Jorasanko Thakur Bari (Bengali: House of the Thakurs ; anglicised to Tagore) in Jorasanko, North Kolkata, West Bengal, India, is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. It is the birthplace of poet Rabindranath Tagore and the host of the Rabindra Bharati University campus. [1]
Jorasanko Thakur Bari | |
---|---|
জোড়াসাঁকো ঠাকুর বাড়ি | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Traditional Bengali architecture |
Town or city | Kolkata, West Bengal |
Country | India |
Year(s) built | 1784-85 |
Owner | Tagore family |
Technical details | |
Floor area | 35000 m2 |
The Jorasanko Thakur Bari was built in 1784 by Nilmoni Thakur in Jorasanko in the north of Kolkata. The land on which this ancestral home stands today was donated by the famous Sett family (not to be confused with Seth) of Burrabazar to Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, who was the grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore. Dwarkanath Tagore was the adopted son of Ramlochon Tagore and when he joined Brahmo Samaj, he was forced to leave his ancestral house at Pathutiaghata. Here comes the role of another influential family, the Sett. The Sett family had a marshy land where two small walking bridges ("Sanko" meaning bridges in Bengali) were present and they donated the land to Prince Dwarkanath Tagore. So from the small dual bridges came the name Jorasanko.
Nilmoni Tagore left his paternal house due to certain family disputes, and set up his new residence at Jorasanko, after having acquired a plot of land situated on the east side of Chitpore Road. It was Prince Dwarakanath Tagore, the illustrious businessman and Rabindranath's grandfather who expanded the residential complex. This is the Bhdrashan Bari (presently located at 6, Dwarakanath Tagore Lane) and it was here that Rabindranath was born in 1861. [2] Another house was built adjacent to this house, called the Boithak Khana Bari (currently situated at 5, Dwarakanath Tagore Lane), in 1823, to house and receive European visitors. This later became the residence of Girindranath and his family, and the art-workspace of Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore, two prominent members of the Bengali School of Art. A significant chunk of Bengal's cultural spatial history was lost forever when this house was destroyed and pulled down in 1943. The Bhdrashan Bari today is known as the Maharshi Bhavan. [2]
The Rabindra Bharati University was established by the government of West Bengal in 1961 to commemorate the birth centenary of Rabindranath Tagore. [2]
The house has been restored to reflect the way the household looked when the Tagore family lived in it and currently serves as the Tagore museum, offering details about the history of the Tagore family including their involvement in the Bengal Renaissance and the Brahmo Samaj. [3] Photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum, but allowed outside. There is a light and sound show also, which happens in the evening. [2]
The Government of West Bengal had long initiated the plan to establish a University in honour of one of Bengal's greatest poet-philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, which finally took shape in 1961. The year was special as it marked the centenary celebrations of Tagore's birth anniversary. Accordingly, under the Rabindra Bharati Act the University was set up at the Tagores' Jorasanko residence. The University aimed at the advancement of culture and arts. [2] The Rabindra Bharati Museum was formed the following year. Located to the west of Maharshi Bhavan is the Bichitra Bhavan, another building that was built in 1897 by Rabindranath Tagore himself. The architecture follows closely the colonial style. Partly plastered and painted in white, this red brick structure is imposing, and situated amidst trees like the white frangipani, Champa, Spanish cherry, Ashoka, etc. This building today houses the museum and the archives. It is exhibited on the first floor of the house. [2]
The Museum has a wide-ranging collection. Galleries are devoted to the leading figures of Bengali Renaissance, including but not limited to Dwarakanath, Debendranath, Rabindranath, Aban Thakur, and Gaganendranath. A gallery displays artworks from the Bengal School of Art founded by Abanindranath Tagore. [2] Another shows portraits and paintings of the Tagore house and family by the Anglo-Indian school. The latter is called the Western Art Gallery. There are also galleries devoted to Rabindranath, showing his life, works and ideas. The poet-prophet's visits, tours, influence and relationships with offshore countries are shown in the respective Japan Gallery, China Gallery, Hungary Gallery, and the US Gallery. [2] There are also recent developments to create an Italy Gallery that shall show Tagore's relations with the land, and ideas, and would strengthen Italy-India bilateral and cultural relations. [4]
The Rabindra Bharati University organizes regular cultural programmes on Tagore's birthday, Panchise Baisakh, when thousands flock to Jorasanko Thakur Bari, [5] [6] and on other occasions, such as his death anniversary, Baishe Shravan. [7] It also organises a festival of arts, Aban Mela. [8]
Rabindra Bharati University is a public research university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. It is located at the Tagore family home, Jorasanko Thakur Bari. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Performing Arts and Visual Arts under the Faculty of Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and other subjects under the Faculty of Arts.
Shantiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur town in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, approximately 152 km north of Kolkata. It was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, and later expanded by his son, Rabindranath Tagore whose vision became what is now a university town with the creation of Visva-Bharati.
Debendranath Tagore was an Indian philosopher and religious reformer, active in the Brahmo Samaj. He joined Brahmo samaj in 1842. He was the founder in 1848 of the Brahmo religion, which today is synonymous with Brahmoism. Born in Shilaidaha, his father was the industrialist Dwarakanath Tagore; he himself had 14 children, many of whom, including Nobel-prize winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, made significant artistic or literary contributions to society.
Gaganendranath Tagore was an Indian painter and cartoonist of the Bengal school. Along with his brother Abanindranath Tagore, he was counted as one of the earliest modern artists in India.
'Prince' Dwarkanath Tagore was one of the first Indian industrialists to form an enterprise with British partners. He was the son of Rammoni Tagore, and was given in adoption to Rammoni’s elder brother Ramlochan Tagore. He was the scion of the Tagore family of Calcutta, father of Debendranath Tagore and grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore.
Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art". He was also the first major exponent of Swadeshi values in Indian art. He founded the influential Bengal school of art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children. Popularly known as 'Aban Thakur', his books Rajkahini, Buro Angla, Nalak, and Khirer Putul were landmarks in Bengali language children's literature and art.
Shilaidaha is a village in Shilaidaha Union, Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District in Bangladesh. The place is famous for Shilaidaha Kuthibari; a country house made by Dwarkanath Tagore. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore lived a part of his life here and created some of his memorable poems while living here.
Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renaissance. He reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful" poetry of Gitanjali, in 1913 Tagore became the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; where his elegant prose and magical poetry were widely popular in the Indian subcontinent. He was a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Referred to as "the Bard of Bengal", Tagore was known by the sobriquets Gurudeb, Kobiguru, and Biswokobi.
The Tagore family has been one of the leading families of Kolkata, India, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissance. The family has produced several people who have contributed substantially in the fields of business, social and religious reformation, literature, art, politics and music. The most prominent figures of this family include Dwarkanath Tagore, a pioneering industrialist; Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate in literature; Abanindranath Tagore, a distinguished artist and more.
Jorasanko is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. It is so called because of the two (jora) wooden or bamboo bridges (sanko) that spanned a small stream at this point.
Shyamnagar is a city in Bhatpara Municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The locality is considered one of the major development hubs in the district. It is sometimes also referred to as Barrackpore-Shyamnagar as it comes after Barrackpore.
Tagore is a surname held by the Tagore family. Notable people with the surname include:
Dinendranath Tagore, also known as Dinu Thakur, was a Bengali musician, singer and poet.
Raman Siva Kumar, known as R. Siva Kumar, is an Indian contemporary art historian, art critic, and curator. His major research has been in the area of early Indian modernism with special focus on the Santiniketan School. He has written several important books, lectured widely on modern Indian art and contributed articles to prestigious international projects such as the Art Journal, Grove Art Online or The Dictionary of Art, Oxford University Press.
Pratima Devi (1893–1969) was an Indian Bengali artist, widely known for her artistic abilities. She was the wife of Rathindranath Tagore. The poet took special interest in developing her capabilities.
Nilmoni Tagore (1721–1791) was a scion of Tagore family who, founded the Jorasanko branch of Tagore family leaving the old house of Pathuriaghata. In year 1758, he started to build what is now known as Jorasanko Thakur Bari. Nilmoni and Darpnarayan were two sons of Jairam Thakur, who was employed with British East India Company. While Darpnarayan developed his business and lands, Nilmoni chose to serve British and rose to the Serishtadarship of District Court. He received an amount of Rupees One lakh from his brother Darpnarayan, as a settlement amount of family dispute and shifted to Jorasanko and built house there.
Mrinalini Devi was a translator and the wife of Nobel laureate poet, philosopher, author and musician Rabindranath Tagore. She was from the Jessore district, where her father worked at the Tagore estate. In 1883, at the age of nine, she married Tagore.
Rathindranath Thakur was an Indian educationist, agronomist, painter, in leathercraft, and a woodworker. He served as the first vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, which was founded by his father, Rabindranath Tagore.
Shilaidaha Rabindra Kuthibari, in short Shilaidah Kuthibari, is one of the major tourist places in Bangladesh. It is located seven kilometers north of Kushtia on the banks of Padma in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District.
Kolkata/North Kolkata travel guide from Wikivoyage