Silchar: The 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore was celebrated with cultural fervour across Barak Valley on Saturday.The day was filled with cultural events, processions and tribute ceremonies organised by various literary organisations, schools and socio-cultural groups to mark Rabindra Jayanti.The day kicked off with a colourful ‘prabhat pheri’ organised by the Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan from Banga Bhavan. Artists, students, and literature enthusiasts participated in the procession. Later, members paid floral tributes to Tagore’s statue at India Club Point in Tarapur.The Sammelan, through its Silchar city regional committee and Chatra-Yubo Shakha, Cachar district committee, hosted an event titled ‘Kobi Pronam’ at Banga Bhavan in the evening. The event featured dance performances, Rabindra Sangeet, poetry recitations and a Rabindra Sangeet Antakshari competition.Gautam Prasad Dutta, former general secretary of the Sammelan, said Tagore’s writings continue to inspire people with the ideals of unity, fraternity and brotherhood.Several socio-cultural organisations also participated in celebrations organised by Sammilito Sanskritik Mancha at Gandhi Bhavan, where artists presented songs, dance recitals and poetry dedicated to Tagore.Sangeet Vidyalaya on Park Road organised a cultural programme with ‘Hrituranga’ as the main attraction. Former Assam University vice-chancellor Tapodhir Bhattacharjee and former head of the Bengali department Biswatosh Chowdhury attended the event, which was conducted by Bhaskar Das.Social worker Rupam Saha said Tagore’s poems and stories remain relevant even today and would continue to inspire future generations.Cultural activist and singer Samarpita Bhattacharjee said Arya Sanskriti Bodhoni Samiti has been organising Rabindra Jayanti celebrations for many years and praised Tagore’s immense contributions to literature, music and the National Anthem.
