Three-day Rabindra festival set to begin in Shahzadpur Kuthibari

Located 75 km from Pabna town, Shahzadpur Kuthibari is a historic reminder of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, who administered his estates from here. The Kuthibari wears a festive look ahead of the three-day Rabindra festival marking the bard's 156nd birth anniversary which is set to begin on  May 8, Baishakh, 25. Adviser to Prime minister HT Imam is likely to inaugurate the festival.

  Shahzadpur Kuthibari, one of the three estates of Tagore, holds special fascination for researchers intrigued by Tagore's long connection with the lives of the poor farmers.

Tagore's grandfather Prince Dwarkanath bought the Shahzadpur estate from Zaminder Rani Bhabani of Natore in 1840, long before the poet's birth. When he grew up, the poet was given the responsibility of maintaining the estate. He visited Shahzadpur several times. He last visited Shahzadpur was  in 1901.

Although the poet administered his estate from the Kacharibari, he was not the typical hardheaded landlord.  When the impoverished farmers revealed their plight to Tagore, they requested that he allot some land to them for dairy farming. Rabindranath Tagore gave them a large  field in Potazia for dairy farming , resulting in the country's largest milk producing zone in Baghabari, Shahzadpur.

Tagore loved Shahzadpur more than any other place around the world according to his letters. “Here (Shahzadpur) I get that inspiration of writing than any other area,” Tagore wrote in a letter to his niece Indira Debi in the early nineteenth century that reveals his love for Shahzadpur.

Tagore wrote parts of his famous works “Bishorjon”, “Sonar Tori”, “Chitra”, “Chaitali”, “Golpoguccho”, “Chhinnapatra”, “Panchabhooter Diary” and “Meyeli Chhara” in Shahzadpur. Tagore also wrote 38 letters from here.