Lumding sub is incomplete without Maa's image

^(Visited lumding this Shitla Puja)

By now, almost all of us are aware that Tagore is connected to Lakshminath Bezbarua, as Bezbarua married the niece of Tagore, Pragyasundari Devi. But another under discussed story about Tagore is his three visits to Assam. In 1919, in 1923 and in 1927. He also had close connections to numerous Assamese writers and famous personalities, for example, Deshbhakta Tarunram Phukan's connection to Thakur's family. Then Surya Kumar Bhuyan, the renowned historian of Assam, went to Jorasankor Thakurbari with his wife and met Tagore. Bhuyan's write-up 'One Hour with Tagore' gives readers a vivid description of the meeting.

Tagore stood as an ideal figure for the Assamese litterateurs. He had the fortune to be acquainted with poems of Bengali poet and folksong writer Hasan Raja during one of his visits to Assam.

Some historical photographs show Tagore with Assamese figures. One such shows him with Satyanath Bora, Hemchandra Goswami, Bholanath Das and Banikanta Kakati. Another one shows him students of the Cotton College in Guwahati.

During Tagore's 1919 Guwahati visit, he received massive public reception. He then visited Shillong, the former capital of undivided Assam and stayed there at Brookside Compound, a house in the Rilbong area on the outskirts of the city. He also wrote a poem named 'Shillong-er Chithi' meaning 'The letter to Shillong'. He also visited the Barak Valley of Assam, particularly the Karimganj area which he named Sribhumi translating to the Land of Lakshmi. In his memory, the Assam government renamed Karimganj district as Sribhumi in 2024. Moreover, a university named 'Rabindranath Thakur University' was built in Hojai.

His influence on Assam and its personalities remains significant to this date. His story is a perfect example of Assam's long lasting ties with Bengal.

On ocassion of the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore lt is remember his connection to Tripura

The relationship between Rabindranath Tagore and Tripura was among the longest and most substantial associations the poet maintained with any princely state in India. It stretched across generations of the Manikya dynasty and evolved through literary admiration, political trust, financial patronage, and cultural collaboration. In many ways, the story of Tagore and Tripura also reflects the larger intellectual relationship between Bengal and the northeastern frontier during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The foundations of this relationship predated Rabindranath himself. During a political crisis in the nineteenth century, Maharaja Krishna Kishore Manikya of Tripura had established contact with Prince Dwarkanath Tagore and received assistance from him. This early interaction created familiarity between the Tagore household and the Tripura royal family. Rabindranath himself later referred to this connection in a letter dated May 6, 1886 addressed to Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya, while seeking historical material from Tripura for literary purposes.

Tripura’s royal court had by then already emerged as an important patron of Bengali language and culture. The Manikya rulers, especially from the time of Ratna Manikya onward, maintained close engagement with Bengali literary traditions. Under Bir Chandra Manikya this cultural orientation acquired a distinctly modern form. Bir Chandra was not merely a patron king in the ceremonial sense. He was deeply involved in photography, painting, music, Vaishnav literature, and artistic experimentation. Contemporary accounts often describe him as a ruler with the temperament of a cultural intellectual. One of the defining moments in the Tagore-Tripura relationship came in 1882. Bir Chandra was grieving after the death of his wife, Queen Bhanumati Devi, and during this period he read the young Rabindranath’s poem Bhagna Hriday. The emotional intensity of the work deeply affected him. At a time when Tagore was still a young and often criticized writer within Bengali literary circles, Bir Chandra recognized extraordinary promise in him. He sent his political secretary, Radharaman Ghosh, to the Tagore residence at Jorasanko to personally congratulate the poet. The king is also said to have considered purchasing a printing press to facilitate the publication of Tagore’s writings, disturbed by the hostility and dismissiveness that many critics directed at the young poet’s early works.

Tagore later recalled this recognition with visible warmth in his memoir Jiban Smriti. For a young writer struggling for literary acceptance, the support of a cultured monarch carried enormous significance. Bir Chandra reportedly declared that he foresaw a remarkable future for Rabindranath, long before the Nobel Prize transformed him into a global literary figure. This marked the beginning of a relationship that would continue across four successive rulers of Tripura.

The connection also influenced Tagore’s creative work directly. While corresponding with the Tripura court and studying elements of the kingdom’s history, he developed literary material that later shaped some of his major writings, including Rajarshi and the plays Visarjan and Mukut. These works drew inspiration from episodes connected to the Tripura royal family and court traditions. In this sense, Tripura did not merely patronize Tagore; it entered his literary imagination.

After Bir Chandra’s death in 1896, the relationship continued seamlessly under Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. During his reign, Tagore visited Tripura for the first time in 1900. Radha Kishore maintained close communication with the poet and frequently sought his advice on matters of governance and administration. The relationship had by then expanded beyond literature into intellectual consultation and institutional support. Radha Kishore also became an important patron of scientific and educational activity linked to Tagore’s wider circle. When the scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose faced financial difficulties while in England, Tagore approached the Tripura ruler for assistance. The request was granted. Such episodes reveal how the Tripura court functioned as an active participant in Bengal’s broader intellectual and cultural world.

Perhaps the most enduring contribution of the Tripura monarchy lay in its support for Visva-Bharati. Maharaja Radha Kishore sanctioned annual financial grants for the institution, and this patronage continued for decades under subsequent rulers. The support eventually became part of Tripura’s regular state expenditure and continued until the reign of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, the last ruling monarch of princely Tripura. Under Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya, the relationship retained both ceremonial warmth and intellectual seriousness. After Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913, celebrations were organized in Tripura in honour of the poet. Tagore visited the state again in 1919 during Birendra Kishore’s reign, further strengthening cultural ties between Santiniketan and Agartala. Tripura’s contribution to Santiniketan was not limited to money alone. Renowned artist Dhirendra Krishna Debbarman and Manipuri dance scholar Buddhimanta Singh were sent to Visva-Bharati from Tripura. Their presence played a role in introducing and institutionalizing Manipuri dance within the university’s artistic curriculum. This became historically important because Santiniketan later emerged as one of the major centers through which Manipuri dance gained wider national and international recognition. Tagore’s final visit to Tripura took place in 1926, during the reign of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. Bir Bikram belonged to a younger generation of rulers but maintained deep admiration for Tagore and his cultural ideals. In May 1941, only months before the poet’s death, a special celebration was organized in Tripura to mark Tagore’s eightieth birthday. Shortly before his passing, Bir Bikram personally visited Santiniketan and conferred upon Tagore the title “Bharat Bhaskar.” When Tagore died later that year, Tripura observed official mourning at the king’s instruction.

The emotional closeness between the poet and the state also found expression in Tagore’s own words on Tripura. In one of his most remembered lines about the land, he wrote: “When the woodlands of Tripura have sent out invitations to their floral feast through their courier of the south wind, I have come as a friend.” The statement captured the unusual nature of the relationship. Tagore was not simply an honoured guest at a princely court. Over decades, Tripura had become part of his cultural and literary world.

“Rabindranath lived in this bungalow”

Remembering Tagore's ties with shillong on his birth aniversary

Tagore visited Shillong not just once, but thrice in ​1919, 1923, and 1927

No other hill station has had the privilege of hosting the illustrious poet so many times. Several iconic literary creations emerged from these three visits. The classic master piece romantic novel Shesher Kobita, is set in the backdrop of Shillong . Raktakarobi and Shillonger Chiti are the other well-known creations associated with his Shillong visit.

Shillonger Chiti is a true representation of how profoundly Tagore’s poetic sense was captivated by the innate natural beauty of Shillong

In his memoirs, the poet describes the winding road to Shillong as ‘aka – baka – poth’ with eye catching forests on either side. He celebrates the unique aroma of the Pine trees and is charmed by the Rhododendrons of the evergreen Khasi Hills. Shillong’s calmness and tranquillity surrounded by Pine and Deodar trees reflects well in all such Tagore’s work.

During his first visit, Tagore stayed for 20 days at a bungalow known as Brookside, which is now owned by the Art and Culture Department of Meghalaya Government

It was during his second visit, that Tagore stayed at ‘Jitbhumi’ for two months, which at that time belonged to his niece. He was just back from a year-long trip to Europe and America. It was during his time here that he wrote Raktakarobi (Red Oleanders), a drama reflecting his experience of the largely mechanical and materialistic life in the West. A significant event during this second visit was the celebration of Tagore’s birthday on the 8th of May, 1923.

That ‘Jitbhumi’ owners have retained the bungalow in its original form and preserved many of his precious memories speaks volumes about their admiration and respect towards the renowned poet.

During his third and final visit in May-June 1927, Tagore stayed at Solomon Villa, later renamed as Sidli House in Upland Road, Laitumkhrah. During this time, he composed the novel Tinpurush, which he later renamed as Yogayog. He penned a few poems too. The letters he wrote to friends and family are also preserved. This heritage house no longer exists.

Besides Tagore, Shillong has also been fortunate to host Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. However, it’s extremely unfortunate that there has been no effort to preserve the heritage homes where people of such stature have stayed. Most are destroyed. It’s a blessing therefore that ‘Jitbhumi’ is owned by people who understand and value the glorious heritage linked to eminent distinguished people, like Tagore.

P.S. I am bad at editing 🥲

​Dr. Atanu Nath, an Assistant Professor of Physics at Tihu College in Assam’s Nalbari district, has been awarded the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, widely known as the “Oscars of Science,” as part of an international collaboration of 376 scientists recognised for their work on the Muon g−2 experiments conducted at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab.

Hailing from Lalabazar in Hailakandi district, Nath is among roughly 11 Indian scientists sharing the honour for helping measure the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon an elementary particle whose behaviour could reveal new physics beyond the Standard Model.

According to recent reports, Nath is the only awardee among the Indian recipients currently living and working in India, making his recognition particularly significant for regional academia. The achievement has been widely celebrated across Assam and the Northeast, with educational institutions, policymakers and the scientific community applauding his contribution to global physics research.

Assam Scientist On Global Stage

Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Tihu College, Dr. Nath’s journey from a small town in Assam to the global stage of particle physics has drawn admiration across the region.

Born in Lalabazar in Hailakandi district, he pursued his academic interests in physics before becoming part of the international Muon g−2 collaboration a decades-long scientific effort involving researchers from institutions across the world. The Breakthrough Prize recognised the collective contributions of 376 scientists who worked together on this experiment, with Indian researchers forming a small but significant group among the awardees.

At Tihu College, faculty members and students organised a felicitation ceremony to honour Nath’s achievement, marking the occasion with traditional Assamese symbols of respect such as the phulam gamocha.

Principal Dr. Suresh Bharali praised Nath’s accomplishment, describing it as a matter of immense pride not only for the institution but also for Assam and the wider Northeast. Many in the academic community have highlighted that Nath’s recognition demonstrates that meaningful contributions to cutting-edge global science can emerge from colleges and institutions located far beyond India’s major research hubs.

The recognition has also sparked celebrations across the state, with educators and policymakers emphasising the importance of supporting research talent from diverse regions. For many young students in Assam, Nath’s achievement serves as a powerful example that international scientific recognition is within reach, regardless of geographical background.

Why Muon g−2 Matters

The Breakthrough Prize honours the scientists behind the Muon g−2 experiments, which aim to measure an extremely precise property of the muon a subatomic particle similar to the electron but around 200 times heavier. Like electrons, muons behave like tiny magnets, and scientists are interested in understanding how their magnetic strength changes when they interact with other particles and forces in the quantum universe.

To study this phenomenon, researchers use large storage rings that allow muons to circulate within strong magnetic fields. By observing how these particles wobble, scientists can measure their “anomalous magnetic moment,” commonly referred to as g−2.

Even tiny discrepancies between experimental results and theoretical predictions could signal the existence of new particles or forces that are not accounted for in the Standard Model of particle physics the framework that currently explains how fundamental particles behave.

The experiment has evolved through several stages across major global research centres. Early measurements were carried out at CERN during the 1960s and 1970s. Later, the experiment was refined at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States in the 1990s, achieving greater precision

The Charyapada, a collection of mystical poems and songs rediscovered in royal library of Nepal in 1907, is commonly accepted to have been composed and compiled between 8th and 12th centuries CE by 23 Siddhacharyas (tantric masters) of Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism from the tantric traditions of Odisha, Assam, Bengal and Bihar.

This verse (from Charyapada Verse 10), composed by Kānhapāda(Kānhuipā), is a cornerstone of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages. It serves as a "linguistic blueprint", demonstrating the common Abahatta (Apabhramsha) roots that evolved into modern Odia, Assamese, Bangla, Maithili, Magahi and other East Indo-Aryan languages.

Especially for Odia and Bangla speakers, the striking resemblance is unmistakable. The syntax and vocabulary have remained remarkably intact for over a thousand years.

Manipuri ​Hindus of Manipur and others elsewhere in the world observe New Year or Cheiraoba every year sometime in mid April when the Sun enters the house of Aries or Mesha Rashi. This day is also called Mesha Sankranti (transmigration of the Sun into the house of Aries) by the Hindus. Mesha Sankranti is taken as the first day of the solar cycle year that is the solar New Year as per Hindu calendar based on the movement of the Sun. The day usually falls on 13 or 14 of April (sometimes 15 April) every year and take it as the first day of the first month of the year in many local and regional calendars of India and South-east Asia, that adopt solar calendar.

Manipuri Hindus observe Cheiraoba almost in the manner and style of the traditional Manipuri Meiteis and the date is seemingly adopted from the solar calendar

it is a general practice among the Manipuri ​Hindus that after cleaning the house, a family meal/feast with variety of items comprising (at least) five or more is prepared with fresh seasonal vegetables and offered it to Yumlai and Lamlai and some people to Hindu Gods and Goddesses they worship at home too, before consuming it by the whole family jointly.

After the meals are over, they use to climb a nearby hill considered to be the abode of Gods and Goddesses by the Manipuris.

Thus, (Sajibu) Cheiraoba is celebrated in mid-April which usually falls on 13 or 14 April (sometimes 15) by the Meitei Hindus, mostly in local manner and style of the traditional (Sajibu) Nongma Panba Cheiraoba of the original Meitei/Meetei culture, along with many culturally identical people of South-east Asia, who adopt solar calendar.

Wishing you all a happy Cherairaoba

(​Sorry for the delay)

সকলোকে সুখী আৰু সমৃদ্ধিশালী পহেলা বয়শাখৰ কামনা কৰিছোঁ।