Rabindranath Tagore commemorated

A host of ceremonies were held in Sri Lanka to commemorate Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary.

Rabindranath Tagore

A special postal stamp in the denomination of Rs Five, a first day cover by the government and a commemorative volume Remembering Rabindranath Tagore published by the University of Colombo were released on May 7.

Releasing the stamp at a function at the British School Auditorium in Colombo presided by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha, Postal Services Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said that the release of the special stamp was the most appropriate manner in which Sri Lanka could have paid homage to Tagore. The first copy of the volume Remembering Rabindranath Tagore published by the University of Colombo with the support of India-Sri Lanka Foundation was presented by Cultural Affairs and Arts Ministry Secretary Wimal Rubasinghe to the Colombo University Vice Chancellor. The High Commissioner recalled Tagore's strong association with Sri Lanka, He had visited Sri Lanka thrice in 1922, 1928 and 1934.

He also noted Tagore's association with the Sri Palee Campus at Horana, whose foundation stone he had laid at the invitation of Wilmut Perera.

The High Commissioner said that Shap Mochan, the play staged by Tagore during his 1934 visit, would be restaged in Sri Lanka in November by Manipuri dancer Bimbavati Devi and her 21-member troupe sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Sri Palee Campus organized an event at the Faculty of Graduate Studies auditorium, University of Colombo on May 6 to pay homage to Tagore.