Birthday celebrated of Indian poet and friend of W B Yeats
The Indian Association of Sligo (IAS) celebrated the anniversary of the birthday of Nobel Laureate, poet Rabindranath Tagore by offering respect at his bust on Wine Street, Sligo.
Association president Anirban Bhanja and guest Cllr Tom Fox along with the members of IAS paid tributes by lighting candles and reciting poems and songs written by poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Mr Bhanja addressed the guests and explained the philosophical and cultural connections between India and Ireland that go back hundreds of years.
He said: “India and Ireland have a deep connection between them through the exchange of ideas and culture that have taken place over the years.
“The friendship between Indian poet Tagore and Irish writer William Butler Yeats is one of them.
“It’s the proof of this friendship that the government of India decided to gift a bust of Tagore to Sligo which is standing right in front of the house where his friend Yeats spent a few years of his childhood.
“Today we are not only celebrating the 163rd birth anniversary of Tagore, but we are also celebrating a bond that developed between two people who were born in distant lands but came together because of their love for literature.”
Yeats and Tagore’s friendship is said to be an iconic representation of Indo-Irish connections. Tagore’s Gitanjali (a collection of short poems, originally written in Bengali and later translated into English) won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 which had an introduction from Irish Poet W.B. Yeats.
To commemorate the friendship between the two poets the government of India gifted a bust of Tagore to Sligo that was unveiled in 2015, coinciding with the 150 th anniversary of the birth of Yeats.
The sculpture is placed on a limestone plinth directly opposite the former Pollexfen building on Wine Street.
Cllr Tom Fox expressed delight in being a part of this celebration and said: “This event not only pays tribute to Tagore but also commemorates the enduring friendship between Tagore and the renowned Irish Poet, William Butler Yeats.
“These acts of cultural exchange and solidarity symbolise the deep connection between our two nations and the mutual appreciation of artistic brilliance.
“Tagore’s profound influence on literature and philosophy has touched the hearts of people around the world.
“His insights into human emotions, nature and spirituality continue to resonate with people across generations and continents.
“WB Yeats, a towering figure in Irish literature and a close friend of Tagore, recognised the significance of their relationship.
“The bond they shared bridged the geographical and cultural divide between Ireland and India.
“The Indian Association of Sligo has also become an integral part of our community fabric, fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting friendship between our people.
“Tagore once said, ‘ The highest education is that which does not merely give information but makes our life in harmony with all existence’.
“May this celebration of Tagore’s life and works inspire us to forge stronger connections, celebrate our shared humanity and create a harmonious community where diverse cultures flourish side by side.”