State govt, GTA to develop Hill properties related to Tagore

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 9 May 2018 | Darjeeling: The state government and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will be working together to develop the properties in the Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, that are connected to Rabindranath Tagore. The Hills were very close to the bard and many of his immortal works have been penned in the Hills.

GTA chairman Binay Tamang, while talking to media persons on the sidelines of Rabindra Jayanti celebration in Mongpu in Kurseong sub-division on Wednesday, stated: "I have requested the state government to declare all properties in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong associated with Tagore as Heritage."

Mongpu, 33km from Darjeeling town, was a favourite destination of Rabindranath Tagore. He visited Mongpu in 1938 on May 21 and stayed till June. In 1939, he stayed there from May 14 till June 17, to return again on September 12 to stay till the first week of November. In 1940, he arrived on April 21 and his birthday was also celebrated there, that year. This was his last visit, as he fell ill and had to return to Kolkata.

He had written many a memorable works during his stay at Mongpu, including Chelebela, Nobojatok, Sesh Kotha, Bangla Bhashar Porichoy, Mongpu, Giribas, Sanai, Akash Prodip and Jonmodin.

In Mongpu, Tagore used to stay in the house of Manmohan Sen (Husband of Maitreyi Devi). In 1944, the house was converted into a "Rabindra Smrity-bhavan." Later in 2009, the building was renovated and converted into a "Rabindra Museum."