A forgotten Tagore

Jyotirindranath made young Rabindranath aware of music composition, poetic metre and musical note

Statesman News Service | Kolkata | May 7, 2019 9:57 am

A playwright, lyricist, musicologist, translator, artist and organizer, Jyotirindranath Tagore composed a poem titled ‘Udbhodan’ (Inauguration) on the launching ceremony of Hindu Mela.

Jyotirindranath (born 4 May, 1849) whose birth anniversary precedes that of his younger brother Rabindranath was inspired by nationalist spirit, founding the following organisations one after another: Brahmadharmabodhini Sabha, Saraswata Samaj to name a few. He ran businesses of jute, indigo and steamer though he could not make expected profit in any of these.

His literary career began with writing drama and farce. His dramas were written in the backdrop of Indian history, while nationalism were at the heart of his works. In his farces, he satirizes different social evils. Along with writing many original dramas, he translated many Sanskrit, French and English dramas into Bangla. He made young Rabindranath aware of music composition, poetic metre and musical note.

An untimely death of his wife Kadambari saw him settle down in Ranchi where he breathed his last, a forgotten Tagore eclipsed by the fame of his younger sibling.