Tribute to Tagore drenched in Eden Gardens

Rains played spoilsport as there were Tagore's songs and dance before the start of the IPL match at the Eden Gardens.

Heavy rains played spoilsport as there were Tagore’s songs and dance before the start of the IPL match on Thursday night at the Eden Gardens between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Bangalore Royal Challengers, which coincided with Gurudev’s 148th birth anniversary.

The 10-minute programme had Indrani Sen singing Vandemataram, written by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay and music composed by the bard, while danseuse Mamata Shankar and her troupe members gave a dance performance.

The spectators were then treated to a solo by Sen singing Bara asha kore esechhi go (I have come to you with lot of hope).

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The Mamata Shankar Ballet troupe danced to another popular Tagore song, Poush toder dak diyechhe, on the stage inside the fencing area before the J block of the gallery.

With wife Gauri beside him, megastar and owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan garlanded a portrait of Tagore and recited a poem from Gitanjali: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.”

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” he said after the recitation.

The programme was wrapped up with the singing of the national anthem written by Tagore.

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However, with the rains and a melee near the stage which prevented a clear view from the galleries, the programme was anything but impressive.

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