Remembering the Bard

Agartala, May 11: The smell of spring wafted in the breeze as Doordarshan workers arranged the chairs at the Raj Bhawan.

A string of performances crammed the schedule.

Though Rabindra Jayanti programmes began on Wednesday, this one, organised by Calcutta Doordarshan and graced by Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahay, was certainly the one to watch out for.

Alas. Only empty chairs stared at the podium as one stalwart after the other took the stage to sing, dance and recite from Tagore’s oeuvre.

So much so that the Doordarshan crew kept its camera glued on the face of the performers, determined not to focus on the “decadence”.

After all, Tagore had visited the state seven times during his lifetime — a fact that has drawn the TV crew to the state in the first place.

In the evening, the venue for the programme shifted to the Ujjayanta palace, with chief minister Manik Sarkar as the chief guest.

A galaxy of singers and instrumentalists, including Kavita Krishnamurthy, Dr Balamurali Krishnan, Manoj Nair, Manisha Murli Nair and Haimanti Shukla were ready to make it an evening to remember.

The star cast on Rabindra Jayanti may be common in Calcutta, but it was certainly a novelty for Agartala.

This, too, was telecast live by Doordarshan, but the programme left much to be desired.

Bikash Chowdhury, a specialist on Tagore, however, seemed pleased with Doordarshan’s effort to highlight Tagore’s bond with Tripura.

“It is good that Tagore’s association with Tripura is being highlighted at the national level,” Chowdhury said.

The author then went on to say how Tagore received recognition from King Bir Chandra Manikya, who had been deeply impressed by the poet’s Bhagna Hriday (Broken Heart).

Subsequently, the poet grew close to three other kings from Tripura and received liberal financial assistance from the Tripura royalty, especially when he was launching his dream project, Visva Bharati.

Days before his death, Tagore was conferred the title of “Bharat Bhaskar” by King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya.