He was one of India’s finest minds; one of our most respected and celebrated thinkers, writers and artists. 7 May 2021 marked the 160th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and many took the time to revisit an extraordinary life and ideas that are more relevant today than ever before.
The official Twitter handle of the Nobel Prize tweeted these pictures of Gurudev where he is seen with other geniuses of his time: Gandhi Bapu and Albert Einstein.
Some rare photos of Tagore in his youth were widely shared on social media.
India’s first Nobel Laureate a writer and poet responsible for some of India’s finest and most timeless literature. He was also an educator, artist and thinker who influenced generations then and now.
Tagore continues to be a towering figure in his native Bengal as well as the rest of India.
Tagore’s thoughts as a humanist rise above narrow parochial preoccupations and have a largeness of heart that inspire numerous numbers even today.
The soulful words of the song each Indian cherishes and reveres today came from the pen of the man who wasn’t just a scholar but social reformer as well.
He was a humanist above all else. He recognised that blind faith in nationhood without the acknowledgement of the primacy of humanity was detrimental. For his thoughts, he would undoubtedly be branded an antinationalist today.
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 – He speaks out in favour of individual freedom, reason and clarity of thought and against the ‘dead habit’ of so-called tradition.
At a time when travel was difficult, Tagore had travelled very widely. He not only imbibed of other cultures and thought, but also helped people understand India and Indians better.
It wasn’t just that Rabindranath Tagore forever left his stamp upon Santi Niketan. His thoughts, words and ideas continue to inform and educate us today – even 80 years after his passing (1941).
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