Celebrating Tagore’s Connection with Shillong

Rabindranath Tagore had a special place in his heart for Shillong. He loved this pristine hill station so much that he visited it thrice, more than any other place, and used it as a backdrop for his masterpiece ‘Sesher Kabita’. In the early 20th century, Shillong hosted many celebrities of global stature, including Swami Vivekanand and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Guru Rabindranath Tagore was among the most illustrious and celebrated tourists.

In his memoirs, Tagore described the winding road to Shillong as ‘aka-baka-path’ with eye-catching jungles on either side. His love for the place is beautifully expressed in his verse ‘Shillonger Chiti’ (Letter from Shillong):

“Gormi Jokhon tutlo na aar pakhar haowa

Sarbote – thonda hote daure elum –

Shillong namak porbote”

(When the heat of summer could not be met even with fans and soft drinks, I rushed to the hills of Shillong).

Humble tributes to the great social reformer, Rabindranath Tagore ji, on his death anniversary.