WORKSHOP – 2 ICONIC FIGURE INTRODUCTION:

A workshop was organized by our college on 22.sep.2017, by on iconic cultural figure at the assembly hall, in which we have given three important personalities - RABINDRANATH TAGORE , TEEJAN BAI , and VEER SAVARKAR. In the workshop we have given lecture about these personalities in brief, and also about their thoughts . A documentary film of 15-20 minutes was also shown to us about these personalities.

RABINDARNATH TAGORE :

INTRODUCTION:

Date Of Birth: 6. May. 1861 Origin: Calcutta, British India Father: DEBENDRANATH TAGORE Occupation: Writer, Song Composer, Playwright, Essayist, Painter Language: Bengali, English Nationality: British India Notable awards: Nobel Prize in Literature (1913) Died: 7. Aug .1941

EARLY LIFE (1861- 1878): Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 in the JORANSKO mansion in CALCUTTA to DEBENDRANATH TAGORE and SHARDA DEVI. Tagore was raised mostly by servant; his mother had died in his early childhood and his father travelled widely. Tagore largely avoided classroom schooling and preferred to roam the manor or nearby BOLPUR and PANIHATI, which the family visited After his UPANAYAN (coming-of-age) rite several months, visiting his father's SHANTINIKETAN estate and Amritsar before reaching the Himalayan hill station of

Dalhousie. There Tagore read biographies, studied history, astronomy, modern science, and Sanskrit, and examined the classical poetry of KALIDASA. During his 1-month stay at Amritsar in 1873 he was greatly influenced by melodious GURBANI and NANAK BANI being sung at Golden Temple for which both father and son were regular visitors. He mentions about this in his 'MY REMINISCENCES.

POETRY: He wrote 6 poems relating to Sikhism and no. of articles in Bengali child magazine about Sikhism. Tagore returned to JOROSANKO and completed a set of major works by 1877, one of them a long poem in the Maithili style of VIDYAPATI. As a joke, he claimed that these were the lost works of a newly discovered 17th-century VAISNAVA poet BHANUSIMHA. Regional experts accepted them as the lost works of BHANUSIMHA. He debuted in the short-story genre in Bengali with "BHIKHARINI". Published in the same year, SANDHYA SANGIT includes the poem "NIRJHARER SWAPNAPBHANGA". Internationally, GITANJALI is Tagore's best-known collection of poetry, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913. Tagore was the first person outside Europe to get the Nobel Prize. Besides GITANJALI, other notable works include MANSI, Sonar Tori, BALAKA. Tagore's poetic style, which proceeds from a lineage established by 15th- and 16th-century VAISHNAVA poets, ranges from classical formalism to the comic, visionary, and ecstatic. He was influenced by the atavistic mysticism of VYASA and other rishi-authors of the Upanishads, the Bhakti-Sufi mystic KABIR, and RAMPRASAD SEN. Tagore's most innovative and mature poetry embodies his exposure to Bengali rural folk music, which included mystic BAUL ballads such as those of the bard LALON. These, rediscovered by Tagore, resemble 19th- century KARTABHANJA hymns that emphasize inward divinity and rebellion against bourgeois BHADRALOK religious and social orthodoxy. During his SHELAIDAHA years, his poems took on a lyrical voice of the MONER MANUSH, the BAULS' "man within the heart" and Tagore's "life force of his deep recesses", or meditating upon the JEEVAN DEVTA—the demiurge or the "living God within". This figure connected with divinity through appeal to nature and the emotional interplay of human drama. Such tools saw use in his BHANUSIMHA poems chronicling the RADHA - Krishna romance, which were repeatedly revised over the course of seventy years.

ROLE AS A POLITICIAN: Tagore opposed imperialism and supported Indian nationalists, and these views were first revealed in MANAST, which was mostly composed in his twenties. Evidence produced during the Hindu–German Conspiracy Trial and latter accounts affirm his awareness of the GHADARITES, and stated that he sought the support of Japanese Prime Minister Terauchi MASATAKE and former Premier OKUMA SHIGENUMA. Yet he lampooned the SWADESHI movement; he rebuked it in The Cult of the Charkha, an acrid 1925 essay. He urged the masses to avoid VICTIMOLOGY and instead seek self-help and education, and he saw the presence of British administration as a "political symptom of our social disease". He maintained that, even for those at the extremes of poverty, "there can be no question of blind revolution"; preferable to it was a "steady and purposeful education".

Contribution:

Tagore began his career in short stories in 1877—when he was only sixteen—with "BHIKHARIN". With this, Tagore effectively invented the Bengali-language short story genre. The four years from 1891 to 1895 are known as Tagore's "SADHANA" period. This period was among Tagore's most fecund, yielding more than half the stories contained in the three- volume GALPAGUCHCHHA, which itself is a collection of eighty-four stories. Such stories usually showcase Tagore's reflections upon his surroundings, on modern and fashionable ideas, and on interesting mind puzzles. Known mostly for his poetry, Tagore wrote novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs. Of Tagore's prose, his short stories are perhaps most highly regarded; he is indeed credited with originating the Bengali-language version of the genre. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic, and lyrical nature. Such stories mostly borrow from deceptively simple subject matter: commoners. Tagore's non-fiction grappled with history, linguistics, and spirituality. Tagore also stated that his works sought to articulate "the play of feeling and not of action". In 1890 he wrote VISARJAN, which has been regarded as his finest drama.

This includes all versions of each work and fills about eighty volumes. In 2011, Harvard University Press collaborated with VISVA- BHARTI

University to publish The Essential Tagore, the largest anthology of Tagore's works available in English; it was edited by FAKRUL ALAM and RADHA and marks the 150th anniversary of Tagore's birth.

He wrote autobiographies. His travelogues, essays, and lectures were compiled into several volumes, including Europe JATRIR PATRO MANUSHER DHORMO. His brief chat with Einstein, "Note on the Nature of Reality", is included as an appendix to the latter. On the occasion of Tagore's 150th birthday an anthology of the total body of his works is currently being published in Bengali in chronological order.

FAMILY BACKGROUND:

The Tagore family was at the forefront of the Bengal renaissance. They hosted the publication of literary magazines; theatre and recitals of Bengali and Western classical music featured there regularly. Tagore's father invited several professional Dhrupad musicians to stay in the house and teach Indian classical music to the children. Tagore's oldest brother DWIZENDRANATH was a philosopher and poet. Another brother, SATYNDERNATH, was the first Indian appointed to the elite and formerly all-European Indian Civil Service. Yet another brother, JYOTINIDRANATH, was a musician, composer, and playwright. His sister SWARNAKUMARI became a novelist. JYOTINIDRANATH wife KADAMBRI DEVI, slightly older than Tagore, was a dear friend and powerful influence. Her abrupt suicide in 1884, soon after he married, left him profoundly distraught for years. His brother HEMENDRANATH tutored and physically conditioned him— by having him swim the Ganges or trek through hills, by gymnastics, judo and wrestling. He learned drawing, anatomy, geography and history, literature, mathematics, Sanskrit, and English—his least liked subject. Tagore loathed formal education—his scholarly travails at the local Presidency College spanned a single day. Years later he held that proper teaching does not explain things; proper teaching stokes curiosity.

AWARDS ACHIEVEMENT:

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1913 was awarded to Rabindranath

Tagore "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West. The first Asian poet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature – for his ground breaking work – GITANJALI. Rabindranath Tagore was Asia’s first Nobel Prize winner. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in

1913 for his book GITANJALI.

2. TEEJAN BAI: The exponent of PANDAVANI

Date Of Birth: born 24 April 1956 Origin: GANIYARI Village, CHHATISGARH Occupation: PANDAVANI, Folk Singer

Awards: PADAM BHUSHAN (2003), PADAM SHRI (1998), SANGEET NATAK ACADEMI AWARD(1995)

EARLY LIFE:

TEEJAN BAI was born in GANIYARI village, 14 KILOMETERS north of BHILAI, to CHUNUK LAL PARDHI and his wife SUKHWATI. She belongs to the PARDHI Scheduled Tribe of Chhattisgarh state. Though she was married at 12, she was expelled by the community, the 'PARDHI' tribe, for singing PANDAVANI, being a woman. She built herself a

small hut and started living on her own house, borrowing utensils and food from her relatives, yet never left her singing, which eventually paid off for her. She never went to her first husband's home and later split(divorce). In the following years, she was married twice, though none of her marriages succeeded. Later she fell in love with TUKKA RAM, a former harmonium player in her troupe, and they had three children. THE FOLK SINGER – TEEJAN BAI

TEEJAN BAI represents the best in folk art in this country. Her sensuous rendering of the epic, her rustic charm and peasant-like simplicity have made her immensely popular not only in Chhattisgarh but almost all over the world. She has enchanted large crowds at the festivals of India in France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Britain and the USSR. Last year, the Government recognised her extraordinary talent by confer. Her first appearance on the BHILAI stage captivated the audience. The tall, buxom, dusky TEEJAN, in traditional Chhattisgarhi sari and ornaments, TAMBOURA in hand, is an attractive sight. Her mobile face reveals by turns the virility of BHIM, the valor of ARJUN, the despair of DRAUPADI, the love and affection of KUNTI, the sacrifice of Kama, the pride of DURYODHANA and the lust of KEECHAK. Comments Heritage magazine: "In her traditional attire she transforms herself into a character of the world of legends.” Her first appearance on the BHILAI stage captivated the audience. The tall, buxom, dusky TEEJAN, in traditional Chhattisgarhi sari and ornaments, tamboura in hand, is an attractive sight. Her mobile face reveals by turns the virility of BHIM, the valor of Arjun, the despair of Draupadi, the love and affection of Kunti, the sacrifice of Kama, the pride of Duryodhana and the lust of Keechak. Comments Heritage magazine: "In

her traditional attire she transforms herself into a character of the world of legends.”

CONTRIBUTION:

At age 13, she gave her first public performance in a neighbouring village, CHANDRAKHURI for Rs. 10., singing in the KAPALIC SHAILI of 'PANDAVANI', a first time for a woman, as traditionally women used to sing in the Vedamati ,the sitting style. Contrary to the tradition, TEEJAN BAI performed standing singing out loud in her typical guttural voice and unmistakable verve, entering what was till then, a male bastion. Beginning in the 1980s, she travelled all over the world as a cultural ambassador, to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius. She performed sequences from the Mahabharata in SHYAM BENGAL’S acclaimed DOORDARSHAN TV series BHARAT EK KHOJ based on Jawaharlal Nehru's book. Today she continues to enthrall audiences, the world over with her unique folk singing and her powerful voice; and pass on her singing to the younger generation. HER DANCING STYLE:

PANDAVANI, literally means stories of PANDAVAS, the legendary

brothers in MAHABHARTA, and involves enacting and singing with instrumental accompaniment an EKTARA or a TAMBURA in one hand and sometimes a KARTAL in another. Interestingly, as the performance progresses, the TAMBURA becomes her only prop during her performances, sometimes she uses it to personify a GADA, mace of ARJUN, or at times his bow or chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen DRAUPADI, allowing her to play various character with effective ease and candour. Her acclaimed performances are of, DRAUPADI CHEERHARAN, DUSHASANA

VADH and MAHABHARAT YUDH, between BHISHMA and ARJUN. FAMILY BACKGROUND:

TEEJAN BAI is an exponent of PANDAVANI, a traditional performing art form, from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata, with musical accompaniments. The eldest among her five siblings she heard her maternal grandfather, BRIJLAL PARDHI, recite the Mahabharata written by Chhattisgarhi writer, SABAL SINH CHAUHAN in Chhattisgarhi Hindi and instantly took a liking to it. She soon memorized much of it, and later trained informally under UMED SINGH DESHMUKH. The PARDHI tribe’s people earn their keep by catching birds, gathering honey and weaving mats and brooms. TEEJAN, unlike her siblings, did not go to school. She sang while she helped her parents weave and toil in the field. And as was customary, she was married when she was 12. Her husband, however, already had two wives and then, got a fourth. TEEJAN walked out. Her maternal grandfather, BRIJLAL PARDHI, was a PANDAVAN singer. TEEJAN started learning from him. In 1971, the 15- year-old TEEJAN BAI became perhaps the first woman to have adopted the

KAPALIC style. She had married four times due to some problems in her

life, and she is leaving with her fourth husband. Her first appearance on the Bhilai stage captivated the audience. The tall, buxom, dusky TEEJAN, in traditional Chhattisgarhi sari and ornaments, tamboura in hand, is an attractive sight. Her mobile face reveals by turns the virility of BHIM, the valor of ARJUN, the despair of DRAUPADI, the love and affection of KUNTI, the sacrifice of Kama, the pride of DURRYODHANA and the lust of KEECHAK. Comments Heritage magazine: "In her traditional attire she transforms hearse. AWARDS ACHIEVEMENT:

TEEJAN BAI was awarded with many award , she was awarded with PADAM BHUSHAN award in 2003, by PADAM SHREE award in 1988, and byb SANGEET ACADEMI AWARD in 1995.

VINAYAK DAMODAR SAVARKAR: Date Of Birth: 28 May 1883 Origin: Bhagur, Bombay ,Presidency , British India Occupation: Pro- Independence activist, Lawyer, Poet, Writer, Play writer, Politician Nationality: Indian Father: DAMODAR SAVARKAR Mother: YASHODA SAVARKAR

EARLY LIFE:

VINAYAK DAMODAR SAVARKAR was born in the Marathi Chitpavin Brahmin Hindu family of DAMODAR and RADHABAI SAVARKAR in the village of Bhagur, near the city of Nasik, Maharashtra. He had three other siblings namely Ganesh, Narayan, and a sister named Maina. He earned the nickname "Veer" when at the age of 12, he led fellow students against a rampaging horde of Muslims that attacked his village. After the death of his parents, the eldest sibling Ganesh, known as

BABARAO, took responsibility of the family. BABARAO played a supportive and influential role in Vinayak's teenage life. During this period, VINAYAK organized a youth group called Mitra Mela and encouraged revolutionary and nationalist views of passion using this group. In 1901, VINAYAK DAMODAR married YAMUNABAI, daughter of RAMCHANDRA TRIAMBUK CHIPLUNKAR, who supported his university education. In 1902, he enrolled in Fergusson College, in PUNE. As a young man, he was inspired by the new generation of radical political leaders namely BAL GANGADHAR TILAK, BIPIN CHANDRA PAL and LALA LAJPAT RAI along with the political struggle against the partition of Bengal and the rising SWADESHI campaign. After completing his degree, nationalist activist SHYAMJI KRISHNA helped VINAYAK to go to England to study law, on a scholarship. It was during this period that the GARAM DAL, literally "Army of the angry," was formed under the leadership of TILAK as a result of a split between the moderate, "constitutionalist" wing on the one part, and of TILAK’s extremist or radical wing in the Indian National Congress.

As a Prisoner in Cellular Jail in Andaman: His fellow captives included many political prisoners, who were forced to perform hard labour for many years. Reunited with his brother Ganesh, the SAVARKAR nevertheless struggled in the harsh environment: Forced to arise at 5 am, tasks including cutting trees and chopping wood, and working at the oil mill under regimental strictness, with talking amidst prisoners strictly prohibited during mealtime. Prisoners were subject to frequent mistreatment and torture. Contact with the outside world and home was restricted to the writing and mailing of one letter a year. In these years, SAVARKAR withdrew within himself and performed his

routine tasks mechanically. Obtaining permission to start a rudimentary jail library, SAVARKAR would also teach some fellow convicts to read and write.

CONTRIBUTION:

SAVARKAR envisioned a guerrilla war for independence along the lines of the famous war for Indian independence of 1857. Studying the history of the revolt, from English as well as Indian sources, SAVARKAR wrote the book, The History of the War of Indian Independence. He analysed the circumstances of 1857 uprising and assailed British rule in India as unjust and oppressive. The book was banned throughout the British Empire. Madame Bhikaji Cama, an expatriate Indian revolutionary obtained its publication in the

Netherlands, France and Germany. During his incarceration, SAVARKAR views began turning increasingly towards Hindu cultural and political nationalism, and the next phase of his life remained dedicated to this cause. In the brief period he spent at the Ratnagiri jail, SAVARKAR wrote his ideological treatise. In this work, SAVARKAR promotes a radical new vision of Hindu social and political consciousness. SAVARKAR began describing a "Hindu" as a patriotic inhabitant of Bharatavarsha, venturing beyond a religious identity. While emphasizing the need for patriotic and social unity of all Hindu communities, he described Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism as one and the same. He outlined his vision of a "Hindu Rashtra" as "Akhand Bharat", purportedly stretching across the entire Indian subcontinent. He defined Hindus as being neither Aryan nor Dravidian but as "People who live as children of a common motherland, adoring a common holyland." SAVARKAR wrote more than 10,000 pages in the Marathi language. His literary works in Marathi include "Kamala", "MAZI JANMATHEP", and most famously 1857 - The First War of Independence, in which SAVARKAR popularized the term "First War of Independence" for what the

British referred to as the "Sepoy Mutiny". Another book was Kale Pani (Black Water which means "life sentence" on the island prison on the Andaman islands), which reflected the treatment of Indian Independence activists by the British. To counter the then British propagated view that India's history was a saga of continuous defeat, he wrote an inspirational historical work, Saha Soneri Pane, recounting some of the "Golden periods" of Indian history. FAMILY BACKGROUND:

He was born on May 28, 1883, in Bhagpur village near Nasik. After his

parents died young, his elder brother Ganesh looked after the family. Though SAVARKAR was only a youngster, he was aware of the tensions between the Hindus and Muslims who populated his country. In 1893, the hostility escalated as riots broke out between the two groups in the city of Bombay and also in the Azamgarh district. His father and uncle died of the plague in 1899 and his brothers were sickened as well, though they recovered. Over the next few years, SAVARKAR worked to promote the idea of independence for India—and a Hindustan nation in particular. He also married the daughter of BHAURAO CHIPLUNKAR. SAVARKAR’s father–in–law, rich and influential, provided funds for him to continue his education.

HOW IT EFFECTED ME:

The whole workshop had learnt me a lot of information on three iconic figures- RABINDRANATH TAGORE, TEEJAN BAI, VEER SAVARKAR. Though earlier, I was quite familiar with the work of RABINDRANATH TAGORE, VEER SAVARKAR, TEEJAN BAI but our teachers became a great sources for adding more knowledge to my earlier knowledge.