Rabindra Jayanti observed at Mungpoo

Photo Courtesy: Hill Times, Facebook

EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 8/--/The West Bengal Information and Cultural Affairs department Darjeeling along with representatives of those associated with plantation of cinchona and other medicinal plants observed the164th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Mungpoo on Wednesday in a sombre manner. 

Mungpoo, houses the Rabindra Bhawan and a museum dedicated to the bard. Tagore had visited Mungpoo four times between1938 and 1940 and wrote several of his poems and writings, here. The Darjeeling Additional District Magistrate, Anirban Chatterjee said locals and tourists and officials of the Cinchona plantation and district administration attended the programme to pay homage to the Nobel laureate on his birth anniversary. 

 "We organized a programme to pay our respect and remember Tagore. Many tourists attended the programme and participated in singing Rabindra sangeet. Even the local residents participated which was very encouraging," he said. 

The Rabindra Bhawan houses important artefacts and personal belongings of Tagore including the bed and furniture he used and original writings. 

"When we visit Darjeeling, we make it a point to come to Mungpoo. This time our visit coincided with Tagore's birthday. We are blessed. It was nice to sing the songs composed by the poet. It is nice that such events are organized in Mungpoo to remember Tagore who is our national treasure," said Debashree Das, housewife from Kalighat. 

Sources said the unlike previous years the grandeur of the event was kept low key due to the ongoing Lok Sabha election