Shillong, May 8: The 163rd birth anniversary of renowned poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was celebrated on the premises of the Rilbong Sports and Cultural Club, organized by the club in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture and ICCR, Shillong.
The event commenced with an inaugural song performed by members of the Rilbong Sports & Cultural Club, under the guidance of Sudip Chakraborty.
Following this, D. D. Shira, Director of the Arts and Cultural Department, Government of Meghalaya, delivered a welcoming speech.
Author and Professor Streamlet Dkhar from NEHU recited a self-composed poem in Khasi and its translated version on Tagore, following which students of Gitanjali Dance Academy, directed by Monica Chanda, presented a dance performance which was followed by another Khasi traditional dance by students of Silbi Passah. Additionally, there was also a dance performance by students of Rilbong PN Chaudhuri Higher Secondary School.
In a first, students of Garo Union H. S. School, Shillong, recited a Tagore poem from Gitanjali that was translated into Garo.
Thereafter, many soothing musical performances by Sutapa Jalsaghor, Red Oleanders, and students of Bahar Music School, Piyali Bhattacharjee, and the Shillong Tagore Choir were witnessed to pay their tributes to the legendary Tagore. Conclusively, for the painting and drawing competition that was held on Tuesday, prizes were distributed.
The event had Frederick Roy Kharkongor, Commissioner and Secretary, as the Chief Guest, and Munish Singh, Regional Director, NE Region, ICCR, as the guest of honor. Earlier in the day, the members and Tagore lovers paid floral tribute to the bust of Tagore at Jitbhumi.
