Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) An exhibition of photographs on the life of poet Rabindranath Tagore has opened at the Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland.

The show, titled “The Wayfaring Poet”, captures the historic moments in Tagore’s life such as his meetings with scientist Albert Einstein, writer George Bernard Shaw and psychologist Sigmund Freud, said the university Tuesday.

This was the first time an exhibition on Tagore’s life was on display in Scotland, it said.

The Tagore Centre in Britain has lent the photographs to the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, which was set up a few months ago at the university.

The show first opened at the Scottish Parliament last month. It will remain open to public viewing at the university’s Merchiston campus till Aug 25.

Bashabi Fraser, lecturer of literature and creative writing at the university, said: “Rabindranath Tagore became a world figure when he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. He travelled to 37 countries, visiting some of them more than once, and always on the official invitation of governments or leading intellectuals”.

“He was an ambassador for the meeting of the west and east and his friendships were both national and international,” she said.

“The exhibition also has some of Tagore’s lectures and meetings, recording his journeys as an intrepid world traveller at a time when journeys took months when people travelled by sea between continents,” she said.

Tagore had strong ties with Scotland. His entrepreneur grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was honoured with the Freedom of the City award in Edinburgh in 1845.

Tagore also struck a friendship with pioneering Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes.

The Scottish Centre for Tagore Studies was established at the university’s Institute of Creative Industries in May, to promote Indian culture, education, philosophy, art and literature by highlighting the poet’s legacy.

The show also features photographs of his Nobel Prize and the highest Greek honour, The Badge of the Order of the Redeemer, which was awarded to Tagore by the king of Greece in 1926.