A visit to Jorasanko ThakurBari

Jorasanko Thakur Bari (জোড়াসাঁকো ঠাকুর বাড়ী) is the ancestral house of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Jorasanko, north of Kolkata, West Bengal, India- popularly known as Jorasanko Thakur Bari. This ancestral house of Thakurs  (anglicised to Tagore) is now  a museum dedicated to the life and works of the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. This palatial building was built in the 18^th Century by his Grand father Prince Dwarkanath Tagore. It is the house in which the great poet Rabindranath Tagore was born. He spent most of his childhood here and also died on 7 August 1941 in this house.Rabindra Bharati University, started from this house and was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru then PM of India, on Tagore’s birth Centenary, 8^th May 1962. But now the University has been shifted to a new Campus on BT Road. The “Maharshi Bhawan” named after poet’s father Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, is now a museum (Rabindra Bharati Museum) that has galleries dedicated to Tagore, members of the family and the Bengal Renaissance. The Galleries provide glimpses of intimate family photographs, portraits and Tagore’s evolution as a poet & philosopher.Visitors will be impressed to see that the house has been restored and well maintained to reflect the way the household looked when the Tagore family lived in it.The sprawling rooms, corridors reminds the days of Tagore’s childhood and the evolution days of becoming poet. While walking the corridors one can feel that Tagore walked the same corridors, may be while thinking of his compositions. There is a room where poet used to write. His sister-in-law Kadambari Devi, was his inspirations. She used to inspire him to  write. In that room there is a photograph of Kadambari Devi and mentioned as his inspiring Bouthan (বৌঠান) (Sister in law). (For details read “Tagore & Kadambari Devi”)There is a Japanese & USA Galleries separately where poet’s photographs during his visits of Japan and USA have been displayed. Japanese room has been well decorated with colorful Japanese lanterns/ lights. The room is very neat & teady and well maintained. It is understood from the sign board there that the gallery is especially maintained by a Japanese company Mitsubishi Corporation.           A visit to Jorasanko Thakur Bari is always an exhilarating experience. Apart from the heritage routine, every year Rabindra Bharati Museum of Kolkata celebrates Poila Baisakh, Pochishe Baishakh (birthday of Rabindranath Tagore), Baishe Sravana (the date of poets’ demise) and the birth anniversaries of other famous poets.

One can reach the place by Metro ( Metro station “Girish Park” or “Mahatma Gandhi Road”) or by Car/Cab through Central Avenue or Rabindra Sarani. On the both roads there are beautiful Gates, written on it “Jorasanko ThakurBari”, standing to welcome the visitors. Thakur_Dalan surrounded by three sided inner balconies. Durga puja for the Tagore family used to be celebrated here till poet’s father, Maharshi Debenranath Tagore, religious reformer became active in Brahmo Samaj and became Brahmo.The timings are 1000AM  to  0630PM except on Monday, being closed. Entry fee is Rs. 10.00 per visitor only and inside photography is strictly prohibited. You have to be happy with the outside photographs.

 

Pachise Baishakh – a tribute to Tagore

A Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 148th birthday on Pachise Baishakh as per Bengali Calender, which falls on 08th May 2008.

Rabindranath Tagore is the first Asian person to be awarded with the Nobel prize in 1913 in literature for his book “Gitanjali” and probably the most prominent personality in the cultural world of Indian subcontinent. He is mainly known as a poet, but his multifaceted talent showered upon different branches of art, such as, Poetry, novels, short stories, articles dramas, essays, painting etc. He was a social reformer, patriot and above all, a great humanitarian and philosopher. To understand his multifaceted talent, his works, one has to do research work on him. It is amazing the way he has written so much in his life time. Here is a piece of his work from his “The  Gardener” :

IN THE DUSKY PATH OF A DREAM

by: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

In the dusky path of a dream I went to seek the love who was mine in a former life.

Her house stood at the end of a desolate street.

In the evening breeze her pet peacock sat drowsing on its perch, and the pigeons were silent in their corner.

She set her lamp down by the portal and stood before me.

She raised her large eyes to my face and mutely asked, “Are you well, my friend?”

I tried to answer, but our language had been lost and forgotten.

I thought and thought; our names would not come to my mind.

Tears shone in her eyes. She held up her right hand to me. I took it and stood silent.

Our lamp had flickered in the evening breeze and died.

Bangla culture, especially music of Bengal (India) and Bangladesh too has been greatly influenced by Rabindranath Tagore – by his thousands of songs and poetries. The songs known as Rabindrasangeet is still popular. The songs of Tagore have an eternal appeal and is permanently placed in the heart of the Bengalis. In Bengal its like a rituals in their lives that in every house children learn and practice Rabindrasangeet.

Amartya Sen in his book “Tagore and His India” says : “Rabindranath is a towering figure in the millennium-old literature of Bengal. Anyone who becomes familiar with this large and flourishing tradition will be impressed by the power of Tagore’s presence in Bangladesh and in India. His poetry as well as his novels, short stories, and essays are very widely read, and the songs he composed reverberate around the eastern part of India and throughout Bangladesh.”

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