Rabindranath Tagore belonged to a very respectable family of
Bengal. He was born on 7 May, 1861 at Jorsanko in Kolkata. His father’s name
was Debendranath Tagore. He received elementary education at two schools in
Kolkata after which he sailed for England in 1871 for higher education. He
joined the University College of London.
Tagore’s family life was not very happy. He was married in
1888 but his wife died in 1902. His father passed away in 1907. These fateful
events in his life made him religious and emotional.
Tagore was a fine writer. He was the editor of several
magazines. The Gitanjali is one of his best books, for which the Nobel Prize
was awarded to him. His poems combine tender humanity with a deep religious
touch. The Balka and Purabi are his great works. One of his
greatest poetical dramas is the Chitrangada.
He also wrote some beautiful short stories, one of the most famous ones for
children is the Kabulliwallah.
Tagore was a great lover of India. He raised his voice
against the British. He fought the war for freedom through his writings. He was
a great educationist also. He founded the Vishwabharati in 1901. It has become
a famous university of the world. He wanted to make India a home of culture and
education.
Rabindranath was a saint and seer. He was born to rule the
hearts of men and lead them from darkness to light, from ignorance to
knowledge. His message has a universal appeal. He has taught us to love nature
in most intimate moods to be in communion which has enriched the literature
that he has given us. He brought nature and man close together. He preferred
the modern ideas of freedom in education and contact with nature. He radiated
his message to strive for freedom of speech and expression.
Tagore not only loved India with devotion, but also was
proud of her physical beauties. He said about his motherland, “My country has
given me life and strength. I shall be born in India again. With all her
poverty, misery and wretchedness, I love India best.” He believed that mere
patriotism was not enough. We should place our love for mankind above all local
attachments. He taught us to find the beauty of human relationship here and
now, in the daily life of common people. Nationalism must lead to internationalism.
Man must love man wherever he is. It is with this ideal which he preached
tirelessly.
Tagore loved children profoundly. He used to lose himself in
joy when he taught little children. He was indeed a Gurudev, a great teacher on
this earth.
This great son of India died on 7 August, 1941.
He was a writer, educationist, social reformer and patriot— all combined in
one. 
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