5^th May, 2012

RABINDRANATH TAGORE JAYANTI

Ravindra Jayanti is the day which marks the birth anniversary of the great scholar and novelist Rabindranath Tagore.
Birthday of the poet laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore is celebrated on 25th day of Baisakh. In Kolkatta it is
popularly called Poncheeshe Boishakh and is celebrated ceremoniously and jauntiness all across West Bengal.
According to Gregorian calendar Ravindra Jayanti is celebrated on 8th or 9th may every
year in the month of May. Homage is paid to Rabindranath on this day.

The celebration of Rabindra Jayanti is among the important festivals for Bengalis there. Cultural shows and poetry
recitations are organized throughout the city by and for Rabindranath lovers. All cultural activities during the Jayanti
are held at Jorasanko Thakurbari. Music, skits, dramas, traditional songs and dances are performed in institutes and
theatres are followed by the distribution of awards.

Jorasanko Thakurbari and Rabindra Sadan is the main venue of all cultural activities
during Ravindra Jayanti. The celebration continues from dawn to dusk.

It is celebrated with equal fervour at Shantiniketan, the
university started by Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore composed novels, short stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays on political and personal topics.
His best works Gitanjali, Gora and Ghare-Baire owed him worldwide acclaim. Tagore brought a cultural
reform who modernized art by strictly adhering to classical Indian forms. His composition
‘Jana Gana Mana’ has been adopted as national anthem of India and yet another great composition by him
‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ is acclaimed the national anthem of Bangladesh. The lyrics of his
songs have a charm of their own and cast a spell on everyone.

His works are an exclusive blend of Indian poetry and pious theology. Tagore took his ideas of great
scholarly works from the Vedas and Upanishads. A soothing mixture of Indian classic music and popular
folklore of Bengal has been attributed to him and is called as Rabindra-Sangeet.

Ravindra Jayanti is celebrated on 8th or 9th may every year in the month of May according to the
Gregorian calendar. It is also called as Poncheeshe Boishakh in keeping with the Bengali calendar.
Rabindra Jayanti is celebrated as joyfully as any major festival in Kolkatta.