"Tagore and Sri Lanka"
Book launch by the Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies and the Colombo University's Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies
The 150th 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. The volume titled "Tagore and Sri Lanka" will be launched at an event organised at 5.00 pm on March 21, 2013 at the auditorium of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies, No. 24, Horton Place, Colombo 7.
The Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L Peiris will release the book and the High Commissioner of India, Ashok K. Kantha, will be presiding over the function. The book will be introduced by its editor, Indian scholar Prof. Radha Chakravarty.
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,' 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, Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, mapped the impact of Tagore's relationship with Sri Lanka. Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama captured the essence of Tagore's multifaceted 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 interlinkages.
Dr. Sushobhan Adikari speaking on the influence of Kandyan dance on Tagore's dance-drama and Prof. K.N.O Dharmadasa describes the translations of the literary works of Tagore to Sinhala and its impact. Dr. Sandagomi Coperahewa reviews Tagore's visits to Sri Lanka in his essay, whereas Prof. Vini Vitharana's paper titled "Reminiscing within narrow domestic walls" goes deeper into aspects of Sri Lankan culture and Tagore.
Mallika Rajarathnam traces the visit of Tagore to Jaffna in her paper. The wellknown dancer and drummer, Ravibandhu Vidayapathi, illustrates 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, analyses Tagore as a visionary who visited Sri Lanka.
Prof. Wimal Dissanayake, author and scholar from the University of Hawaii, observes the poetic humanism of Rabindranath Tagore. In addition to these wellresearched papers, the volume contains the speeches made by Tagore during his visits to 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