Tagore the Eternal Seeker : Footprints of a World Traveller

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a towering figure in India's intellectual and cultural landscape. He was not only a writer, artist, music composer and a philosopher but also a world traveller. He travelled to more than 34 countries in his lifetime and these travels left a deep impact on him. According to Humayun Kabir, travel not only broadened his selfhood, it also contributed to his philosophy of internationalism and the development of his institution, Visva-Bharati. He believed that inclusivism and synergic interaction between cultures would propel the world towards harmony and global fellowship. Tagore was a curious and keen observer of socio-political life in the numerous countries that he visited. He made an immense contribution to the making of modern India and left a deep imprint on leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu. This book explores Tagore's travels, and assesses the extent to which he was influenced by his visits and the deep impression he left on the countries he visited. Here, experts from India and several countries to which Tagore had travelled offer an array of perspectives on Tagore's thoughts and vision. They examine how his journeys contributed to his philosophy of internationalism, universalism, humanism, spiritual unity and the religion of man. The volume also illuminates the influence of Tagore's ideas upon the evolution and continuing ethos of Indian foreign policy.