Tagore’s 81th death anniversary today

The 81st death anniversary of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore is being observed in the country today.

Different socio-cultural organisations have drawn up programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.

According to the Gregorian calendar, Rabindranath died at the age of 80 on August 7, 1941, but his death anniversary is traditionally observed on 22th Sraban of Bengali calendar.

Different cultural organisations and government and non-government institutions will pay their tributes to the great Bangalee poet, who won Nobel Prize in literature in 1913 for his anthology of lyrical ballads titled "Gitanjali" (Song Offerings).

The youngest of 13 children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, Rabindranath was born on 25th Baishakh, 1268 of Bengali calendar at the Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata.

Rabindranath, also called the "Bard of Bengal", composed over 2,000 songs which created a separate genre, known as 'Tagore songs".

He also wrote eight novels, 84 short stories and numerous poems in his prolific literary career spanned over almost seven decades.

His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems --Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla and India's Jana Gana Mana.

To spread the practice of culture and literature in the broader sphere and create future artists, Rabindranath envisioned and founded Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan in 1921.