Thaindian News

Kolkata, May 9 (IANS) Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday flagged off the Sanskriti Express exhibition train from Howrah station as part of the celebrations of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary and to showcase his life and philosophy.
The five-coach train, adorned with various literary creations and paintings of Tagore, will touch important stations in various parts of the country before returning to Kolkata May 8 next year.

“It is our tribute to Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary. This train will travel across India for one year. This train will carry various literary creations and paintings of Kabiguru,” said Banerjee at the flag off ceremony in the presence of several intellectuals and artists.

The five air-conditioned coaches have been modified at the Liluah Railway Workshop in Howrah to depict Tagore’s achievements and thoughts.

The first coach, named “Jibon Smriti”, will depict the life of Tagore through photographs, while the second “Gitanjali” will exhibit his poems and songs.

“Jogajog”/”Muktodhara” will exhibit his literature, the fourth “Chitrarekha” will depict paintings of Tagore and other eminent artists. The last “Smaranika” will exhibit and sell handicraft and other items from Santiniketan, founded by the poet.

Singer Dwijen Mukhopadhaya, veteran dancer Amala Shanker, leading theatre actor and Railway Committee on Heritage & Culture chairperson Shaoli Mitra, painter Suvaprasana and writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay were among those felicitated by Banerjee on the occasion.

“We will construct a Rabindra Museum at Howrah and Gitanjali Museum at Bolpur. We will also form a cultural promotion board of railways just like its sports promotion board.

The board members will be constituted by Suvaprasana, Shaoli Mitra, Bratya Basu, and many other intellectuals,” said Banerjee.

“We are also having plans to open rail service between Epar Bangla (West Bengal) and Opar Bangla (Bangladesh). We want a union of the culture and traditions of the two Bengals,” she added.

Tagore, who was born in 1861 and died in 1941, is among the most revered writers in the world who churned out poems, plays, songs, novels and short stories. He was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913.