The 161st birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore will be observed in the country on Sunday after two years of muted celebrations for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tagore was a poet, visual artist, playwright, novelist, as well as a composer whose works reshaped Bangla literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born on May 7, 1861 at Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata, he was the youngest of 13 surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.

He became Asia's first Nobel laureate after winning the Nobel Prize in literature for Gitanjali in 1913.

Also read: Remembering Tagore, the polymath!

Two of his songs are now the national anthems of Bangladesh and India.

Tagore wrote novels, short stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays on political and personal topics. Gitanjali, Gora, and Ghare-Baire, Chokher Bali are among his best-known works.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion.

President Hamid wished overall success of all the ceremonies planned to observe the birth anniversary saying, “May the call of 25th Baishakh to the evergreen touch every Bengali’s heart.”

“I believe that the philosophy of the ‘Biswa Kabi,s’  life and his creations will forever inspire the Bengalis in building a non-communal Bangladesh free from exploitation and deprivation,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message.

Also read: Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help

Bangladesh Television and different private television channels and Bangladesh Betar will air special programmes highlighting the life and works of Rabindranath.

Like every year, different cultural organisations have chalked out events to celebrate the occasion with rich tributes to Tagore through performances and lecture on his life and works.