1951) shared his reverence for Lord Buddha. Abanindranath was a famous painter. During his lifetime, he painted several paintings on Buddhism.

Paintings of Lord Buddha by Abanindranath Tagore. Left – Buddha as Medicant (1914); Right – The Victory of Buddha (1914)

Selected poems on Lord Buddha composed by Rabindranath

THE DUE PRICE

It was a wintry night in the month of Agrahayan
There was a heavy fall of dew
All the lotus flowers were destroyed
Save one that somehow survived
In the pond of Sudas, the florist.
He plucked it and went to the palace gate
Seeking to see the king.
A passer-by saw the flower
He was filled with joy and said,
‘I want to buy this off-season lotus
What is its price?
It will be my offering to Lord Buddha
Who is now staying in the city ‘.
‘I expect one grain of gold’, said Sudas,
Which the man agreed to pay.
At that very moment king Prasenjit
Suddenly came out of his palace
He was on his way to see Lord Buddha
Carrying many offerings
And singing the Lord’s praise.
He also offered to buy that flower
To present it to the Lord
And asked its price.
The florist told the king
‘It has already been sold to this man
At a price of one grain of gold’.
‘I shall pay ten grains’, says the king.
The man says, ‘I shall pay twenty’.
None was ready to give up,
They went on bidding
And the price went higher and higher.
The florist thought
His flower must fetch much much more
From the man for whom these two want it to buy.
So he told them I won’t sell the flower
I have changed my mind.
He rushed to the grove
Which was filled with light
By Buddha’s presence.
Seated in the posture of a lotus,
Smiling and calm,
The Lord was an embodiment of joy
Peace was raining from his look
And mercy from his face.
Sudas kept on gazing at the Lord
With his eyes wide open
And he was speechless.
Suddenly he fell himself down on the floor
And placed the flower on Buddha’s feet.
The Lord smiled and asked him in a sweet voice,
‘What is it that you want, my son?’
Choked with emotion Sudas said, ‘My Lord,
Nothing more than a grain of dust of your feet’.

– Transcreation of the poem Mulyaprapti from the collection Katha by Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath at Borobudur Temple, one of the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage places in Indonesia

BORO-BUDUR

THE SUN shone on a far-away morning, while the forest murmured its hymn of praise to light; and the hills, veiled in vapour, dimly glimmered like earth’s dream in purple.
The King sat alone in the coconut grove, his eyes drowned in a vision, his heart exultant with the rapturous hope of spreading the chant of adoration along the unending path of time:
‘Let Buddha be my refuge.’
His words found utterance in a deathless speech of delight, in an ecstasy of forms.
The island took it upon her heart; her hill raised it to the sky.
Age after age, the morning sun daily illumined its great meaning.
While the harvest was sown and reaped in the near-by fields by the stream, and life, with its chequered light, made pictured shadows on its epochs of changing screen, the prayer, once Uttered in the quiet green of an ancient morning, ever rose in the midst of the hide-and-seek of tumultuous time:
‘Let Buddha be my refuge.’
The King, at the end of his days, is merged in the shadow of a nameless night among the unremembered, leaving his salutation in an imperishable rhythm of stone which ever cries:
‘Let Buddha be my refuge.’
Generations of pilgrims came on the quest of an immortal voice for their worship; and this sculptured hymn, in a grand symphony of gestures, took up their lowly names and uttered for them:
‘Let Buddha be my refuge.’
The spirit of those words has been muffled in mist in this mocking age of unbelief, and the curious crowds gather here to gloat in the gluttony of an irreverent sight.
Man to-day has no peace,his heart arid with pride. He clamours for an ever-increasing speed in a fury of chase for objects that ceaselessly run, but never reach a meaning.
And now is the time when he must come groping at last to the sacred silence, which stands still in the midst of surging centuries of noise, till he feels assured that in an immeasurable love dwells the final meaning of Freedom, whose prayer is:
‘Let Buddha be my refuge.’

– Rabindranath Tagore

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Travels and Meetings with Other Famous Personalities

Rabindranath was a widely-travelled man. During his lifetime, he visited over 30 countries on five continents.

In 1912, Rabindranath visited England with his son and daughter-in-law. During this visit, he brought the English version of Gitanjali, which he had translated, and showed it to William Rothenstein (1872 –1945), an English painter and printmaker whom he had previously met during the latter’s visit to Calcutta in 1911. Rothenstein introduced Rabindranath to renowned writers such as C.F. Andrews (1871 – 1940) and W.B. Yeats (1865 – 1939). They became lifelong friends and would later sometimes travel together. Many Europeans regarded Rabindranath as a great visionary and poet from the East.

Rabindranath and William Rothenstein

After his successful visit to England, Rabindranath went to the United States to deliver a series of lectures on human relationships and the cosmos. This series of lectures were later published as a book titled Sadhana (1913). One month after Rabindranath returned to India in October 1913, he received the happy news that he had won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Between May 1916 and April 1917, Rabindranath visited Japan and the United States to deliver a series of lectures on Nationalism and Personality. Rabindranath’s good friends, William Pearson (1881 – 1923) and C.F. Andrews accompanied him during his visit to Japan.

Rabindranath in Japan in 1916

Rabindranath at Tomitaro Hara’s Sankeien, Yokohama (1916). Photo: Mukul Dey Archives

Rabindranath during his tour to the West in 1921

Between the 1920s and 1930s, Rabindranath travelled extensively, visiting various places around the world including Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. In each of the places he visited, he gained large followings and countless admirers.

Rabindranath visited Germany after World War I in 1921 to infuse the spirit of courage and consolation that were very much needed by the Germans who had just suffered from a humiliating defeat. Prior to visiting Germany, Rabindranath expressed his sympathy for the Germans and his intention to visit for the purpose of giving them strength. During his month-long visit from one city to another, Rabindranath managed to fascinate his German audiences. The German press reported his every movement, and the halls where he was scheduled to speak were always packed. There were some reports of fights among those who were refused entry.

Rabindranath revisited Germany again in 1926 and 1930. Rabindranath continued to enthuse German audiences and readers until the Nazi Germany viewed him as an anathema and suppressed his popularity.

In addition to Europe, India and the United States, Rabindranath enjoyed immense popularity in Russia as attested by Nicholas Roerich and Anatoly Lunacharsky, The Soviet Minister of Education:

Gitanjali came like a revelation. The poems were read at gatherings and a private ‘at homes.’ Only true talent could create such a precious mutual understanding. Now everyone at once became imbued with love for Tagore. It was evident how most contradictory people, the most irreconcilable psychologists were united by the call of the poet.

– Nicholas Roerich on Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore’s works are so full of colour, subtle spiritual experiences and truly noble ideas that they now constitute a treasure of human culture.

– Anatoly Lunacharsky in his article ‘The Indian Tolstoy’

Rabindranath visited the Soviet Union in September 1930 at the invitation of Anatoly Lunacharsky. In Moscow, his paintings were exhibited, and he had the opportunity to discuss about post-czarist Russia with distinguished citizens of that country. These discussions were later collected and published in a book titled Russiar Chithi.

Rabindranath with school children in the Soviet Union

Rabindranath in front of Hotel Gellert, Budapest. On his right are Prashanta and Nirmal Kumari (Rani) Mahalanobis

From Russia, Rabindranath travelled to the United States to exhibit his paintings and returned to India in January 1931. This was his last journey to the West.

During his travels around the world to deliver various lectures to express his ideas of humanity, Rabindranath had the opportunity to meet with famous personalities to discuss various topics and issues. The following are some of the personalities that he met during his travels.

W.B. Yeats

W.B. Yeats

On July 7, 1912, Sir William Rothenstein introduced Rabindranath to W.B. Yeats. Prior to this meeting, William Rothenstein had passed the English translation of Gitanjali to the Irish poet, who immediately burst into praise. He was known to have said:

If someone were to say he could improve this piece of writing, that person did not understand literature.

– W.B. Yeats on Rabindranath’s Gitanjali

W.B. Yeats agreed to write an introduction to Rabindranath’s Gitanjali where he wrote about how moved he was by the lyrics of the poems:

I have carried the manuscript of these translations about with me for days, reading it in railway trains, or on the top of omnibuses and in restaurants, and I have often had to close it lest some stranger would see how much it moved me. These lyrics… display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my live [sic] long… a tradition, where poetry and religion are the same thing.

– W.B. Yeats on Gitanjali

Just like others of Rabindranath’s Western admirers, W.B. Yeats was drawn to the devotional and religious nature of the Rabindranath’s poetry that pervaded all class distinctions, backgrounds, and nationalities. After this fateful meeting, Rabindranath went to the United States to deliver a series of lectures at Harvard University. During his absence, W.B. Yeats, who was by then an established poet in London cultural’s scene, praised Rabindranath in the circles where he had influence. By the time Rabindranath returned to Britain, he had become “the latest epitome of all stereotypes oriental”.

Rabindranath enjoyed immense popularity in Europe. This picture was taken during one of his visits to London.

Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig (1881 – 1941) was a novelist and a humanitarian who lived in Salzburg, Austria. In the summer of 1921, Kurt Wolff, the German publisher of Rabindranath’s books, introduced Stefan Zweig to Rabindranath when the latter visited Austria.

Stefan Zweig was an altruistic humanitarian who had had the opportunity to visit India in the winter of 1908 – 1909. He was deeply affected by the misery and poverty that he saw in that country. Upon his return to Austria, Zweig remained interested in India’s intellectual life and struggle for freedom, and observed Rabindranath’s rise to fame in Europe. Zweig discussed and exchanged views on Rabindranath with another European intellectual, Romain Rolland (1866 – 1944), and in the process developed an admiration for the Indian poet. Therefore, when Kurt Wolff informed him that Rabindranath was to transit in Salzburg on the way to Vienna, Zweig jumped at a chance to meet with him. The short meeting made a deep impression on Zweig, and he wrote to Kurt Wolff:

Thank you very much for the information regarding Tagore’s travel programme. This enabled me to spend half an hour in his company today at Salzburg railway station while he changed trains. Thanks to you, I have encountered this great personality, of whom I formed a strong and profound impression.

– Stefan Zweig

After the meeting, Stefan Zweig continued to observe the growth of Rabindranath’s influence in Europe. While he appreciated Rabindranath’s message of humanism, he was not particularly fond of Rabindranath’s penchant to seek publicity.

Rabindranath and Romain Rolland

Rabindranath and Kurt Wolff

Victoria Ocampo

Rabindranath and Victoria Ocampo

While travelling to Peru by invitation from the Peruvian government to celebrate the country’s independence, Rabindranath fell ill and had to recuperate in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Victoria Ocampo (1890 – 1979), a distinguished female intellectual, poet, and Argentine aristocrat, offered her care and hospitality to Rabindranath. This fateful encounter was the start of a lifelong relationship. Rabindranath immortalised Victoria Ocampo in his poems that were included in the book compilation of his poems, titled Purabi.

Albert Einstein

Rabindranath and Albert Einstein

On July 14, 1930, Rabindranath met with the famous scientist Albert Einstein in the latter’s house in Caputh, near Berlin. The two great men discussed and explored the fundamental questions of existence, and touched on the subjects of science, consciousness, beauty, and philosophy. The exchange was recorded and published in the 1931 issue of Modern Review.

This exchange more than 80 years ago still resonates with us today because despite the advances in science, the questions of fundamental truth, the nature of the universe are still relevant to modern lives.

Another picture of Rabindranath and Albert Einstein

Tomito Hara

Left – Tomito Hara, a successful Japanese silk merchant and an ardent art lover
Right – Mukul Dey, Kiyo-san and Rabindrath Tagore at Tomitaro Hara’s Sankeien. August 1916 – Photo: Mukul Dey Archives

Tomito Hara built a beautiful Japanese garden called Sankeien in Honmoku, Japan.

Tomito Hara was a successful silk merchant in Japan who built a magnificent mansion and Japanese garden called Sankeien in Honmoku. Hara transported and reconstructed buildings of historic importance from Kamakura and Kyoto to this garden. The garden was opened to the public in 1906.

At the request of a famous Japanese painter, Yokoyama Taikan (1868 – 1958), Hara hosted Rabindranath and his three travelling companions, C.F. Andrews, William Pearson, and Mukul Dey, in his mansion from mid-June to August 1916. During this stay, Rabindranath developed an appreciation for traditional Japanese landscaping and architecture. Several unique houses in Santiniketan such as Udayan, Shyamali, Konarka, Udichi, Chitrabhanu, and Punashcha were the result of his stay in Sankeien. In addition, Rabindranath had a lily pond with an artificial island, weeping willows, and a Japanese lantern built in the backyard of his Uttarayan in Santiniketan.

Uttarayan in Santiniketan

Meetings with Other Famous Personalities and Leaders Around the World

Rabindranath met members of Iran’s parliament. The image is from early 1930s in Tehran’s Parliament. (Fabienkhan/ Wikimedia Commons)

Rabindranath met Helen Keller in 1930s (click to enlarge)

Another picture of Rabindranath and Helen Keller (click to enlarge)

Rabindranath with Ramananda Chattopadhyay and C.F. Andrews

Rabindranath with King Faisal of Iraq and King Ali of Hejaz

Rabindranath with Maharaja Virchandra of Tripura

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Later Life and Death

Professor Tan Yun Shan presented Chinese Books to Rabindranath.

Old age was not a deterrent for Rabindranath to continue his work. His last decade was filled with constructive works. He inaugurated two new departments at Visva Bharati: Cheena Bhavana or the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture in 1937, and Hindi Bhavana, or the Institute of Hindi Language in 1938.

The first Director of Cheena Bhavana was Professor Tan Yun Shan, whom Rabindranath had met during his visit to China, and had raised funds for the establishment of Cheena Bhavana. The Hindi Bhavana was funded by Hindi-speaking wealthy merchants, and Hazariprasad Dwivedi, the eminent Hindi litterateur, became the first director of Hindi Bhavana. Towards the end of Rabindranath’s life, Santiniketan had evolved into the centre of learning that attracted teachers and students from all over the world.

Rabindranath on his last birthday function

In the field of literature, Rabindranath published three novels, 15 volumes of poetry, dance dramas, reflective and critical essays, travelogues, and songs. He created dance dramas from his old poems such as Chitrangada, Shyama and Chandalika. He experimented with free verse in Punascha (1932), Sesh Saptak (1934), Patraput (1936), and Shyamali (1936).

As his last days approached, Rabindranath’s mind became restless. He could foresee a crisis in human civilisation. Japan had invaded China, and Russia dropped a bomb in Finland. His last message was published in the form of Crisis in Civilization (1941). Rabindranath became physically weak in the last years of his life. In September 1940, he fell ill during a visit to Kalimpong and he never fully recovered. On July 25, 1941, he was moved from Santiniketan to his childhood home of Jorasanko, where he passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on August 7, 1941.

Rabindranath in his bed in a railway compartment at Howrah Station (Calcutta) on November 22,1940.

The funeral procession of Rabindranath Tagore

Legacy

Tagore Residence Heritage Complex

Today, almost 80 years after his death, Rabindranath’s legacy can be felt around the world. In Berlin, there is a street named after him, and busts resembling his likeness can be seen in notable places around the world. Many people are still inspired by his ideas of humanity and nationalism, and his writings have been reprinted countless times.

One of his most notable legacies is perhaps the university complex at Santiniketan that continues to produce many distinguished artists, writers, and humanitarians.

Visitors to Santiniketan can visit the Tagore Residence Heritage Complex (the five houses where Rabindranath would write, read or stay, depending on his mood). There is also a museum where various family objects are exhibited, including the replica of Rabindranath’s Nobel Prize (the original medal was stolen from the museum premise in 2004).

A sign by London County Council marking a property that Rabindranath had stayed in during his visit

Rabindranath’s bust in Thakurova area of Prague, the Czech Republic

Rabindranath’s bust in the garden at Shakespeare’s birthplace

Monument to Rabindranath in Gordon Square next to University College London where he studied in 1879

Rabindranath’s statue in Moscow, Russia

Left – A street named after Rabindranath in Berlin; Right – A lane named after Rabindranath Tagore in Tel Aviv, Israel

Rabindranath Tagore (1961, Documentary)
By Satyajit Ray

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/RabindranathDocumentary.mp4

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Selected Writings by Rabindranath Tagore for Download

Chitra (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Creative Unity (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Fruit-Gathering (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Gitanjali (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Glimpses of Bengal (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Mashi and Other Stories (click on the image to download in PDF form)
My Reminiscences (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Nationalism (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Selected Short Stories (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Sadhana (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Songs of Kabir (click on the image to download in PDF form)	Stories from Tagore (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Stray Birds (click on the image to download in PDF form)	The Crescent Moon (click on the image to download in PDF form)
The Cycle of Spring (click on the image to download in PDF form)	The Fugitive (click on the image to download in PDF form)
The Gardener (click on the image to download in PDF form)	The Home and the World (click on the image to download in PDF form)
The Hungry Stones and Other Stories (click on the image to download in PDF form)	The King of the Dark Chamber (click on the image to download in PDF form)
The Post Office (click on the image to download in PDF form)	The Spirit of Japan (click on the image to download in PDF form)
Poems (click on the image to download in PDF form)

The texts above were sourced from legitimate book-hosting services offering these texts for free download. They are made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.

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Selected Paintings by Rabindranath

Bird Fantastic – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Brooding – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Face – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Face – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Face – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Figure – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Head Study – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Head Study – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Man and Woman – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Seven Figures – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

On Being

Standing Figure – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Study in Face – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Landscape

Two Figures – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Two Figures – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Vase – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Veiled Woman – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Woman – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Woman Face – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

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