Tagore's 150th birth anniversary volume

The book launch of 'Tagore and Sri Lanka', scheduled to be held on March 21 by the Indian Cultural Centre at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies, has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.

The new date will be announced shortly.

The150th birth anniversary volume on Rabindranath Tagore is to be released by the Indian Cultural Centre in association with Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies and Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies, University of Colombo. Indian scholar Prof. Radha Chakravarty who has edited the book will introduce the book.

As Rabindranath Tagore’s three main visits to Sri Lanka - in 1922, 1928 and 1934 –apart from two transit halts, have clearly left an abiding imprint on its culture,the volume Tagore and Sri Lanka,to be released sheds light on various aspects of Tagore’s relationship with Sri Lanka.

The volume focuses mainly on the travels of Tagore to Sri Lanka and the cultural linkages they reinforced, to enhance the overall relationship between India and Sri Lanka.

At the seminar in Colombo where the presentations which form the core of this publication were made, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha, mapped the impact of Tagore’s relationship with Sri Lanka.Senior Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama captures the essence of Tagore’s multi-faceted personality and the beauty of his writings.

Eminent Indian author, historian and educationist, Prof. Bharati Ray’s paper titled “Through the Prism of Travel: Rabindranath Tagore’s Internationalism” underlines three aspects related to Tagore, namely universalism, education and cultural exchanges, while Prof. Radha Chakravarty observes mainly the travels of Tagore to Sri Lanka and the cultural inter-linkages. Dr.Sushobhan Adikary speaks on the influence of Kandyan dance on Tagore’s dance–drama and Prof. K.N.O Dharmadasa describes the translations of literary works of Tagore to Sinhala and its impact.

Dr.Sandagomi Coperahewa reviews Tagore’s visits to Sri Lanka in his essay, whereas Prof. ViniVitharana’s paper titled “Reminiscing within narrow domestic walls” goes deeper into aspects of Sri Lankan culture and Tagore.

MallikaRajarathnam traces the visit of Tagore to Jaffna in her paper. The well-known dancer and drummer,Ravibandhu Vidayapathi, illustrates here the influence of Tagorean dance-drama on Sri Lankan dance-theatre and artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara in his paper delineates Tagore’s influence on Sri Lankan visual arts.

Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam, in his paper, analyzes Tagore as a visionary who visited Sri Lanka. Prof. WimalDissanayake, author and scholar from the University of Hawaii, observes the poetic humanism of Rabindranath Tagore.In addition to these well-researched papers, the volume contains the speeches made by Tagore during his visits to Sri Lanka.