Tagore Society of Houston (TSH) is a non sectarian, non religious, non-political organization, established in 1974, with the sole purpose of disseminating the universal ideas and philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore who, in 1913, became the first non-European poet to win the Nobel prize for Literature. Not just a poet and philosopher, Tagore was a social activist, incessant world traveler, education innovator, and creative genius who revolutionized the medium of song, dance and dance-drama in his native Bengal. He became world renowned for the mystic nature of his poetry, his humanistic ideals and outspoken advocacy for a borderless world. The worldwide stature of Tagore can be understood from the following announcement in the Rice Newspaper for his first visit to Houston in 1921:
“Considered a genius, the great versatility of Tagore makes him an outstanding figure in the world today. He has reached heights of excellence in every department of literature — poetry, drama, essays, short stories, and novels…showing creative genius and great originality. He is remarkable in that he combines in himself the traits of the East and the West in a super-degree. He is a contemplative philosopher, a mystic poet, and yet he is a man who can do things, an organizer who can make his dreams come true…”
TSH considers the following three principles as the cornerstone of our mission:
– To spread Rabindranath Tagore’s humanistic philosophy of universalism and its relevance in the new globalized world
– To extend appreciation and share the universality of Tagore’s thoughts, ideals and philosophy
– To promote unity in the diversity of cultures and to advocate the totality of human civilization.
TSH has undertaken various activities since its inception to fulfill its mission. Following are some of the activities:
– A permanent Memorial to Tagore in Ray Miller Park
– Annual University Scholarships
– High School Essay Competitions
– Annual Tagore Talks and flagship events
– Tagore Anniversaries
– Youth engagement
– Book Donations
– Live and Virtual Concerts
– Community Outreach
