Rabindranath Tagore: A Mind Staring into Infinity

Rabindranath Tagore: A Mind Staring into Infinity explores the multifaceted genius of Rabindranath Tagore in rescuing the stagnant cultural life of Bengal from its many inhibitions. He was an ardent supporter of women’s participation in dance and drama. He was a precursor of Indian abstract art. In education, he was heavily influenced by the New School Movement, teaching young children to live in harmony with nature. His works often explore the relationship between human experience, and the landscape and atmosphere and he mobilized the energy of dedicated children (bratibalakas and bratibalikas) for rural resuscitation. He acted as a fountainhead of inspiration behind the missionary zeal of C.F. Andrews and Mahatma Gandhi for radical social changes. He was a great innovator and set many new trends in poetics, breathing new life into old Vaisnava themes. A bitter critic of the aggressive nationalism of the West, he acted as a cultural mascot for the ‘submerged nationalities’ of war-ravaged East Europe. In this collection of essays, our contributors explore the works and legacy of a man much ahead of his time.

Chhanda Chatterjee is Professor and Director, Centre for Guru Nanak Dev Studies, and Programme Coordinator, UGC SAP DRS II of the Department of History at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal.