Shillong, Aug 8: Admirers and followers of the legendary poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on Sunday commemorated his 80th Death Anniversary by paying floral tribute and singing songs and poems at the Tagore’s statue in Brookside Bungalow, Rilbong.

Tagore loved the pine dotted hill station and had visited Shillong thrice but Brookside holds significance for the fact that it was after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of April 13 1919 that Tagore renounced his Knighthood Title “Sir”, and later that year he decided to come to Shillong and stay here with his eldest son Rathindranath Tagore and his family.

During his stay here at Shillong in October 1919 for three weeks he wrote two short stories Akti Din (One Day), and Akti Chowni (A Glance).  He also translated several of his speeches from Bengali to English while he stayed here.

The event was organized by Malabika Bisharad and followers of Rabindranath Tagore, and as directed by the District Commissioner only 10 persons across the city were allowed to pay tribute at the Tagore’s statue.