Celebrate Rabindranath Tagore's legacy at this unique gathering in Mumbai

A child rehearses at a previous tree plantation ceremony

A visionary who influenced Bengali music, literature and art with his poignant verses and radical thinking, Rabindranath Tagore paved the path of humanitarianism and being one with nature which has been successfully carried out by his followers since decades. Tagore's Visva-Bharati University was founded in 1921 in Santiniketan and soon became a hub for traditional holistic learning, while meeting global educational standards. Its alumni association, bs residing in Mumbai and housing over 150 members was registered and established in 2004, and is now celebrating 20 years of achieving milestones, through a series of songs, dance and dramatic performances at an event called Tagore Vibrance.

(From left to right) Kaushik Basu (on tabla); Ritupurna Pal (on synthesiser); Shurjo Bhattacharya; Kritee Ghosh; Puja Roy; Soumyakanti Adhikari; Sagarika Choudhury and Susmita Mitra at a rehearsal. Pics Courtesy/Dr Swati Bawra

From backing various NGOs that help destitute children, to distributing blankets to pavement dwellers, and scheduling dental and other medical check-ups, the Association, through this event aims to raise funds to support various causes while showcasing some of Tagore's finest works in Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Hindi.

Dr Swati Bawra

The event will begin with an ornamental tree plantation, a tradition started by Tagore himself in 1928. ‘'The sapling is brought in a dola, with a dance procession to the stage. There, five kids, representing the five elements of nature - air, water, fire, earth and space - sit on the stage. The chief guest plants the sapling and the five elements do the invocation so that the sapling grows in the future and helps mankind," shared Dr Swati Bawra, general secretary of the Santiniketan Ashramik
Association.

Nearly 50 to 60 alumni members are expected to perform at the event, including two guest artistes, namely Shurjo Bhattacharya, a famous Mumbai-based singer and Marathi classical singer Dr Uttara Chausalkar who will perform multilingual Tagore songs along with sitarist Pranay Bhattacharya. The third and final act includes a dance-drama presentation by the members, followed by Chitrangada music performed by Biplab Mondal and Subrata Mukherjee.

On Today; 6 pm onwards
At Marathi Sahitya Mandir, Plot 26, near Sacred Heart High school, Sector 6, Vashi.
Call 9819123740 (for details and donor passes)
Entry Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500