Tripura lauds Visva-Bharati’s tribute to Tagore-Manikya link

Agartala: Tripura govt appreciated the decision of Visva-Bharati University that has taken a significant step in commemorating the historical relation between Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and the Manikya dynasty of Tripura.
According to report, Visva-Bharati recently announced the installation of a special panel in Rabindra Bhavan, dedicated to showcasing the historical documents and pictures of Manikya kings and highlighting their connection with Tagore.
Tagore visited Tripura at least seven times, enchanted by its natural beauty, rolling hills and, above all, the unwavering admiration of the Manikya rulers. His interactions with the royal family influenced his literary works, inspiring several pieces where the state served as a backdrop, Tripura tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury said on Saturday.
"Recognising the history of Gurudev Rabindranath with Tripura, Visva-Bharati authorities have completed the work on a dedicated panel that will narrate this historic relationship," Chowdhury said.
As there is no separate space in Rabindra Sangharshala for this exhibition, the special panel will now house rare photographs of Tagore's visits to Tripura, letters exchanged between him and the Manikya kings and telegram messages, a Viswa-Bharati source said.
Various informational materials have also been included to make the exhibit more engaging for tourists. One of the most notable honours bestowed upon Tagore by the Tripura royal family was the title of ‘Bharat Bhaskar', conferred by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. But this history was never recognised by the Visva-Bharati authority.
"Now it seems the wheel of history has turned a full circle with a decision by Visva-Bharati authority to place on a pedestal the portraits of Tripura's Manikya dynasty kings who had extended liberal patronage to Tagore and his dream institution, the poet's record of correspondence with the kings as well as heart-warming hills and vales of Tripura captured in photographs," BKChowdhury, a leading researcher on Tagore, said.
According to history, Tagore at his young age had sought help from the then king of Tripura Bir Chandra Manikya in 1882 to access material on the princely state's history. The king gladly and generously obliged Tagore and the result was novel Rajarshi, later converted into a drama under the title of Visarjan.
Tagore composed another drama on Tripura's history called Mukut, based on an episode in the history of Tripura during the reign of King Amar Manikya in the late 16th century.
"Tagore had visited Tripura seven times during the reigns of King Radha Kishore Manikya (1896-1909), King Birendra Kishore (1909-1923) and Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore (1923-1947) and had got liberal grants and assistance from Tripura's royal family," Chowdhury said. He added that at Tagore's recommendation many famous Bengali poets, scientists and intellectuals, including Hem Chandra, Jagadish Chandra Bose and several others, had been financially helped by Tripura's generous Manikya dynasty kings.