Ratna G. Chotrani

It was nine decades ago that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore visited Hyderabad, then a State ruled by Nizam, as a guest of the 'Riyasath' and he fell in love with the Banjara Hills, a posh area of the city now-a-days.

Nizam of Hyderabad had extended a formal invitation to Ravindranath Tagore to visit Hyderabad in 1933. The inviten was forwarded by Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, Secretary to the Executive Council.

The Nobel Laureate accepted it though he had visited some regions of Hyderabad State earlier. 

During his visit, Tagore stayed at the ‘Kohistan’ the Banjara Hills residence of Mehdi Nawaz Jung as his guest. He liked the area so much that he said, “If I did not have `Shanti Niketan’ to look after, I would have liked to settle down here.” 

He also composed a poem on ‘Kohistan’ and translated it into English. According to Narendra Luther, civil servant, historian, and author, Rabindranath Tagore had immortalized Banjara Hills.

According to Historians Nizam and Rabindra Nath Tagore developed mutual respect. The Nizam contributed Rs. 1 lakh to construct a hostel at the Visav Bharthi University founded by Tagore.

Tagore respected the Nizam for establishing educational Institutions in the Nizam territory .The Nizam had taken concrete steps  to introduce modern education in the princely State of Hyderabad  in the second half of the nineteenth century. Apart from zanana schools exclusively for girls ,  Hyderabad Public School , Osmania University were among the several.

Osmania University which was founded in 1921 had the distinction of being the 7th University built in India. Tagore wrote to the Nizam “It gives me great joy to know that your state proposes to found a University where instructions are to be given in Urdu”

He added that he has been waiting since long for the day when freed from the shackles of foreign language , India’s education becomes naturally accessible to all its people . He said that he was happy to know that Hyderabad had proposed to establish a University with instruction in Urdu and said that he fully appreciated it. .  

When Tagore arrived in Hyderabad he was feted by all intellectuals and other prominent personalities of Hyderabad during Mushairas and gatherings of poets and most prominent citizens of Hyderabad.

Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Tagore in his robe and flowing white beard was a big attraction in Hyderabad.

Tagore literally felt in love with the Hyderabad, its climate and its peaceful conditions. He loved the serenity of Banjara Hills, its lush greenscape, its rocks and contemplated to build a house and spend some parts of the year in Hyderabad.

Rabindranath Tagore however abandoned the idea due to his commitment to Shantiniketan.

Tagore would set out on foot early in the morning to explore the hilly region. He developed a great liking for Hyderabad’s salutary climate and peaceful life. The calm surroundings of Banjara Hills, and its rocks evoked the poet in him.

During a get together which was also attended by Sarojini Naidu, Prime Minister Kishen Pershad on the spur of the moment composed a couplet: “Mehfil mein hain aaj jama do saheb-e-resh, Donon dilshad aur donon dilresh.” (Assembled today are two bearded gentlemen/ Both are cheerful and both have wounded hearts).

He was reacting to the Mezbaan Amin Jung and Tagore’s long beards. Such was the camaraderie that they forgot their differences and only thought of peace poetry and brotherhood.

Tagore immortalized the places he stayed even for a short while by writing a poem or creating a cultural facet around that place. His visit to Madanapalle in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh in early 1919 resulted in creation of literary history when the poet translated his Jana Gana Mana song into English .

When Tagore passed away in 1941 entire Hyderabad mourned his death and newpapers published eulogies his memory.