Shillong’s Iconic structures: Where Tagore stayed

Every city or state has its own history that has shaped and moulded its socio-cultural and political dynamics.
Shillong is no different. Standing true to its long standing historical background, through the Shillong’s Iconic Structures series, we bring to our readers the tales of the grand and heritage structures dotted across the city.

Lest we forget, Shillong was the capital of the Assam territory during the British rule and remained so even after India’s independence in 1947, serving as the headquarters of Undivided Assam until 1963. Serving as a capital city of a massive territory, Shillong witnessed infrastructural growth, an invitation for many to set their base here – bearing in mind, the cool and pleasant weather conditions that the hill station offered. The era held a number of

constructions of its own character, time and age.

With the passage of time, however, a number of these were eroded, demolished, few were rebuilt while some continue to still exist, serving as a testimony of the rich infrastructural heritage that Shillong is proud of. Highlighting the history and significance of these heritage establishments, after the first episode on Pinewood Hotel, the second episode is titled ‘Where Tagore Stayed’.

Shillong of yore – its beauty and serenity, was immortalised in the form of poems penned down by none other than Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore when he was in the hill station in the early 1900s.

When in Shillong, Tagore described the city’s beauty vividly. He wrote:

“The hillock covered in clusters of clouds
Green dense forests and shadowy mounds
Warmly summons the weary passers
To take shelter in her cooling lap.”

The above excerpt taken from Tagore’s ‘Shillong-er Chithi’ (Letter from Shillong), has been translated into English by noted educationist and writer Uma Purkayastha.

He had penned this letter (which some argued is a poem) when he was in Shillong during his second visit to the hill station in 1923.

In today’s edition of Shillong’s iconic structures, we are featuring two iconic bungalows where Tagore had stayed when he was in the hill state in 1919 and 1923.

The first is the Brookside bungalow in Rilbong, a premise that also houses the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. It was in this bungalow that the Nobel laureate had stayed with his family for 20 days on his first visit to the hills of Meghalaya on October 11, 1919.

At present, the bungalow is under the ownership of the Art and Culture Department, Government of Meghalaya. It is also being used partially by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) as its regional office.

The second is the Jitbhumi Bungalow in Rilbong during his second sojourn in April 1923. It was in this place that the Nobel laureate spent almost two months and vastly enriched his literary works. The heritage Jitbhumi bungalow is now under private ownership.

During his third and final visit in May-June 1927, Tagore had stayed at Sidli House in Upland Road, Laitumkhrah.

These are some of the iconic structures in Shillong where history resides.

To know more about the history of this heritage structure, watch our Youtube Channel @TheShillongTimes and we will take you on a trip down memory lane.