New Delhi: Talk about art, music, poetry, and literature in India and the first name that comes in our mind is Rabindranath Tagore. A beacon of Bengali literature, his works have inspired countless generations of young artists that has left an impact on the entire world. Today, on the 81st death anniversary of the Bengal bard, who is also the creator of the national anthem, let us take a look at some lesser-known facts about the first Indian who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
- Rabindranath Tagore was the one who introduced the ‘short story’ genre to Bengali literature. In the year 1877, Tagore penned his first short story named ‘Bhikharini’ (The Beggar Woman) at the young age of 16.
- Tagore was conferred with the Knighthood by King George V in the year 1915 but renounced it after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.
- He wrote his first poem when he was just eight-year-old. However, Tagore’s first substantial poem was released in the year 1877 under the pseudonym 'Bhanusinha'.
- In 1883, Tagore tied the knot with Mrinalini Devi, who was then just 10 years old. Two of their five kids died in their childhood. Tagore shared a good bonding with his elder brother Jyotirindranath Tagore’s wife, Kadambini Devi, who had a powerful influence on his writings.
- Rabindranath Tagore, who was majorly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, also played a big role in India’s freedom struggle.
- As Tagore was against typical classroom schooling, he founded the Visva Bharati university in 1918, allowing students to learn freely in close proximity with nature.
- Tagore met Albert Einstein four times and had great respect for each other. In one of his writings, Tagore described the famous scientist, “There was nothing stiff about him - there was no intellectual aloofness. He seemed to me a man who valued human relationships and he showed me a real interest and understanding.”