Tagore helped in SL’s cultural revival - Indian HC

Rabindranath Tagore did not bring any outside influence and helped in the cultural revival in Sri Lanka by highlighting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Sri Lanka, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha said.

Visiting Sri Palee College, Horana to attend Tagore Day celebrations, Kantha underlined that Tagore’s three visits to Sri Lanka had left an abiding imprint.

Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha presents Indian musical instruments and a set of books on Mahatma Gandhi and Gurudev Tagore for use by the students of Sri Palee College.

“His extensive interactions with artistes and literary personalities of Sri Lanka significantly contributed to the cultural resurgence inspiring artists, dancers and singers to develop their genres to classical form.

“Tagore himself was deeply impressed with the Kandyan dance and Mask dance and had adapted elements of these dance forms in his later dance dramas,” the High Commissioner said.

The foundation stone of Sri Palee College, modelled after Santiniketan, was laid by Tagore on his third and last visit to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) on May 20, 1934.

Senior Minister for Good Governance Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and Kalutara district MP Vidura Wickramanayaka also participated.

Students of Sri Palee College presented a dance programme followed by Rabindra Sangeet by a former pupil at Santiniketan, Weeraswena Gunatilake.

The High Commissioner thanked the Sri Lankan government for releasing a special postal stamp on May 7, 2011.

He also highlighted a number of events organised to commemorate Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary and thanked the Sri Palee family for encouraging and supporting these initiatives.

The High Commissioner also referred to the speech made by Tagore in 1934 at Jaffna Central College in which he spoke about “restoration of ancient association of minds” between India and Sri Lanka through his efforts and through a direct language of art.

The High Commissioner referred to the successful organisation of Sacred Kapilavastu Relics exposition for 23 days in which around 3.5 million devotees paid homage as a reaffirmation of the ancient association of mind between India and Sri Lanka that Tagore spoke of.

Kantha also highlighted the President’s visit to India to lay the foundation of the University of Buddhist and Indic Studies at Sanchi along with the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Senior Minister Wickramanayake recalled the long association between Sri Palee College and Santiniketan and the contribution and impact of Tagore on the cultural resurgence in Sri Lanka.

He said Sri Palee was the most appropriate place in Sri Lanka for the commemoration of Tagore’s birth anniversary as its foundation was laid by Tagore himself.