Industry Odisha Bureau, May 17: ’ Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is revered with high esteem not only in India and Bangladesh for being their ‘national poet’, but also adored by the people of Sweden (Swedes) after creating history adorned with the most pretigoius ‘Nobel Prize in Literature’ in 1913 despite being a first-ever non-European literary giant as well as a personality from the then Britsh India.
Thus, it was akin to the world-renowned Latin phrase ‘veni, vidi, vici’ (I came, I saw, I conquered) on the part of the ‘Bard of Bengal’ who still rules the heads and hearts of the Swedes.
Reportedly, Gurudev could not travel then to Stockholm (Sweden’s capital) for receiving the globally-celebrated award, but was conspicuously present in shape of his lovable telegram message that reportedly read: “I beg to convey to the Swedish Academy my grateful appreciation of the breadth of understanding which has brought the distant near, and has made a stranger a brother.”
Although absent physically, his message touched a chord to the core of Sweden’s heart.
Eventually, this unprecedented non-European Nobel Prize laureate reportedly was accorded a rousing welcome in Sweden in the month of May in 1921 by the then Swedish ruler King Gustav V, and the long-cherished voice of this Indian literary giant resonated the hall of the Swedish Academy on May 26.
Gurudev also reportedly visited Sweden for the second time in 1926, and, thenceforth, left behind his indelible footprints on the sacred soil there following which his noteworthy literary works have reportedly been widely translated into the Swedish language and still occupy a special place in the libraries across Sweden.
The sweet saga does not end here. Gurudev’s immortal amd mesmerizing melodies ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ is still alive in Sweden through the members of the ‘Lund International Tagore Choir’ reportedly founded and headed by Bubu Munshi Eklund.
Reportedly, Bubu Munshi Eklund hails from India’s West Bengal, and like other Bengali singers, she has been groomed well in Rabindra Sangeet under the tutelage of Gurudev’s iconic Vishwa Bharati University at Shantiniketan.
Having reportedly tied a nuptial knot with Swedish scribe Lars Eklund, Madam Bubu Munshi has reportedly settled down in Lund Province (also known as Scania) since 1983. There she reportedly founded the ‘Lund International Tagore Choir’ in around 2011-2012 that chiefly comprises Swedish singers singing Rabindra Sangeet in typical Bengali accent, nuances, tone and tenor.
Pertinent to note that, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s songs and poetry are loved globally owing to their “universal themes and deep emotional resonance”. His literay works “often explore profound spiritual sentiments, nature, love, and human emotions, making his songs and poems relatable to people from all walks of life. His lyrical brilliance and musical sensibility have created a genre that stands the test of time, with his music continuing to inspire and captivate audience worldwide.”
