Shillong, Oct 3: The chief justice of Meghalaya, Biswanath Samadder, unveiled a bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on the premises of Jitbhumi in Rilbong on Sunday.
Jitbhumi, which is a private property now, is a heritage site. Tagore stayed in the bungalow during his second visit to Shillong in April-June 1923.
On the occasion, Samadder launched Kavitanjali, a collection of Bengali and English poems, by educationist, author and poet Uma Purkayastha.
She spoke about the history of the bungalow and Tagore’s deep connection with the hill city.
Members of Rilbong Sports and Cultural Club presented the opening song. The dance troupe of Gitanjali also performed on the occasion. The cultural programme was organised by the present owners of the property and it was supported by the cultural club. All healthcare protocols were followed.
The most mesmerising performance of the day was Khasi rendition of Tagore’s songs by Genevive Khongjee and in Bengali by Antara Choudhury.
The present occupants of the bungalow, Dr Charismata Budnah, Dr Debashish Das , were present. Former MLA Manas Chaudhuri was among the speakers.
