High Commission of India and High Commission of Bangladesh jointly organized an evening of Tagore songs (Rabindra Sangeet) on March 28th 2011 at Lionel Wendt Theater by renowned artiste Rezwana Choudhury Bannya to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in Sri Lanka. Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Senior Minister for. International Monetary Cooperation, Sri Lanka, Mr. Dilan Perera, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare, Sri Lanka, Mr. Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, Foreign Secretary of  Bangladesh, H.E Mr. Mahbub Uz Zaman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh and H.E. Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India lighted the traditional lamp to inaugurate the evening event which was well attended by the lovers of the Rabindra Sangeet in Sri Lanka.

In his remarks at the event, High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha recalled that during the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in January 2010, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh had agreed to jointly commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Rabindranath Tagore in a manner befitting his vision and spirit. Similarly, During the visit of Minister of External Affairs of India to Sri Lanka in November 2010 to Co-Chair the 5th Session of the Joint Commission Meeting between India and Sri Lanka, Ministers of External Affairs of India and Sri Lanka agreed that both the countries would jointly commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore during the year-long celebrations which will take place in 2011-12. High Commissioner highlighted that it was in this spirit that High Commission of India and High Commission of Bangladesh jointly organized this event to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Tagore in Sri Lanka.

Tagore a poet, music teacher, playwright, visual artist, born in Calcutta, was one of the major witnesses and protagonists of the beginning of the industrial era and of the first half of the twentieth century. His significant work provides us with a philosophical system emblematic of Asian civilizations. A contemporary of Gandhi and Nehru, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, friend of Einstein and of many artists and scientists, this humanist in search of the universal is at the core of a galaxy of intellectuals and creators from Asia and continues, moreover, to have an impact on the international community as a whole.

Tagore visited Sri Lanka thrice and discovered the beauty and the elegance of the Kandyan dance, raised its stature and inspired a renaissance of Sri Lankan culture. Gurudev also laid the foundation of Sri Palee, an Institute modeled on the line of Shantiniketan.

A Number of events are on the anvil to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore in Sri Lanka including release of a special postal stamp, publication of a commemorative volume including articles on Tagore, exhibition of paintings by Tagore, Photo- exhibition on Tagore and a film festival of the films based on the stories of Tagore etc.