Finding traces of Rabindranath Tagore's legacy in Mumbai

Young Rabi in BombaySabyasachi Mukherjee director general of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS shares that the poetrsquos elder brother Satyendranath coaxed young Rabindranath Tagore to come to Bombay in 1878 ldquoThe goal was to prepare him for a journey to England for higher educationrdquo Mukherjee explainsSabyasachi MukherjeeDuring this time young Rabi stayed with Dr Atmaram Pandurang Turkhud at 65 Kandewadi in Girgaon Quoting from Pratapaditya Palrsquos commemorative work on the poet Something Old Something New Mukherjee adds that Rabi developed a special bond with Dr Turkhudrsquos daughter Annapurna fondly known as Ana This friendship and interlude in Bombay would lay the foundation to Tagorersquos early romantic poetry and literary greatnessThe connection does not end there CSMVS also houses a rare Baluchar saree that belonged to Jnanadanandini Devi the wife of Satyendranath Tagore Though it is traditional in its weave the design around the pallu features a contemporary scene of a steam engine train with European passengers wearing typical hats and costumesEclectic cuisineMadhumita PyneChef and culinary revivalist Madhumita Pyne has been serving Thakurbari cuisine across the city As a family the lsquoThakursrsquo anglicised to lsquoTagore by the British were travellers and gastronomes who would source recipes from Europe Asia and from across India Tagore also began the monthly tradition of a Khamkheyali Sabha at Jorasanko Thakur Bari the ancestral home of the Tagore family ldquoThis was a whimsical gathering of writers poets and artistes over an evening of performances The mandate for the food was that it has to be just as whimsical One of the popular ones is a payesh prepared from onionsrdquo she revealsThe artistic geniusAnusree Bonnerjee in a performance of Chitrangada in 2009The multifaceted genius of Tagore is most evident in his literary and musical work For Anusree Bonnerjee citybased danseuse and honorary creative director of Shahana Rabindra Sangeet was an introduction to the intricacies of Bengali culture and language ldquoIn fact the interpretation of these songs through movement in his dance dramas led to a new form Rabindra Nrityardquo the danseuse reveals This evolution emphasised lyrical movement to underline selfexpression She explains ldquoTagore brought in Manipuri as the base form Each character uses a different classical dance form influence to overlay As a process it became an amalgamation of forms while developing into a distinct stylerdquoA friend to the MahatmaSandhya Mehta and A handwritten letter by Mahatma Gandhi to Rabindranath Tagore on his return from England Pics CourtesyMani Bhavan SangrahalayaThough he was older than Mahatma Gandhi mdash who would address him as Gurudev or the poet mdash Tagore shared a close bond with him ldquoHe travelled to Bombay in 1920 when he met with Gandhiji at Mani Bhavanrdquo shares Sandhya Mehta researcher at the Mani Bhavan Sangrahalaya and coauthor of Gandhi in Bombay ldquoGandhiji even wrote in a letter to Devdas Gandhi quoting lsquoI saw a good deal of the poet in Bombayrsquo Remember this was also the time they were propagating the idea of Swadesirdquo she adds Those intrigued can always drop in for a peek at the letter that is displayed at the Sangrahalaya till dateMangsher safed kormaIngredientsgtgt 1 kg muttongtgt 1 ltr milkgtgt 4 large onionsgtgt 1 head garlicgtgt 2 tsp ginger pastegtgt 1012 green chilliesgtgt 500 gm curdgtgt 1 inch cinnamongtgt 4 clovesgtgt 2 cardamomgtgt 3 tbsp gheegtgt Salt to tasteMethodMarinate the meat with curd ginger paste and salt overnight or at least for a couple of hours Finely chop the onions Make a paste with the garlic Heat the ghee and add cinnamon clove and cardamom Once they start sputtering add the garlic paste and cook for a minute Add the chopped onion and sauteacute until translucent Do not let the onions brown Add the marinated mutton and cook till water separates Add the slit green chillies Cover and cook till the meat is fully cooked In the meantime boil and reduce the milk till it reduces to half Once the mutton is cooked take it off the heat add the reduced milk and mix well Serve with pulao or parathasRecipe courtesy Madhumita PyneEvents to catchPic CourtesyWikimedia CommonsCatch Rabindra Sangeet in its traditional formOn May 11 630 pm onwardsAt Ground next to BG House Hiranandani Gardens PowaiLog on to PowaibengaliwelfareassociationA performance of Dui Bigha JomiOn May 11 730 pm onwardsAt NMBA premises Plot 25 Sector A VashiLog on to nmbavashi for detailsEssential Tagoregtgt Gitanjaligtgt Ghaire Baire The Home and The Worldgtgt Kabuliwalagtgt The Postmastergtgt Firefliesgtgt Goragtgt Sonar Tari The Golden Boatgtgt BaaghbaanThe GardenerAvailable Leading bookstore and estoresatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params