The famed Rabindra Bhawan stands on the edge of Mongpu hill, in Darjeeling, that once had the good fortune to house one of the greatest personalities of all time: Rabindranath Tagore.
One might just pass it off as an ordinary house with an normal garden. Creaking doors, rusty gates, shabby white paint, dark and gloomy windows and a merry, green garden with old rickety benches.
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Looks like any ordinary person who once lived there and has long left this dainty little house all alone in an unknown neighbourhood.
It was no surprise why Rabindranath Tagore liked this place. Nothing at all was not worth seeing. Even the mountains and scenic beauty that Darjeeling is famous for was nothing compared to the view that Rabindranath was gifted with.
And to put the icing on the cake, this place was near a quinine factory which was one of the main reasons he went there in the first place.
Serendipity ~thats what the place possessed in excess. Tagore was a man who loved heritage, who enjoyed beauty to the fullest and loved expressing his views through writing stories, poems and songs. Tagore had come to the hill station on being invited by Maitreyi Devi, a great poet and novelist who wrote the book on Rabindranaths stay in Mongpu – Mongpu-te Rabindranath which was later translated in English as Rabindranath by the Fire Side.
Rabindranath fell in love with the place the moment he stepped into the sprawling greens of the bungalow spread before him which was allotted to Maitreyis husband, Dr. Manmohan Sen. It was so enthralling that he visited this place thrice in his last years.
Maitreyi Devis husband was the director of the quinine factory nearby. On her insistence Rabindranath Tagore wrote the famous Janmadin that became one of his renowned poems.
After he passed away just a year after his last visit to Darjeeling, he left a lot of his belongings in the Mongpu estate and thus this was converted to a museum. As one tours the small bungalow that once had the privilege of hosting Tagore, one can find the airy and fresh aura in each room. It was a delightful, merry little house that proved to be the perfect shelter for Tagore.
All of Rabindranaths accessories were specially designed for him. The bed in which he slept had an inclined headrest designed for his respiratory problem.
The study was surrounded by windows on three sides providing a fantastic and soothing view of the mountains that laid in front of him. To show reverence, a wooden sculpture has been added to the lawn in which Tagore had his evening sessions.
The once-famous shelter of Tagore has long lost its importance because of its unconventional location. Being situated in a remote, nature-filled environment, it has gone unnoticed for many bibliophiles, and sadly, not many are even aware of the existence of something so important and historical.
A visit to this abode of serendipity is a must for all Tagore loyalists, or simply for anyone who has a love for the old world charm and beauty.
Not to forget the mesmerising orchid gardens of Mongpu has been clustering around the Kalijora waterfall, with its height of 550 feet, dropping its black waters into the clear blue waters downhill.
Mongpu is certainly a place to visit for all. The beauty of North Bengal is one of the major masterpieces of Incredible India.
(Coordinator, Class IX, Don Bosco, Park Circus)
