Book name- Tagore in Tripura: An Enduring Connection
Author- Khagesh Dev Burman
Published by- HarperCollins
Price- Rs 499
In contrast to the frequent commemoration of Rabindranath Tagore’s tryst with Shillong, the poet’s equally significant relationship with another northeastern state, Tripura, has seldom captured the public imagination. Tagore visited this princely state seven times. Intriguingly, the reason for these visits was his deep-rooted relationship with the Manikya dynasty. Khagesh Dev Burman unveils this royal friendship, charting its influence on the poet’s literary productions and his philosophy of life through documented correspondence and Dev Burman’s personal recollections.
Tripura served as the backdrop for three of Tagore’s seminal works: Rajarshi, Mukut and Bisarjan. Tagore in Tripura throws light on the inception of the bond between Tagore and Tripura that began in 1882 when a grieving Maharaja Bir Chandra sought refuge in Tagore’s “Bhagna Hriday”. Bir Chandra endowing Tagore the title of ‘Great Poet’ not only served as the fount of a “spontaneous and open” friendship and gave the poet a boost when he was being dismissed in Calcutta’s literary circles but also exemplified the king’s foresight. Moreover, the association was mutually beneficial. Bir Chandra’s reign served as a model for Rajarshi; Tripura’s Vaishnavite tradition impacted Tagore’s humanism; if not for the Manikyas, it would have been difficult for Tagore to maintain the functioning of Visva-Bharati, and Jagadish Chandra Bose would not have made that successful trip to Cambridge. The role of Tripura in the dissemination of the Bengali language in partnership with Tagore could also be looked at as a refreshing collaboration that challenges the designs of linguistic imperialism that still prevails.
The most interesting segment of this partnership was manifest during the reign of Radha Kishore (picture) who found in Tagore a confidante and an administrator. The details of how Tagore outsmarted Radha Kishore’s conniving courtiers through his transparency and shrewdness make the poet luminescent in a never-before-seen light.