Nabo Anande Jaago: Remembering Tagore and the women of his world

The Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB), in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the High Commission of India at Dhaka, celebrated Rabindra Jayanti on 24 Baishakh (7 May) with a cultural evening that brought together singers, reciters, dancers, and musicians at Dhaka's Lakeshore Hotel.

The occasion marked the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore — and FDCB chose to observe it with a question worth exploring: who were the women in Tagore's world, and what did he see in them?

Shaibal Saha, the general secretary of FDCB, opened the ceremony by welcoming High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma to the stage. In his address, he spoke of Tagore's timeless vision of humanism, freedom, dignity, and inner awakening, noting that these ideals have continued to inspire generations across the world.

Through poetry, songs, novels, plays, art, and philosophical writings, he said, Tagore gave voice to universal ideas while remaining deeply rooted in the cultural ethos of his time. He also emphasised that art remains one of the most powerful mediums through which bonds between peoples are expressed and renewed.

Then came Ashanur Rahman, deputy manager of City Bank, who spoke of how Tagore's thought keeps finding its way into contemporary life — carrying the same urgency it did a century ago, and how it will continue doing so.

Maheen Khan, the president of FDCB, set the evening in its larger frame. "Rabindranath Tagore's influence on literature, music, and lifestyle remains unparalleled, serving as a bridge between the east and the west," she said.

She also spoke of how Tagore did not view cultural boundaries as barriers. His work flourished, she noted, because he was an active listener to the world — absorbing Western harmonic structures and rhythmic patterns into his compositions while fiercely protecting his own intellectual sovereignty.

The heart of the evening was a live heritage walk in two parts.

The first, Legacy of Thakurbari, drew from Tagore's real world. The women who surrounded the poet — and who shaped the intellectual and social milieu in which he grew — appeared on stage one by one.

Gyanadanandini Devi, the reformer, Kadambari Devi, the muse, Swarnakumari Devi, the pioneer. Mrinalini Devi, Indira Devi, Sarala Devi, Madhurialata, Renuka Thakur, Sunayanee Devi, Shobhana Devi, Pratima Devi, and Devika Rani followed in succession.

A group of talented Rabindra Sangeet artistes, consisting of Swapnil Sajeeb, Farhin Khan Joyeeta, Mahua Manjuri, and Semanti Manjuri, was singing Tagore's songs in chorus on the stage, and the figures arrived on the ramp in their character. These were women who were themselves agents of social and cultural transformation in undivided Bengal — and the staging gave them back their place in the story.

The second presentation, impressions of literary work, turned to the women Tagore imagined. Bimala from Ghare Baire arrived first, followed by Giribala from Manabhanjan, Kumudini from Jogajog, and Mrinal from Strir Patra — whose letter to her husband remains one of the most radical acts of self-assertion in Bengali literature.

Kamala from Noukadubi appeared alongside subtle references to widow remarriage and societal attitudes towards women. Monimalika from Monihar and Nandini from Raktakarabi followed. Then Labanya from Shesher Kobita, Sucharita from Gora, and the dance drama Chandalika. The evening closed with Chitrangada — Tagore's tribute to feminine dignity and equality, a character who demanded to be seen as no less than a man.

As a council of fashion designers, FDCB brought a particular sensibility to the production. The costumes carried weight and intention, reflecting Tagore's own belief that style is the rhythmic expression of the soul — never mere decoration.

Recitations by Tropa Majumdar and Samiul Islam Poluck wove the narrative together throughout the night. The vocal ensemble performed Rabindrasangeet including Nabo Anande Jaago, Aaji Jharer Raate, Shangana Gagane, and finally — Oi Mohamanob Aashe.

Tagore spent a lifetime insisting that women had a story worth telling. On Thursday evening, the audience left with that holistic sense through the performance of the artists.