Ninety years ago, Gurudeva Rabindranath Tagore visited Hyderabad, which was then ruled by the Nizam. A guest artist of the ‘Riyasath’ entertained the audience in 1933. The Nizam invited Tagore, and the invitation was sent by Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, who was the Secretary to the Executive Council. Tagore accepted the invitation, even though he had visited parts of Hyderabad before.
During his stay, Tagore lived at ‘Kohistan,’ a beautiful house in Banjara Hills, owned by Mehdi Nawaz Jung. He had fondness for the area to an extent that he declared, “If I did not have Shanti Niketan to manage I would wish to live here.” He even penned down poetry on ‘Kohistan’ and translated it in English language only to make it more understandable. Historian Narendra Luther noted that Tagore made Banjara Hills famous through his words.
Respect Between Tagore and the Nizam
Historians say that Tagore and the Nizam had great respect for each other. The Nizam donated Rs. 1 lakh to build a hostel at Visva-Bharati University, which Tagore founded. Tagore admired the Nizam for his efforts to improve education in Hyderabad. He started many schools for girls and Osmania University, the seventh national university, was founded in 1921. Tagore expressed joy about the new university that would teach in Urdu, hoping for a future where education would be accessible to all Indians.
A Lasting Impression
When Tagore arrived in Hyderabad, he was warmly welcomed by intellectuals and prominent citizens during poetry gatherings. Long hair, beard in particular, and robe were quite distinctive features which set the man apart from the others. He said that he came to love the climate and the serene environment of Hyderabad particularly in Banjara Hills which has much greens and rocks. Tagore thought about building a house there but decided against it due to his commitment to Shanti Niketan.
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