Ode to the Bard of Bengal To Bengalis all over the world, the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore marks an auspicious day on the calendar and is celebrated every year with great solemnity and reverence. This year is specially significant as it marks the beginning of year-long celebrations to ring in the Bard’s 150 years. Celebrations begin tomorrow by various institutions through a variety of cultural programmes to be held at different parts of the city. Hosted by Information and Culture department, Kabi Pranam commences at Rabindra Sadan at 5.30am with a shenai recital, to be followed by readings from Tagore by Prof. Pabitra Sarkar. Besides, Dance Group Federation will present a mangalik nritya, Geetabitan will present group songs, and solo recitals and recitation by distinguished artistes. The celebrations will continue for 23 days (except between May 26 and 30, and June 2). Shatayu pays homage to Tagore (at Ma Tara Mandir premises, opp. Ahiritola-Sovabazar circular railway station ticket counter; 5.30am) with a programme of songs. Anandadhara presents Rabir Gaan Kabir Gaan (Star Theatre; 6 am), a programme of music and recitation by artistes from Santiniketan, Patna, Agartala and Calcutta. Also, the release of Nabo Nabo Roope Esho, a CD of Tagore’s verse recited by Anjal Bandyopadhyay. Rabindra Bharati University will present Kabi Pranam at its Jorasanko campus from 6am. Sreenandana pays tribute to Tagore with music, reading and recitation (at Subinoy Roy Mancha, HA Block Community Park, Salt Lake; 6.30am). Also, the release of audio-album Mon Metechhe, a compilation of Tagore songs rendered by members of Sreenandana. Jadavpur Laughing Club hosts Rabindra Prabhat (opposite Gate 4 of Jadavpur University; 6.30am) with Tagore songs by eminent artistes. Naba Nalanda presents Rabindra Smaran, (boulevard opp. Nava Nalanda School, Southern Avenue; 6.30am) with music and dance by its students and teachers. Also, solo recitals by eminent artistes. Netaji Research Bureau will mark the day with a programme of readings of Tagore’s English translations by Sugata Bose and songs by Pramita Mallick (at Netaji Bhavan, 38/2 Elgin Road; 11am). Governor M.K. Narayanan will be the chief guest. Also, release of CD, World Voyage of Rabindranath. Baitanik hosts Sabarey Kori Aahvaan, a programme of Tagore songs, along with discussion by Prof Somendranath Bandyopadhyay (Maharshi Bhavan, Dwarakanath Tagore Lane; 6pm). Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture will observe Rabindra Jayanti at 3 Regent Park; 6pm. Swabhumi, in association with banglanatok.com marks the occasion with Rabir Aaloye, a programme of music, dance and dance-drama by Bengal’s folk artistes (Swabhumi Urban Zone; 6.30pm). Event: Programmes to mark the 149th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore When: Today; daylong

ART

Till May 8 at CIMA Gallery; Monday: 3 pm - 7 pm, Tuesday - Saturday: 11 am - 7 pm: Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, in collaboration with CIMA Gallery Pvt. Ltd, presents Music From an Unknown Source — paintings by Sigmar Polke. Till May 9 at Café The, ICCR, 11 am - 8 pm: A solo exhibition of paintings by Nitai Saha. The artist will be painting live from 3 pm to 6 pm. Till May 9 at Birla Academy of Art & Culture; 4 pm - 8 pm: Poetry in Colours — an exhibition of paintings by Binita Bandyopadhyay, Debajyoti Sarkar, Pulakesh Mandal, Rajeev Sarkar, Rampujan Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, Shampa Chatterjee, Subrata Roy Choudhury, Sudeshna Dey, Suman Roy, Suparna Mitra and Vanu Grahacharjee.

DRAMA

May 8 at Academy of Fine Arts; 3 pm: Ganakrishti presents Jhara Samoyer Kabya. Direction: Amitava Dutta. May 8 at Academy of Fine Arts; 6.30 pm: Kalyani Natyacharcha presents Hariye Jaye Manush. Direction & acting: Kishore Sengupta. May 8 & 9 at Mukta Angan Rangalaya: Nabankur presents 6th All Bengal Drama Festival. Today: Rabindra Jayanti (dir: Priyabrata Chakraborty) by Aajker Dishari at 5 pm; Uttaron (dir: Shuvasis Sarkar) by Tarnag North at 6 pm; Asamajik (dir: Prosenjit Chakraborty) by Chatterjeehat Sabuj Pran at 7 pm; and Brishti Aaschhe (dir: Tapas Gupta) by Kathan Kolkata at 8 pm. May 8 at Girish Mancha; 6.30 pm: Natyaranga will stage Binodini Katha, directed by Swapan Sengupta. May 8 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6.30 pm: Laboratory — Lok-Krishti’s tribute to Tagore. Drama & direction: Phalguni Chattopadhyay. May 8 at Minerva Theatre; 6.30 pm: Nandipat presents Shrinwantu Comrades. Direction: Bibhas Chakraborty. May 9 at Academy of Fine Arts; 3 pm: Ekush Shatak will stage Rater Fashion House, directed by Subhashis Gangopadhyay. May 9 at Academy of Fine Arts; 6.30 pm: Natasena will stage its latest production, Fata Gopal. Drama: Rajat Ghosh. Direction: Durga Chakraborty. May 9 at Minerva Theatre; 6.30 pm: Chaturanga, produced by Purba-Paschim and directed by Bratya Basu.

rabindra jayanti

May 8 at G.D. Birla Sabhagar; 6 pm: Biswabhara Pran presents an evening of Tagore songs and readings in chorus by Anuradha Bala, Gouri Ghosh, Gopa Roy, Jonaki Choudhury, Tapan Sinha, Partha Ghosh, Pradip Sarkar, Mita Ghosh, Shamit Roy, Sumana Bhattacharya and Subarata Mukhopadhyay. Also, solo recital of Tagore songs by Dwijen Mukhopadhyay, Pramita Mallick and Subrata Sengupta. May 9 - 25 & May 31 - June 6 (except June 2) at Rabindra Sadan & Rabindra Sadan premises: Rabindra Sadan and the I&CA department, Government of West Bengal celebrates Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary. May 9 at Rabindra Sadan premises: Kabipranam (5.30 am) and Kabisammelan (6.30 pm). At Rabindra Sadan, 6 pm: Kabi Aami Oder Doley (dir: Smriti Chattopadhyay) presented by Swarobitan; to be followed by dance-drama Shyama, presented by Nrityangan, with Shanti Bose and Alokananda Roy in the lead. May 9 at Urban Zone, Swabhumi; 6 pm: Swabhumi, in association with banglanatok.com, celebrates the infulence of folk songs on Tagore’s work. Featuring Jhumur dancers of Purulia; Patachitra artists from Medinipur; Chau production Chitrangada Sambad by Jhalda, a Purulia-based group; and Baul gaan and Tagore songs by artistes from Nadia (Nikhil Biswas, Arjun Khyapa and Akkas Fakir) and Calcutta (Riddhi Bandyopdhay). May 8 at 5 pm; May 9 at 9 am & 5 pm at Nehru Children’s Museum: Rabindra Janmotsav, organised by Tagore Foundation, Nehru Children’s Museum, features song, dance and recitation. May 9 at Behala Sarat Sadan compound; 6.30 am: Behala Thakurpukur Club Samanway Samity (Behala Utsav Committee) celebrates Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary with performances by eminent artistes. May 9 at JC Shishu Udyan, Salt Lake; 6 pm: Kabi Pranam organised by Salt Lake J.C. Block Welfare Association. Also, felicitation to Dwijen Mukhopadhyay. May 9 - 11 at Nimta High School Prangan: Kabi Smaran (150th birth anniversary of Tagore) by Jangam and Sricharaneshu in association with Nimta High School & Nimta Club Samanway Samiti. May 9 at 47 Keshab Chunder Sen Street; 5 pm: Kabi Pranam with Alok Ray Chaudhuri, Amaresh Maitra, Sarmistha Dutta, Arijit Maitra and others in songs and readings.

TALK

May 8 at Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, Belur Math; 6 pm: Swami Shastrajnananda will speak on Vivek Chudamoni. May 8 at Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Shivananda Hall; 6 pm: Dr Shova Ghosh will speak on Shishu Rakshana-bekshan. May 8 at Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra; 7 pm: Dr Subodh Choudhury will speak on Matrirupey Sri Maa Saradamanir Bhumika. May 8 at Ramakrishna Math, Baranagar; 7 pm: Balaram Ghosh will speak on Songs of Swamiji.

FILM SHOW

Till May 8 at Gorky Sadan; 6 pm: Film session dedicated to the 65th anniversary of victory over fascism, Love at the Tome of War and After. Today: At Dawn its is Quiet Here (dir: Stanislav Rostotsky). Presented by Eisenstein Cine Club.

EXHIBITION

Till May 8 at 2/1 Hindusthan Road, Gariahat, #2463 0465; 10.30 am - 8 pm: Kanishka’s & KORA by Kanishka’s launch their Summer Collection 2010 — a special exhibition of an ingenuously crafted collection of dresses, tops, kurtis, kurtas, pants and skirts created out of contemporary handloom sarees, breezy mulmuls and cottons. May 8 - 10 at Netaji Indoor Stadium; 10 am - 6 pm: East India Jewellery Show 2010. Till May 15 at 8/2 Loudon Street, 2nd floor, #2281 1524: Earthy Myths showcases its signature cotton outfits.

WORKSHOP

May 8 at Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts, 94 Ballygunge Place, #2461 3145: To mark the opening of Kolfiesta Summer Camp, introductory demo sessions on (1) tabla workshop (11.30 am - 1 pm) with Arif Khan; and (2) Latin music workshop & music appreciation workshop (5 pm - 7 pm) by Pradyumna S. Manot.

ALBUM LAUNCH

May 8 at Music World, Park Street; 1.30 pm: Launch of Nutan O Sanatan Rabindranath, an audio CD of Tagore songs rendered by Sounak Chattopadhyay.All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to: Time out, The Telegraph, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001; Fax: 2234-8244

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All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to:

Time out, The Telegraph, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001;
Fax: 2234-8244