159 years of Rabindranath Tagore, a look at his love for the hills

Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s love for nature is apparent in his poems, but did you know that he often spent his time in the hills of India. On the eve of Rabindranath Tagore’s 159th birth anniversary, we are going to look at two far-flung places up in the Himalayas, one in northern India, the other in eastern India. Both these places were once dear to Tagore, and his homes still exist here; one in Kalimpong, West Bengal, the other in Almora, Uttarakhand. It is said that he wrote parts of Gitanjali in this house in Almora, which is now known as Tagore House.
Tagore House, Almora

The dense forests of Almora was once a destination where Tagore wrote parts of his stellar work, Gitanjali in the summer of 1937. It was Gitanjali that fetched him the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Tagore House today is unlike its former self, but nevertheless, the building radiates a sense of beauty. You can find a bronze statue of Tagore here in the building. It is famously said that Rabindranath Tagore had come to this bungalow in Almora even before the summer of 1937, after the passing of his wife. Invariably, the culture and history of the Kumaon region had an effect on Tagore, and many of the region's poets admired him for his genius.
Gouripur House, Kalimpong

Closer to Rabindranath Tagore’s home in Jorasanko, the Gouripur House in the hills of Kalimpong was once his home in the hills, and it is said that this was also his favourite. The beautiful heritage house is currently not very good, but it surely sparks a sense of nostalgia. It is said that he spent his 78th birthday here at Gouripur House, and even composed a poem called Janmadin (Birthday). In fact, Tagore spent his last days here in Gouripur House, and was rushed down to Calcutta when he fell gravely ill in 1941. He eventually passed away on August 7 of that year, and this day is still observed as a day of mourning in Bengal.