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India to hold festival in Egypt to mark Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary

By
AC Team 1
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India will organise cultural festival in Egypt to mark 156th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo will organise this festival from 8th -12th May 2017, which will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.

  • The festival is being organised in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, Cairo Opera House, Cultural Production Sector, Dancers’ Guild and the Indian Community Association in Egypt.

Overview of Activities to be held during Tagore Festival in Egypt:

  • Screening of movie ‘Kabuliwala’ directed by Hemen Gupta. This movie is based on Tagore’s novel about an immigrant from Kabul who forms a bond with a young girl in India who reminds him of his daughter in Afghanistan.
  • A dance drama based on Tagore’s work called ‘Chitrangada’ which will be presented by Dancers’ Guild.
  • A painting competition for the children of Indian community.
  • ‘Rituranga – Play of Seasons’ will be performed by members of the Indian community on the concluding day.

About Rabindranath Tagore:

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 in Calcutta. His poetry, novels, plays, short stories and essays are widely read in India and across the world.

  • In 1913 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in recognition for his collection of India to hold festival in Egypt to mark Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversarypoems, ‘Gitanjali’. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award.
  • He also participated in Indian National Movement in his own non-sentimental and visionary way. He was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but gave up the honor to protest against British policies after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
  • Tagore visited Egypt in 1926. At that time, he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. Tagore and Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki were good friends.

Quick Facts about Egypt:

  • Capital: Cairo
  • Currency: Egyptian Pound
  • Current President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi