Jatindramohan Tagore

"See Tagore for disambiguation"

Infobox Person
name = Jatindramohan Tagore


image_size = 120 px
caption =
birth_date = 16 May 1831
birth_place = Kolkata
death_date = 10 January 1908
death_place = Kolkata
occupation =
spouse =

Jatindramohan Tagore, ( _bn. যতীন্দ্রমোহন ঠাকুর), Maharaja Bahadur, (16 May 1831 – 10 January 1908), was a theatre enthusiast, art-lover, and philanthropist. Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, "Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan" (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, Bn icon, p. 433, ISBN 8185626650]

Early life

The son of Hara Kumar Tagore (1798 – 1858) and grandson of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College, he belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family. On completing his studies at Hindu College, he studied English and Sanskrit at home.His father, Hara Kumar Tagore, was learned in the Hindu scriptures, Sanskrit and English. He had compiled critically admired books and assisted Radhakanta Deb (1783 – 1867) in compiling "Sabdakalpadrum". [ Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali, p. 611]

When Gnanendramohan Tagore, son of his uncle, Prasanna Coomar Tagore, converted to Christianity in 1851 and was deprived of inheritance for that reason, he inherited the vast property of his uncle.

Tagore Castle

The first house, on the land where Tagore Castle now stands on at 26 Prasanna Kumar Tagore Street in Pathuriaghata, was built by Kali Kumar Tagore. It was a simple three-storey structure. Kali Kumar had given the house to his younger brother Prasanna Coomar. Jatindra Mohan Tagore inherited the property from Prasanna Coomar. In 1895, Jatindra Mohan demolished the old building and started construction of a new building. The plan for the building was prepared by Macintosh Burn and Company from England. It had a 100 feet high centre tower, inspired by the Windsor castle, a flag staff, and a clock imported from England. The building had large rooms as in the castles of England. There was an auditorium on the third floor, meant mainly for the staging of plays. In 1954, A.B. House and Land Pvt. Ltd. of Haridas Mundhra took over the building and has altered most of it to beyond recognition.Bandopadhyay, Debashis, "Bonedi Kolkatar Gharbari", Bn icon, Second impression 2002, pp. 113-6, Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7756-158-8]

Banga Natyalaya

Jatindra Mohan Tagore and his brother Shourendra Mohan Tagore, both theatre enthusiasts, started the Banga Natylalay in Pathuriaghata. Among the plays produced by Banga Natyalay during its fourteen-year life were a Sanskrit and eight Bengali plays. These were reviewed by contemporary newspapers such as "Hindu Patriot" which flourished under Harish Chandra Mukherjee, and Dwarkanath Vidyabhusan’s "Somprakash". The first play to be staged at Banga Natyalaya was Kalidas’ "Mālavikāgnimitram" in Sanskrit, in July 1859. A year later, a Bengali translation of the play by Pandit Ramnarayan Tarkaratna was staged. [cite web
url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/T_0148.htm | title = Theatre Stage | accessdate = 2007-07-15 | last = Mukhopadhyay | first = Ganesh | work = Banga Natyalay, Pathuriaghata | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh] Even prior to the Banga Natyalaya, plays were staged at their house in Pathuriaghata from time to time. He inspired Michael Madhusudan Dutta to compose "Tilottamasambhav Kabya" and paid the expenses for the printing it.

Music and Painting

Jatindramohan was drawn towards music. Under his patronage Kshetramohan Goswami was the first in India to experiment with orchestra or group music. It was a path-breaking achievement in a country with the tradition of solo music and was an attempt at fusion of western music with Indian traditions. [Mitra, Rajyeshwar, "Music in Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 183, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195636961]

He was one of the influential art patrons of the day, featuring both as a donor and a purchaser of European paintings at Exhibitions. [Guha Thakurta, Tapati, Art in Old Calcutta: The Melting Pot of Western Styles, in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol I, P. 148]

Other activities

A man of varied tastes he donated extensively for public causes. He spent unhesitatingly for the rehabilitation of widows.

He was secretary and president of British Indian Association, member of the Viceroy’s council, Education Commission, Calcutta University, and Indian Museum. He had a museum in Tagore Castle.

He wrote extensively in English, Bengali and Sanskrit.

References

Persondata
NAME= Tagore, Jatindramohan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Tagore, Jatindra mohan
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Indian philanthropist
DATE OF BIRTH= 16 May 1831
PLACE OF BIRTH=Kolkata, India
DATE OF DEATH=10 January 1908
PLACE OF DEATH=Kolkata