In the town of Mangpoo
On the same hill of Rambi.
The house was the neighbour
Of an old quinine factory.
Wooden planks beyond the bushes,
Dried up bottles, broken paint brushes.
A window pane staring the peak,
Masterworks created, that’s the feat.
No wonder how he received his aspiration,
After all, its our Mother Nature’s inspiration.
Where the mind is without fear
And the head is held high
Into that heaven of freedom
Where nature shines bright.
–Kshitij Choudhary
I had visited Mangpoo (A small hill town in West Bengal near Darjeeling) in 2013. There I visited a beautiful wooden cottage amidst the Great Himalayas which was neighbouring an old British quinine factory. That house belonged to Rabindranath Tagore. It was his summer capital. The house was called “Rabindra Bhawan”. Before being sick Tagore had spent his last beautiful days in this exotic laps of nature surrounded by beautiful hills and scenic beauty. Sadly, the place has lost its importance over the time. The house contains his original handwritten works, many rough works and sketches. I had this great opportunity to sit on the same chair he used to sit and write. Seems the government has forgotten what a heritage site this is and therefore hardly any care is taken. It runs on donations by the visitors. Once again, I want to emphasize on the beauty and the sanctity of the place and the cottage’s design, the serene environment and nature at its best.
The above poem The Cottage is my tribute to evergreen Tagore and my puny effort to save this heavenly residence from the oblivion’s curse.
Here are a few pictures of my visit.
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| Rabindra Bhawan |
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| The British Quinine Factory (estd. 1864) |
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| The View from its window. |
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