Tagore's 'heart' fetches Rs 1 cr & letters Rs 5.9 cr
Rabindranath Tagore
, was sold for Rs 1.04 crore at a Kolkata auction on Friday. Its estimated price was between Rs 55 lakh and Rs 70 lakh. According to auction house AstaGuru's "Collectors' Choice", the sculpture is believed to have been dedicated to Kadambari Devi, wife of Tagore's brother Jyotirindranath.
At the same auction, a set of 35 handwritten letters and 14 envelopes sent by Tagore to sociologist Dhurjati Prasad Mukerji between 1927 and 1936, fetched Rs 5.9 crore. The estimated bidding price of the set was between Rs 5 crore and Rs 7 crore.
Tagore was only 22 when he sculpted 'The Heart' in 1883 during a contemplative retreat in the coastal town of Karwar in Karnataka in the company of his brother Satyendranath and sister-in-law Jnanadanandini Devi. On it, he engraved in Bengali - "Having cut my heart of stone, I have engraved (the words) with my own hand. Will it be ever effaced by the flow of tears?"
"Any piece by Tagore, be it a sculpture or a letter, is priceless. It does't surprise me that they fetched a high value. Though it is the prerogative of the owner to decide where they want to keep it, I would personally love to see them in museums. People should be able to read letters by Tagore or see a piece sculpted by him. Though I belong to the family, I believe Tagore belongs to humanity," said Sumanto Chattopadhyay, great-great-grandson of Satyendranath.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
20 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bengaluru devotee donates Rs 1 cr to TTD
Tirumala: A devotee from Bengaluru, Kalyan Raman Krishnamurthy, on Wednesday donated Rs one crore to Sri Venkateswara Anna Prasadam Trust of TTD. The donation DD was handed over to TTD Additional Executive Officer Ch Venkaiah Chowdary at the Additional EO's camp office at Tirumala.
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Consistent efforts to serve quality meals strike a chord with scores of devotees
Visakhapatnam: 'Annidanala kanna, annadanam minna' (serving food is considered as a great service compared to any other form of charity). And it is the same 'adage' the Simhachalam Devasthanam has been following without any compromise for the past 36 years. Along with darshan of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Simhachalam Devasthanam reminds one of the flavourful 'annadanam' the temple serves to its devotees. The Devasthanam launched the 'Nitya Annadanam' scheme 36 years ago with a strong belief that 'Annadanam' is superior compared to any other service. In 1989, August 14, a group of temple employees donated Rs 50,000 to initiate the Nitya Annadanam scheme. Back then, the inauguration of the scheme was organised under the aegis of the then temple Executive Officer G.V. Narasimha Murthy. In 1989, the Devasthanam employees collected a total of Rs 50,000 as their first donation. The seed sown 36 years back reaped bountiful fruits over the years as the devotees' immense faith, deposits of crores of donations plus the interest earned on them resulted in an uninterrupted execution of Annadanam, satiating the hunger pangs of scores of devotees who arrive at the temple. Without compromising on quality standards, the scheme's focus has also been on consistent maintenance of the taste for decades. This is one of the main reasons for the scheme to become successful. Those who savoured the meal in the Devasthanam have one thing to convey, 'There is something 'divine' about the food served in Simhachalam Devasthanam as it is so flavourful.' As per the instructions of the temple's hereditary trustee and Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, temple officials focused on improving the cleanliness and spiritual atmosphere of the temple surroundings and Annadanam Bhavanam premises. For the financial year of 2024-25, the deposit amount reached Rs 36.45 crore, while the interest earned on it is Rs 2.09 crore. With the interest accrued alone, Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy's Anna Prasadam scheme is being implemented in an uninterrupted manner. According to temple records, since the inception of the scheme, five donors donated Rs 10 lakh or more each. There are 1,217 donors, who have donated Rs 1 lakh and above. This year alone, more than one million devotees savoured the Anna Prasadam, informed Vendra Trinadha Rao, Executive Officer of the Devasthanam. On special occasions like 'Vaikuntha Ekadasi', annual Kalyanam, 'Chandannotsavam', 'Giri Pradakshina', special Anna Prasadam arrangements have been made additionally to lakhs of devotees. In coordination with Devasthanam assistant executive officer Vadrevu Ramana Murthy, supervising officer Paluri Narasinga Rao and the staff, steps have been taken to ensure quality food is served to the devotees in a hassle-free manner. As the Annaprasadam scheme enters its 37th year, the Executive Officer of the Devasthanam expressed his gratitude to the donors who continue to support the scheme.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
PGI suffers financial losses due to prolonged vacancy of staff houses since 2017
Chandigarh: An RTI response has revealed that 323 faculty and non-faculty houses under PGI have been lying vacant, some since as early as 2017. The vacant houses have led to an estimated financial loss of over Rs 20 crore over the past 5–6 years, with an annual loss of Rs 5.5 crore, according to calculations based on uncollected licence fee and 20% house rent allowance (HRA) paid to staff. Vacant properties mean lost rental income or utility waste. The disclosure, obtained by RTI applicant Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman of the Joint Action Committee, PGI on Aug 12, highlights administrative apathy and financial mismanagement. HRA, calculated on basic pay with increments and promotions over 10–25 years, adds significant costs for non-allotted staff. For instance, a junior doctor with a basic pay of Rs 56,100 (Level 10, 7th CPC) receives Rs 11,220 monthly HRA, totalling Rs 1.35 lakh annually per person. "With Chandigarh's high real estate prices, this could be framed as taxpayer money down the drain," said Munjal. The prolonged vacancies have forced PGI staff, including doctors and nurses, to pay exorbitant market rents in Chandigarh's pricey housing market, often living in far-flung areas. Extreme weather, traffic jams, and high fuel costs make timely reporting for duty challenging, especially during emergencies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remember Him? Sit Down Before You See What He Looks Like Now 33 Bridges Undo "This isn't just about housing — it's about patient care," said a senior nurse. "We're stretched thin, and commuting from distant areas in rain or fog delays critical responses," she said. The RTI documents point to delays in 'fitness reports' from the engineering department, requested as early as June 19, 2025, with reminders issued by July 7, 2025. These reports, critical for certifying houses as habitable, remain pending for many units, suggesting maintenance neglect or bureaucratic inefficiencies. Some houses, vacant since 2017–2019, may require significant repairs, further inflating costs. Out of 323 houses, some 200 are inside the campus. "This could have saved the parking burden in the institute which has been spending crores on multilevel parking and yet there is no space left," said a faculty member. The housing allotment committee has been taking months to allot the houses. "These vacant houses deteriorate with time and this also adds to the expenses to be made fit for living," said a faculty member. Total Vacant Houses: Over 300 across both sectors (approx 220 in Sector 12, 80 in Sector 24, including Manimajra extensions). This includes various types like IV, III, I, Teacher Flats, F-Block, and higher categories (VI, IX, X). Some houses have been empty since 2011 in Sector-12, some are vacant for nearly 14 years. Many became vacant in 2024–2025. The average vacancy time is around 2–3 years for most. About 30% have been vacant for over five years. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
